Kobe Bryant's true peak was from 2000-2003...

[Killer Instinct]

Frobe wasn't the best version of Kobe by any stretch, but he's my favorite. I like his '02 - '03 stretch, too. He had reached that next level. Everything he did that season seemed effortless.




Frobe activley looked like he was trying at times. Bean when he first got the lowcut at the start of the '02 season looked as if scoring came as effortlessly as breathing.

Kobe did not have a quicker first step than LeBron.

Go watch LeBron’s 2010 highlights.

The dedication is godly. Good lord.

 

[ISO]

Frobe wasn't the best version of Kobe by any stretch, but he's my favorite. I like his '02 - '03 stretch, too. He had reached that next level. Everything he did that season seemed effortless.




Frobe Kobe activley looked like he was trying at times. Bean when he first got the lowcut at the start of the '02 series looked as if scoring came as effortlessly as breathing.





The dedication is godly. Good lord.

U Kobe stans delusional now he was more athletic than Michael and LeBron

 

[Swagnificent]

he might've been at that time but overall he wasnt a freak like MJ/Bron thats why he worked so hard to get those skills on point

I disagree. To me he was as good as both athletically. His strengths were just different. People just don't appreciate his athletic versatility which is where he was superior to both Jordan and LeBron. While they might have jumped higher and run faster, they lacked Kobe's agility, body control, and dexterity with both feet. Especially LeBron.

I'll continue to repeat this point. How can Kobe be the lesser athlete if his dunk montage is better?

 

[Illeye buckmatic]

he might've been at that time but overall he wasnt a freak like MJ/Bron thats why he worked so hard to get those skills on point

I think kobe was just driven to be the best and wanted to be more than an amazing athlete. He didn't have Bron's power but like swag said his first step was goat status. Better than Bron's. It's just rare to see a young player with that natural talent work so hard on his skills at such an early age instead of getting by on physical attributes.

 

[Rell84shots]

Statistically he played his best when he was facing those bullshyt charges.

 

[Illeye buckmatic]

U Kobe stans delusional now he was more athletic than Michael and LeBron

Bron was a better overall athlete cause of his combination of power and speed but that kobe's 1st step was close to Michael's. Bron's first step is amazing but kobe's was gawdly

 

[Swagnificent]

bullshyt

And btw a lot of the stuff you’re talking about is biomechanics not athleticism.

Find me the tape then. Bron doesn't blow by defenders. He typically puts his body into them and uses his strength to create space and finish.

In the half court he's a power player. Its only on fast breaks that we see the blinding speed.

 

[Killer Instinct]

U Kobe stans delusional now he was more athletic than Michael and LeBron

I'm not arguing in favor of either of those. Given that you only mentioned one of those names initially, I'm simply commending you for the passion. Yall are as dedicated to your craft as Lebron is to his.

 

[ISO]

Find me the tape then. Bron doesn't blow by defenders. He typically puts his body into them and uses his strength to create space and finish.

In the half court he's a power player. Its only on fast breaks that we see the blinding speed.

Watch the young Bron you basing this off bulky and older Bron

 

[Swagnificent]

U Kobe stans delusional now he was more athletic than Michael and LeBron

If you limit athleticism to just pure vertical leap and 40 yard speed then no he's not more athletic.

What we're talking about is the full spectrum of athleticism (i.e. quickness, agility, body control, lateral mobility, dexterity, etc.). When you look at everything, Kobe is arguably the most athletic player ever. Its why his highlight dunks and plays at the basket are among the most spectacular in NBA history.

How can Kobe have the most jaw-dropping highlights in NBA history and not be among the most athletic ever?

 

[ISO]

If you limit athleticism to just pure vertical leap and 40 yard speed then no he's not more athletic.

What we're talking about is the full spectrum of athleticism (i.e. quickness, agility, body control, lateral mobility, dexterity, etc.). When you look at everything, Kobe is arguably the most athletic player ever. Its why his highlight dunks and plays at the basket are among the most spectacular in NBA history.

How can Kobe have the most jaw-dropping highlights in NBA history and not be among the most athletic ever?

U talking about creativity and style. It’s a reason Kobe was called Showboat. Kobe is a flashier dunker than MJ but he’s not more athletic.

LeBron is just flat out faster, stronger, jumps higher, more powerful and explosive and at his size his body control and dexterity is top notch. Anything you attribute to Kobe is based off him being much lighter.

 

[VegasCAC]

In that era he had a God-tier mix of athleticism and skill. If you go purely off aesthetics than sure, that's his peak. But he didn't get it all together mentally in terms of playing winning basketball as a #1 option until 08-09.

My favorite time watching Kobe in his career was that stretch in 2012-2013. Even as a hater (which I now regret), I was in awe of how effective he was on the court, and how much smarter he was.

 

[Draje]

IQ and ability to read defenses matter. Kobe’s 08-10 season were his best seasons as a basketball player. Still an elite athlete but just understood the game better.

 

[Swagnificent]

U talking about creativity and style. It’s a reason Kobe was called Showboat. Kobe is a flashier dunker than MJ but he’s not more athletic.

LeBron is just flat out faster, stronger, jumps higher, more powerful and explosive and at his size his body control and dexterity is top notch. Anything you attribute to Kobe is based off him being much lighter.

Athleticism is defined as "the physical qualities that are characteristic of athletes". So that includes all physical qualities not just a few you think are more important like speed and strength. Agility for one matters. And that is one area even you can't claim Kobe isn't better than LeBron at. Also body control. You throw in the size caveat but that's just an excuse because LeBron's size favors him the strength category and you don't see me taking credit away from LeBron on that. Why are you trying to excuse Kobe's advantage in body control by saying its just based on size?

At the end of the day, Kobe's physical abilties allowed him to pull off more spectacular dunks and moves at the rim than LeBron. If that doesn't speak to his athleticism then I don't know what will.

 

[10bandz]

In that era he had a God-tier mix of athleticism and skill. If you go purely off aesthetics than sure, that's his peak. But he didn't get it all together mentally in terms of playing winning basketball as a #1 option until 08-09.

My favorite time watching Kobe in his career was that stretch in 2012-2013. Even as a hater (which I now regret), I was in awe of how effective he was on the court, and how much smarter he was.

thats a false narrative...."as a #1 option" whether or not Shaq was the #1 or #1a or whatever, Kobe was running that offense back then period. Not Shaq. When you look at that 2001 run that was Kobe playing winning basketball. When PJ challenged him to stop scoring as much to maximize the efficiency of the offense, Kobe mentally took on the challenge and ran the triangle the way PJ wanted. The ball was in his hands more than anybody and often times he had more shot attempts at Shaq even when he was moving the ball around . The assertion that Kobe didnt play like a team player or played winning basketball before the 2nd run is false. He was just more "willing" to play team ball and be a leader during the 2nd run.

During the Shaq days he was reluctant but the at the end of the day when the playoffs came he ran shyt the way it needed to be ran. Thats winning basketball. That's being mentally prepared. The way he played in the OT of G4 2000 was mentally winning basketball as a #1 option. Dismantling the Spurs in 2001 was mentally winning basketball. The triangle in those days ran perfectly because of him

Overall I do agree that Kobe "put it all together" during the 2nd run but people discount those early years as if Kobe was just ball hogging and jacking up shots the whole time. Maybe in spurts but not in the playoffs