That's why his defense is overrated. How you getting handed 1st-team all-defense when you guarding the worst player on the other team???
Not many guys gonna play 20 seasons and not get top-15 in steals. He not even averaging 100 steals a season.
Lebron gonna pass Kobe up on steals just 16 seasons in, and Lebron didn't play nearly as much free safety in his career as Kobe done been.
Breh, in the 2001 Finals Iverson scored
THIRTY in the first half of Game 1 with Kobe guarding him. They had to put Tyronn Lue in to get Iverson under control.
Iverson averaged 36ppg that Finals even with Lue being used on the regular to relieve Kobe of the guy he couldn't handle.
In 2008, a 33yo Iverson on the verge of falling off still averaged 25 and 5 against Kobe on 43% shooting.
Kobe and McGrady never met in the playoffs. But during McGrady's 2001-2005 prime before the injuries, he averaged 28.3ppg on 45% shooting and 40% from three against Kobe.
On 2s maybe. Not against 1s, 3s, 4s, and 5s.