Without a doubt, one of the greatest talents the NBA has seen; Kobe Bryant may be the most overrated player of all time. However, this will come with so much backlash because Kobe has the biggest fan base the world has ever seen. We can find that out quickly as we constantly hear from crazed fans who think he’s going to be back next season and be one of the top 15 players in the league. And this is well deserved. But this is not where the overvaluation comes in; it started a long time ago when Kobe was still recovering.
Kobe was traded to the Lakers in his rookie year, which immediately put him even more in the spotlight with the well-known knowledge that his father was Jelly Bean Bryant and that he entered the league as a standout player from high school. . Once Shaq arrived, deny it if you will, he was the pinnacle of whatever championship team was about to be built. With Shaq’s overwhelming dominance, Phil’s championship background, and a well-suited supporting cast, the team was perfectly poised to accomplish anything they wanted. Kobe was a great asset to have; electrifying, high-flying, lightning fast, smooth shooting and uneven determination in his craft. So, three rings later and Shaq’s departure, the Lakers had to keep a face, a source of money. Kobe was made to be the center of attention, he recalls. This is where Kobe’s ego and brand began to explode.
Kobe would go on to have an incredible scoring performance, most notably 81 points against the Raptors, win two more rings and capture an MVP trophy. However, Kobe completes his career with just one MVP title, so it’s hard to argue that he once dominated the league as the best and that’s where the overvaluation comes in; the notion that Kobe is possibly the best. Others who can reasonably argue for the title have more than one MVP trophy. Not to mention, there’s a long list of shooting guards I could hypothetically put on those Lakers first teams and still have won and maybe won more because they wouldn’t have to deal with the Diva. In the second race in a row, it can be argued that the team was more the reason for the championships than the Black Mamba. Gasol was unstoppable and provided the perfect combination for Bynum’s strength. Add that to two 6-foot-9 wing players who can spread the floor in Ariza and Odom with all three and you have tough problems long before you get to Kobe. Regardless, Kobe’s longevity of staying relevant and winning subsequent championships with Gasol puts Kobe in a different stratosphere. But this fictional comparison of him to Jordan is egregiously confirmed.
Even with six titles, it won’t mean anything compared to the way Jordan achieved his. Also, the fact that nobody wants to play with Kobe because it is difficult to train him and play alongside him on and off the court has counted against the sixth ring more than an injury. He is arguably one of the top ten talents of all time, but kick back with the best.
