MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

[st0rmb11]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

This is getting way off topic...why do you consider Jerry West a point guard and not Dave Bing? and you don't consider Allen Iverson a shooting guard? because I would certainly have him ahead of Dwyane Wade.

[AlexBrady]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

With Kobe's post up game and strength in rising up on his jumpers, I'd say that his numbers would be the same. Also, the size of the defenders would work heavily in Bryant's favor, if we're talking about the 80s/90s. Being guarded by Hershey Hawkins, Voshon Lenard and Jeff Hornaceck wouldn't knock down Kob's average, handchecking or no.

I was actually talking about top tier defenders in Kobe's era. If they were allowed to hand check.... Kobe's game would take a hit. They would be able to play about a foot farther back and delay any attack move by using hand pressure.

Some players that would have likely been sicced on Kobe and would have benefited from hand checking would be: Aaron McKie, Doug Christie, Raja Bell, James Posey, Richard Jefferson, Trenton Hassell, Ruben Patterson, Stacey Augmon, and Shandon Anderson.

[clipperfan811]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

They both handled the reporters fantastically. It's funny how everything is so sensationalized.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

Of course saying top 10 is accurate, but to be more accurate, Kobe is the best shooting guard ever not named Micheal Jordan.

Jordan knows that, has probably said it several times in the past, and has also probably privately discussed this with Kobe.

Outside of Shaq and Duncan, there really hasn't been a better player since MJ retired. Certainly not a better wing/guard.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

As a guard, he's top 5 or 6. As a shooting guard, he's 2.

[24]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

It's not like MJ was disrespecting Kobe he was just stating the plain obvious but the media has to make a story out of everything.

[st0rmb11]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

It's not like MJ was disrespecting Kobe he was just stating the plain obvious but the media has to make a story out of everything.

The media would NEVER do that!

[dragonyeuw]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

and you don't consider Allen Iverson a shooting guard? because I would certainly have him ahead of Dwyane Wade.

Iverson is/was not the overall player Wade is. Maybe a more dynamic scorer( albeit inefficient). Wade can give you 30 points shooting 48%, along with 7 assists, 5 rebounds,couple of steals and a block. Iverson never had that kind of across the board impact.

[JerzeyReign]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

Iverson is/was not the overall player Wade is. Maybe a more dynamic scorer( albeit inefficient). Wade can give you 30 points shooting 48%, along with 7 assists, 5 rebounds,couple of steals and a block. Iverson never had that kind of across the board impact.

So it begins.....


Before y'all go crazy, NUMBERS DO LIE... y'all take that Jay-Z line alittle too serious... not to throw gasoline on the fire but Oscar Robertson is the best player to every play the game... if you understand that statement (or figure out why I said it) you'll figure the streets out Officer Hoyt

[Taur3asi3]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

I love how we somehow avoided the endless Jordan/Kobe debate only to have someone possibly start the Iverson debate.

In regards to what Jordan said, he's right Kobe is a top 10 SG. Whether or not Kobe's a top 10 guard or player all-time in general depends on what you value and look for in players. I can't believe this is a story it's just about as basic and bland a statement Jordan could have possibly made about Kobe's all time positioning and sparks no conversation or argument. It's not any different than someone saying that Kobe or Lebron or Durant or whoever is a top 10 player in the league now. Of course they are, you can't argue that but their exact positioning is open for debate.

[AlexBrady]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

This is getting way off topic...why do you consider Jerry West a point guard and not Dave Bing? and you don't consider Allen Iverson a shooting guard? because I would certainly have him ahead of Dwyane Wade.

Jerry West was considered by his peers and by Sharman to be a point guard. Bing was considered to be a scoring/creating 2 guard and Jimmy Walker was the point man. I suppose Iverson could be classified as either a 1 or 2 but there is no doubt that his game was not more well rounded than Wade's.

[Dice]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

Kobe is probably the second best shooting guard of all time. But to name 9 guards(PG and SG) that's better than him might be a stretch. I'll try it now while I'm typing this post.

- Michael Jordan
- Magic Johnson
- Oscar Robertson
- Jerry West
.
.
.
.
I'm starting to draw a blank. Those are the only guards I can think of right now that's had a better career than Kobe. Can someone name me 5 more players?

[Taur3asi3]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

It really depends on what you look for in a player and how fast and loose you wanna play with positions since a lot of older guys are either listed as G/F or the listing is inaccurate.

edit: It gets even more debatable if you use "better career" as the measuring stick.

[KG]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

Nothing really to argue here. I liked the way Kobe handled it tho, if someone told him that earlier in his career i could only imagine his response, guess he's been listening to KD speak lately lol

Agreed. He handled it like a true professional.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: MJ on Kobe Bryant: "I'd Say He's A Top 10 Guard"

The panelists were all bashing MJ saying he was "bitter" and "intimidated by Kobe's greatness". I just laughed because they are really trying to get something started out of nothing. MJ gave him a complement and that's that.

Glad, I didn't watch that. I would have hurt myself laughing.

By the way, Jordan said that he is a top 10 GUARD. Not top 10 SHOOTING GUARD. Big difference.