11/5/2023 0 Comments Kobe quit game 7Over the past 15 years, he has averaged 28.9 points (57.9 TS%), 8.9 boards, 7.1 assists and 2.8 blocks/steals in 42 minutes over 239 playoff games. James’ teams have made the playoffs in all but the first and last of his completed prime seasons, winning three titles in nine Finals trips and never losing a first-round series. ![]() He also has a handful of top-five Defensive Player of the Year finishes, peaking at second in 20. On that run, he has 13 top-five MVP finishes, winning four times and placing second twice (with another likely coming this season). Excluding the 2011 lockout and the current hiatus, he has averaged 76 games per season and played fewer than 69 just once. James entered the league as advertised in 2003, averaging a 21-6-6 en route to 2004 Rookie of the Year honors, but he made his leap to superstardom as an NBA sophomore and has remained in his prime since.įrom 2004 to the present, James has averaged 27.5 points (59.2 true shooting percentage), 7.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.4 blocks/steals in 38.3 minutes per game. Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard also made All-Star appearances alongside Bryant. In his prime, he never played with more than one active All-Star, sharing the court with Shaquille O’Neal for the first five of those seasons and Pau Gasol the final six. In that 14-year span, Bryant averaged 27.7 points (54.3 TS%), 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.1 blocks/steals in 41.5 minutes over 192 playoff games.īryant was the best player on two of his five championship teams. The Lakers lost three first-round series in that stretch, including a 2013 set when Bryant was nursing his Achilles injury. He placed top five in Defensive Player of the Year voting on three occasions, peaking with a third-place finish in 2002.īryant’s Los Angeles Lakers made the playoffs every year but once in his prime (2004-05), winning five championships in seven trips to the Finals. During that span, he finished top five in MVP voting 11 times, winning in 2008 and finishing runner-up the following year. Excluding the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season, he averaged 76 games per season and never played fewer than 65. ![]() He often glared or screamed at his teammates and was generally an a-hole to play with.From 1999-2013, Bryant averaged 27.8 points (55.6 true shooting percentage), 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.1 combined blocks and steals in 38.8 minutes per game. ![]() Remember, this is all pre-Gasol stuff, and Kobe’s frustration was mounting. Kobe wouldn’t quit, but he wears his emotions on his sleeve, so if he’s following the game plan - in this case, getting his teammates involved - and it’s not successful, then his body language might make it look like he has quit. And obscured by the idea that Kobe didn’t do enough to help his team win was the fact that the Suns shot 61 percent from the field, while no Lakers player (other than Bryant, who finished 8-for-16) shot 50 percent or better. Lost in the “Kobe tanked” narrative was the fact that Barbosa and the Suns’ bench outscored the Lakers’ reserves 50-21. There was even one possession in the third quarter in which Parker was picked and George stayed with Diaw instead of switching, leaving Nash wide open as he traipsed in for a layup. When the Lakers did close out fast enough, they often over-pursued, leaving Nash and Barbosa opportunities to use their quick first steps to blow by unbalanced defenders. Marion, Thomas and Boris Diaw were free to either shoot over smaller Lakers guards or roll all the way to the rim. decided to switch on the screens, leaving Nash free to shoot over big men who didn’t close out fast enough to harrass his shots. ![]() The Lakers, as a team, shot poorly and were routinely beaten by the Suns’ pick-and-roll sets on offense. But they didn’t win because Bryant took just three shots in the second half. Dave McMenamin of watched the game with fresh eyes to see if Kobe really did quit on his team. Much has been written about that Game 7 against the Suns four years ago, where the Lakers became just the eighth team to lose a series after taking a 3-1 lead.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |