OT: Kobe retiring

[Kitaman]

Finally he is quitting the game. I will say that he is one of the greatest ball players of all time. Sure his skills diminished over time, but in his prime he was up there with all the greats. Playing for one team his whole career speaks volumes.

4 Championships ain't bad either.

 

[MexicoHusky]

I always felt he had more basketball skill than Jordan. Better ball handler. Better shooter. But it is very close in the shooting dept. Kobe is not as physically as gifted Jordon.

 

[SWHuskyFan]

Finally he is quitting the game. I will say that he is one of the greatest ball players of all time. Sure his skills diminished over time, but in his prime he was up there with all the greats. Playing for one team his whole career speaks volumes.

4 Championships ain't bad either.

4 Championships ain't bad, think he actually has 5 though. He had 3 in the Shaq years, 99-02 and the 2 recent ones, 08-09.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

It always surprises me that he only has 1 mvp

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Finally he is quitting the game. I will say that he is one of the greatest ball players of all time. Sure his skills diminished over time, but in his prime he was up there with all the greats. Playing for one team his whole career speaks volumes.

4 Championships ain't bad either.

It was a lot of fun watching his game change so drastically over the years. He didn't try to stay the same player as age caught up to him. He adjusted and became one of the most deadly back to basket players in the NBA.

 

[HooperScooper]

4 Championships ain't bad, think he actually has 5 though. He had 3 in the Shaq years, 99-02 and the 2 recent ones, 08-09.

Yup 5. 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010.

 

[intlzncster]

Finally

 

[gtcam]

Never cared for the Lakers but was in awe of his game
Probably stayed longer than he needed to but when he was healthy he was awesome.

 

[superjohn]

Never liked him and he's now one of the worst players in the NBA, could do without the farewell tour.

 

[mauconnfan]

He still got away with something only he could have in Colorado (well maybe Greg Hardy) and suddenly he's reborn. Great player not as much as a person.

 

[UConNick]

I've never been anything close to a Laker fan (Knicks), but I've always had a great deal of respect for Kobe due to his similarities to Jeter. One iconic team, million time all star, and a 5 time champion. Off the field, not so much, but they were both equals in terms of how they stood in their respective sports.

 

[polycom]

He still got away with something only he could have in Colorado (well maybe Greg Hardy) and suddenly he's reborn. Great player not as much as a person.

What he didn't abuse a woman? Kobe and Greg Hardy shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence.

 

[intlzncster]

I always felt he had more basketball skill than Jordan. Better ball handler. Better shooter. But it is very close in the shooting dept. Kobe is not as physically as gifted Jordon.

Better shooter? No way. I don't think they're even in the same conversation. Stats show it.

Even Phil Jackson thinks so.

 

[intlzncster]

I've never been anything close to a Laker fan (Knicks), but I've always had a great deal of respect for Kobe due to his similarities to Jeter. One iconic team, million time all star, and a 5 time champion. Off the field, not so much, but they were both equals in terms of how they stood in their respective sports.

Huh, I understand you trying to compare them, but Jeter carried himself as a player and leader in far, far, far superior fashion to Kobe. Kobe was divisive. Jeter made it work with Arod for crying out loud. God it's gross defending a Mr Yankee.

 

[MexicoHusky]

Better shooter? No way. I don't think they're even in the same conversation. Stats show it.

Even Phil Jackson thinks so.

Tough to argue with those numbers. But Phil is just a pot-head from Western North Dakota...so I don't take him too seriously.

 

[intlzncster]

Tough to argue with those numbers. But Phil is just a pot-head from Western North Dakota...so I don't take him too seriously.

A pot head with 13 championship rings!! hahahah

 

[superjohn]

Huh, I understand you trying to compare them, but Jeter carried himself as a player and leader in far, far, far superior fashion to Kobe. Kobe was divisive. Jeter made it work with Arod for crying out loud. God it's gross defending a Mr Yankee.

I'm a Yankees fan and a Jeter fan but Kobe was better in his sport than Jeter was in his. What I take umbrage with is people saying Kobe's the best Laker of all-time, Kareem and Magic are the two best. Kobe shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence as Jordan other than to say Jordan was way better. I have Kobe right at around 10th best of all-time, Jeter isn't anywhere close to top 10 in his sport.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

I'm a Yankees fan and a Jeter fan but Kobe was better in his sport than Jeter was in his. What I take umbrage with is people saying Kobe's the best Laker of all-time, Kareem and Magic are the two best. Kobe shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence as Jordan other than to say Jordan was way better. I have Kobe right at around 10th best of all-time, Jeter isn't anywhere close to top 10 in his sport.

I'm not arguing that Kobe is better (or even close), but I think Kobe is the most MJ-like player since MJ. When you compare MJ and lebron it's apples to oranges, but Kobe and MJ are much more comparable in terms of how they played the game, and what they bring/brought to the table

 

[boba]

When did Todd Fuller retire, anyone know?
Explanation: The GS Warriors, back in the day of Run TMC (Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Chris Mullins) had the opportunity to draft Kobe Bryant and many fans in the area (I'm back here now) were hoping they would. Instead, they drafted Todd Fuller from NC State. Coulda, woulda, shoulda... amazingly bad judgment.

 

[UConNick]

Huh, I understand you trying to compare them, but Jeter carried himself as a player and leader in far, far, far superior fashion to Kobe. Kobe was divisive. Jeter made it work with Arod for crying out loud. God it's gross defending a Mr Yankee.

Believe me, I know. Jeter is in a class of his own for me. But growing up in the early and mid 2000s, those were the names that were always on the tv, the names that were promoted to anyone who could listen. It was easy to group them together when I was younger. They won a lot, and they were REALLY good.

 

[MexicoHusky]

When did Todd Fuller retire, anyone know?
Explanation: The GS Warriors, back in the day of Run TMC (Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Chris Mullins) had the opportunity to draft Kobe Bryant and many fans in the area (I'm back here now) were hoping they would. Instead, they drafted Todd Fuller from NC State. Coulda, woulda, shoulda... amazingly bad judgment.

I had to google Todd. Totally forgot who he is. I found this on Wikipedia:

"On July 4, 2006, it was announced that Fuller had been signed by the South Dragons of the AustralianNational Basketball League to play in the team's inaugural season.[10] At a press conference on October 23, 2006 it was announced that coach Mark Price and Fuller had both been released from the South Dragons"

It looks like Australia was Todd's last stop

 

[intlzncster]

I'm a Yankees fan and a Jeter fan but Kobe was better in his sport than Jeter was in his. What I take umbrage with is people saying Kobe's the best Laker of all-time, Kareem and Magic are the two best. Kobe shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence as Jordan other than to say Jordan was way better. I have Kobe right at around 10th best of all-time, Jeter isn't anywhere close to top 10 in his sport.

Don't really disagree with most of this, but you really have Kobe top 10?

Off the top of my head in no order:

Bird, Russell, Chamberlain, Jordan, Shaq, Magic, Kareem, Robertson, Duncan, and maybe a bunch of guys after that (Olajuwon, Lebron, Kobe, etc.)

 

[TheRealKBuks]

When did Todd Fuller retire, anyone know?
Explanation: The GS Warriors, back in the day of Run TMC (Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Chris Mullins) had the opportunity to draft Kobe Bryant and many fans in the area (I'm back here now) were hoping they would. Instead, they drafted Todd Fuller from NC State. Coulda, woulda, shoulda... amazingly bad judgment.

Ultimate coulda, woulda, shoulda from that draft is Calipari with the 8th pick taking Kerry Kittles over Kobe. Both teams needed a SG and Calipari was afraid Kobe would play in Europe for a year (according to the 30 for 30: sole man). Who knows, calipari may have never left the NBA if he drafted Kobe...what could have been...

 

[intlzncster]

Ultimate coulda, woulda, shoulda from that draft is Calipari with the 8th pick taking Kerry Kittles over Kobe. Both teams needed a SG and Calipari was afraid Kobe would play in Europe for a year (according to the 30 for 30: sole man). Who knows, calipari may have never left the NBA if he drafted Kobe...what could have been...

Calipari probably just claims that now.

 

[superjohn]

Don't really disagree with most of this, but you really have Kobe top 10?

Off the top of my head in no order:

Bird, Russell, Chamberlain, Jordan, Shaq, Magic, Kareem, Robertson, Duncan, and maybe a bunch of guys after that (Olajuwon, Lebron, Kobe, etc.)

My list would look something like Jordan, Magic, Bird, Wilt, Kareem, Russell, Lebron, Oscar, Dream, Shaq, Duncan and Kobe tie for 10th and Selvie 11th.