Kobe Bryant is the most overrated basketball player of all time
For whomever is reading this, take a deep breath and grab some popcorn because this is a flaming hot take. In my humble opinion, I think Kobe Bryant is the most overrated basketball player of all time, and here’s why.
To start off, we have to determine what being overrated in sports truly means. Being overrated in sports is saying their career is better than perceived in the pastime. In this argument, Bryant is overrated.
Finals: The Bigger Picture
Bryant is not what he seems in the NBA Finals. During his three-peat with the great Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant was outplayed every single postseason by Shaq.
O’Neal averaged more points and rebounds, had a better field goal percentage and was even close to Bryant in terms of assists. Bryant tried to steal the show and go into double teams rather than finding his teammates, leading to his horrendous Finals shooting stats.
In the NBA Finals with the Lakers, Bryant shot an abysmal 41.3 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three. That is lower than arguably 10 of the greatest players of all time, and I haven’t even got to 3-point percentage yet. I thought the greatest players of all time were supposed to rise under the pressure. Guess not for Kobe.
Rings aren’t just defined by a number
Bryant entered the league in 1996-97 after being drafted out of high school. He would then go on to win five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, impressive right? Well, to some degree, I guess. One thing that NBA fans take out of context is the amount of championships and finals play automatically determines their greatness.
Michael Jordan fans often use the “six rings” argument when comparing him to LeBron James. The more rings, the better the player right? Absolutely not. With that logic, Bill Russell, Sam Jones, Tom Heinsohn and tens of other players are better than Bryant, right? See my point, stupid logic. Basketball is a team sport. If you wanna compare championships, use it for tennis or golf, not basketball. It takes the rings out of context.
Shaq’s legend declines while Kobe’s grows
Everyone who is involved in the NBA knows about the Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal championships. Earning three together became a huge deal in the modern NBA, but when O’Neal left, Bryant won a championship without him and with Pau Gasol. All the Shaquille O’Neal talk was silenced, and it became all about Kobe. Who really led the Lakers to those finals? Who won the MVP? Not Kobe.
Review
I firmly believe Kobe Bryant is a great player. He is one of the all-time great basketball players. But, he is overrated. Looking back at his career, after it all unfolded, his career becomes overrated. All the talk of him passing away can’t be brought up to make him a better player.
After his career is over, it is set in stone. No one can rate him as a better player after he retires. He can’t add any more stats to his resume. Bryant is great, but certainly not a top 10 player of all time. I know this will rattle some people, but every opinion will rattle someone. Can’t make everyone happy. Bryant is just overrated.
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