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Disproving Five Myths about Kobe Bryant | Arm yourself when battling ignorant stat nerds on NBA Twitter defpen.com/myths-kobe-bry…

@TrevorLane @VickNanExel I guarantee a sciatica flare up before the playoffs are over

Lakers certainly have their work cut out for them. Basically have to approach a grade 2 as though Luka’s season is over, unless of course LA makes a particularly deep playoff run. Brutal blow for a team that had such a great run since the All Star break

@olympicbean @WhozMEECH Lost that game tho. Ruined by Roger Mason

Kobe used to clown the shit out of Duncan man LMAO

ICYC, I went deep on my game prep for Kobe here: youtu.be/lqEdQqjiOyc?si…

Yall think lakers can win first round playoff series without Luka?

Shane Battier on why Kobe Bryant was the hardest player he ever had to guard: “Because there were guys that were faster and stronger and could, you know, fly and more talented than me, but I thought I was smarter than every player I played against except Kobe. Kobe was the one guy was mentally a guy I couldn’t wear down mentally or break. And so I had played Kobe I don’t know 40 times in my career. And he was a month older than me. His mentality was like unlike anybody I played against, right? If Kobe had 20, he wanted 30. If he had 30, he wanted 40. If he had 40, he wanted 50. If he had 50, he wanted 60. It was non-stop. So I just remember just like, you know, sitting in Marina Delray Ritz going to the Staple Centers. I’m just thinking to myself, “Oh sh*t man. I got this guy tonight. I got this monster. The anxiety was real. It was real. Kobe did a really funny thing with me. Like we played this game with each other that only knew we were playing. And one day he’d be super friendly to me. Hey Shane, what’s going on man? How’s the Family? How you doing? Playing great. Next day, man, stone cold assassin. He wouldn’t even look at me. Wouldn’t even look at me. You know, I fall, he’d step over me. Do all that bullsh*t right? Next game, hey man, what’s going on? So he was always trying to like play this psychological warfare.” (Via @hoopinghollerin)

Truth. Kobe was one of the only players I circled on my calendar and started preparing for a few nights before we played. Getting my rest right, extra body work, extra film, watching every calorie I consumed. You needed to be at 100% to go against him because he was always going to bring 100%.

@HisandHerLakers Lakers were doing the same thing, except they didn’t get handed an MVP type player. They literally could’ve went the OKC route with a young core and two max FA slots.

OKC does this to a lot of teams. That’s what happens when you tank for like 6 years and draft well and then get handed a MVP type player. Lakers need to learn from these matchups to figure out how they can make up the deficit this summer vs the top teams like OKC and Spurs

@jjmaples55 @KingWatchLA Lakers are outclassed by OKC. Thunder are levels above them.

Looking real Phantom vs Chrysler 300 ish early on wake up Lakers

@NBA__Courtside I’m so disappointed in Max. Thought he was better than this.

Max Kellerman says Kobe Bryant is only better than D Wade because he’s taller: “The only reason Kobe Bryant is greater than Dwyane Wade, is he’s two inches taller. Wade is 6’4 and almost as good as Kobe Bryant at his best. Between Jordan’s finals and when LeBron started taking over in the finals, the best finals ANYONE had was Dwyane Wade against Dallas in 2006” (Via Game Over)

the issue was never him leaving. it was the stacking. it was the joining a clear rival from the same draft class. it was weakening 2 playoff teams while supercharging 1, creating a lopsided talent disparity in his favor that no other eastern team could match. then acting like he earned 8 straight finals trips off of sweat and merit, when it was really based on out-talenting every other team…. fake and phony masquerading as greatness. wanting us all to treat him like he got it out the mud the way jordan and kobe did post shaq. FOH

2001 ESPNMagazine “It became common practice never to doubt Michael Jordan. Kobe deserves that same latitude. There's no way to overstate how thoroughly he dominated the Spurs… Duncan not only scored over Shaq in the Spurs' late rally, but demanded that the coaching staff let him guard O'Neal when it wanted to use Rose and Robinson instead. That's the kind of competitive spirit the Spurs will need. But as Kobe demonstrated, they will find it extremely difficult to match him. Kobe drove around David Robinson and dunked on Duncan. He missed a fadeaway jumper over Sean Elliott, then dunked the rebound over Elliott and Duncan. Danny Ferrystopped one drive by yanking Kobe backward by his shoulder -- and Kobe still made the basket, plus the bonus free throw. All this, while playing frenetic ballhawking defense. Every time the Spurs made a shot or a play that could've sparked a run, Kobe immediately blew it out with an equally big play or shot. In Rick Fox's estimation, he clowned the Spurs without ever breaking a smile. "It gets beyond borderline comical sometimes," Fox said. "I told him to stop it. He's taking his will and imposing it not only on his defender but on their whole team."

Ron Harper (June, 23 2010) “Michael remains the best of all time, but Kobe now is right there. He’s standing right next to him. He’s the closest thing we’ve ever had to Jordan. There is no one else even in the ballpark,’' also “Kobe is hands down the best player in the game today.’' @HARPER04_5 Black Cat x Black Mamba 🐐 x 🐐

Sports Illustrated (during 2001 playoffs) “Kobe’s ability to ratchet up his game in the playoffs is reminiscent of MJ. When Lakers forward Horace Grant, a former teammate of Michael Jordan's, repeatedly referred to Kobe as "number 23", it wasn't a slip. Bryant's masterpiece on Saturday was Jordan-like in its seeming effortlessness. He played 47 minutes and took 35 shots (making 19), yet he never seemed the slightest bit greedy or out of control.”

4x NBA Champion Horace Grant (speaks on playing with Kobe 🐍 & Shaq ⛽️ during their 2001 title run) “I remember Shaq fouls out… Kobe walks to the bench & says ‘I got this’ This motherf*er (Kobe) went out there & was dunking on David Robinson Tim Duncan like it was NOTHING, he took over the game & we won. I was like ‘that’s some MJ shit’ because of course I seen it with MJ but other than that.. no never. Kobe was that f*king man… he was that beast bruh.”

GG Jackson & Wemby just BAPTIZED each other on back-to-back plays 😭

@2Cool2Blog The fact that he even has a vote is pathetic

Stephen A Smith announces that Victor Wembanyama is getting his MVP vote after hearing him make his case

In high school, Chris Webber jumped OVER & dunked on a defender in and got called for a charge (1991) 🤦‍♂️

Kobe was a student of the game Different 🐍

🌴 WHY ARE WE NOT HEARING ABOUT THIS?? 🏝️ HAWAII IS UNDER WATER.

@WesJ_FF @MANOMAGlC Elite Twitter knowledge 🤣

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