"Best Player" means things that do not show up in the stat sheet.
Ie does not scowl and pout at teamates when they fail to live up to his perceptions.
ie does not distance teamates with prima donna behavior on and off court.
ie trusts teamates to make important shots.
ie plays great on both sides of the ball.
Really? Maybe we need to re-think Michael Jordan as the best player in the league during his hay day.
Michael Jordan would scowl and get pissed at teammates for not playing as hard as he thinks they should. He has even punched players in practice. Socking players in the head certainly would not alienate them.
You don't think Michael Jordan off the court didn't alienate teammates? Everything involved betting large sums of money and competiting/trash talking..playing golf, playing cards, at the battling cages, in Vegas. This is revisionist history to say otherwise. Want to bring up Kobe cheating on his wife? MJ did that also.
If Kobe didn't trust his teammates then what do you call the PHX series and the last game of that same series? Didn't you just say he kept passing the ball?!
Jordan, like Kobe, had to pick and chose where to spend energy. Jordan was not a defensive stopper every time down the floor either. It is revisionist history to say otherwise. He was at the most the 3rd best defender on that squad. Kobe has to score for them to stay competitive so that is what he does. They are 30-14 over the past two years when he scores 40 or more.
Kobe is not the best player.
Duncan is, and he will prove it again this year.
Kobe is the best scorer.
When Phil sits down with Kobe either alone or as a team, does Kobester really throw his heart into what can make the team better? Like Jordan and Phil did. I doubt it. In fact make that a no way. Phil asked to have him traded for goodness sake. Recent times? Last years playoffs when Kobester pouted and refused to shoot in a head game display so the world could see just how bad the Lakers are when Kobester refuses to play. Spare us, i know you are openmided WOW to know exactly what he was up to when he did that vs Phx. Will he mature? He might, then he would become one of the best all around.
First of all, Duncan can't prove he is the best player AGAIN this year because he wasn't the best player last year, Steve Nash was in the regular season and Wade in the playoffs.
I don't see what makes you know for a fact he doesn't want to do anything to make his team better. The guy wants to win every night and I am pretty sure he understands it is a team game. Anyone who watches basketball knows it is a team game. How do I know that anyone, even a slow person, understands its a team game? Because YOU know it is a team game.
If Kobe would have shot in that game and they lost he would be blamed for ball hogging. He passes the ball to open players and they miss...it's his fault. Regardless of the simple fact that he made the right decision by getting the ball to the open man, he did it to prove a point. If Kobe scores 50 he is a ball hog, if he doesn't shoot alot he is sand bagging. If he passes the ball he is too passive, if he attacks too much he is too aggressive. If he passes to a teammate for an open shot he is doing it just to prove they will miss and he should have taken it, if he takes it he is selfish because he didn't pass it to a teammate.
He already is one of the best all around, you said I am lying about you not wanting to give him props then you turn around and make that comment. Thanks for proving my point!