Kobe Bryant’s True Place in History

Photo Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

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When we hit various lulls in the sports calendar, or when LeBron plays a playoff game that is either amazing or lackluster, talk inevitably migrates into the “Greatest of All Time” category.

The names and arguments are not uncommon: Wilt, Russell, Magic, Jordan, and now LeBron. I am happy that the debate on LeBron being mentioned in that rarefied air is mostly over, not because I am a big fan of his, but because the evidence is overwhelming at this point.

What does intrigue me is the insistence of many to interject Kobe Bryant into the list. I can fill a page with why Kobe should not be considered in the discussion of “Greatest of All Time” by comparing his numbers with NBA greats. That’s easy. I will make the argument by showing not only is Kobe not the greatest (or among the greatest) of all time, he is not even the greatest of his generation, and he is not the greatest ‘wing’ of his generation.

Before starting, I will stipulate: Kobe is a great player. Kobe is a Hall of Fame player. Kobe scored a ton of points. Those three points are undeniable, but the discussion is on a micro level.

I took the best wings (Guards & Forwards minus ‘Power’ Forwards) from 1995 – Present.  I compared stats only from the ages of 22-30 to factor out growing pains, players coming into the league from high school and players on the decline.  Here are the results:

We know Bryant filled the hoop, but did he do it efficiently?

Player Efficiency Ratio / True Shooting Percentage

Offensive Box Plus Minus / Offensive Rating

. . .but what about his defense?

Defensive Win Shares / Total Box Plus Minus

Yes, these are what one would consider “Advanced Stats.” No, not one single stat says it all, but in their totality, it paints a clear picture.

If you cannot definitively show Bryant is the greatest Wing of his generation, how can you even begin to place him in the conversation of “Greatest of All Time”? (Let’s also remember, great players like Shaq, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett were removed from this discussion.)

Kobe is a fascinating player whose career arc spanned the end of the Jordan era, peak of the Shaq era, and the beginning  – and prime – of the Lebron era. At this time, the league was looking for the “Next Jordan” and that mantle was picked up by Bryant, but it never truly fit despite the national media’s attempt to shoe-horn him in.

All stats courtesy of basketball-reference.com

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