ESPN NBA Conversation

_The Maestro_

Also, if you've watched kobe his whole career, you would know he was horrible to start in making clutch shots. Always wanted to take them though. It took him years to finally become consistent at making them. If you take the numbers from the last decade, including 2010 when he made 6 game winners in that year alone, I think you would have different numbers....
181 Days ago

_The Maestro_

Came from the westbrook article. And there came the kobe reference, right in the first line. I knew it. Make no mistake, that article was about kobe. He said nothing about westbrook. He actually said westbrook doesn't necessarily hog the ball much in crunch time. The article was just your dailing drilling of clutch kobe hate. I'm just glad that TRUE ex nba BALLERS like magic, webber, chuck, GM's coaches, etc know not to listen to this nerd and his statistics. Even with ALL OF HIS HATING GM's still ranked kobe at the top in clutch situations (2 votes behind durant). And i'll take that. KD is clutch, seem to be 1 and 1a. But I can tell you Abbot wasn't happy about that. Just GIVE IT UP! Drilling those NONSENSE stats of kobe not being clutch won't change that public perception. lol Just GIVE UP!!!
181 Days ago

Inbound_the_Ball

The top comment proves that there are a few fans who do not understand what it takes for a team to be successful. Team success is not based on which player can take and miss the most shots in the clutch by refusing to pass the ball. Team success is based on finding the best shot available. When one player gets double teamed and he has other players in position to score effectively, its part of his job to pass the ball to his teammates. I do not agree with iso plays and I dislike my teams using them in the clutch. It screams poor coaching. And it screams that the superstars who should know better are being selfish glory hounds. And also, IMO, almost every superstar in this league takes a ridiculous amount of the available shots in the clutch. Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dirk, Deron, Kevin Durant, and so on. Yet, in 2010-11, of the top 8 scoring teams in the 4th quarter..... only contained one of those superstars (Deron). Not surprisingly, these teams tend to take a team first philosophy to get the job done in the clutch. 1 Denver 26.4 2 Utah 25.7 3 Houston 25.4 4 Phoenix 25.3 5 San Antonio 25.3 6 Golden State 25.2 7 Memphis 25.1 8 Dallas 25.1 So is it really so effective to watch one guy refuse to pass the ball in the final few minutes of the game and miss a bunch of shots?? All so his fans have to make a bunch of excuses for him failing to get it done even though he's supposed to be 'clutch?'
239 Days ago

RaViNuS

I love how there are soooooo many writers that write about "clutch" by supporting their article with the "pros" and ignoring the "cons" to their argument. There is this thing called "context". When you examine the "context" and the myriad of factors you get a clearer picture.FG% is just 1 of the factors. Sure, I agree that "hero ball" is not the best option, however to be fair you have to examine context. How many of those ISO plays was Kobe fouled on? Its a large % and being fouled is going to hurt your efficiency. I could keep listing other factors or context but then you will point at just 1 factor, his FG%, and then I will point at just 1 factor, Kobe's 5 championship rings. :D
241 Days ago

Bruce0131

The typical Kobe fans have arrived once again with inane comments about "hating". Look,folks , these posts contain actual statistical data that proves beyond a doubt that it is not good basketball to keep failing doing the same thing over and over again. Pretty much any Laker except maybe Howard(or Bynum last year) if it's three point shot if open is a better bet to hit the shot than Kobe's (and those misses aren't all threes. Kobe insists on taking the last shot and he goes out of the offense to do it all the time pretty much always at least double teamed because everyone knows Kobe is going to shoot even with open teammates with a 15 to 20 foot uncontested shot if he passed the ball. That's not clutch and it certainly doesn't paint Kobe as a "winner" or "competitor" when he takes bad shots when there are far easier shots available to teammates. P.S. I'm a "hater", I hate stupid and selfish basketball and smart as Kobe is about his individual skills and game he often plays really stupid when he lathers himself up into "Mamba" mode. Wake up Kobe lovers and admit it. Someone who makes dumb plays in game deciding moments 72% of the time and makes 44% of his shots in playoff games is not "clutch" or even helping his team much in those situations.
242 Days ago

fvp0224

The King of Clutch will always be Michael "Air" Jordan. Watching MJ do work since 1986, he deserves that title.. No one else will ever have that.
348 Days ago

alasfour7

Kobe is a great player but not clutch at all in the playoffs for the final shot of the game and the stats prove this. Kobe, during his playoffs career, has gone 7 for 25 (28%) on the last shot to tie or win the game. Michael Jordan was 9 for 18 (50%) and Lebron James is currently 5 for 13 (38%). So to call Kobe a great player is understandable but to call him clutch is just nonsense.
348 Days ago

Chuck2884

Henry Abbott is a notorious Kobe hater and a huge portland fan he has been hating on kobe forever his articles are pointless
349 Days ago

justheb

Any article that doesn't have Dirk as a top-clutch player in the current NBA after what he did less than a twelve-months ago, doesn't need to be read...that simple.
349 Days ago

Tofticals

How many game winners did Robert Horry and Derreck Fisher hit in the playoffs while playing next to Kobe? I've never been a Kobe fan but WTF is this article including Bryant?
349 Days ago

-RenQuist-

Actually, not that many especially when compared to an all-time clutch player like the Black Mamba. Another ill informed hater obviously.
348 Days ago

BR1ANP4RK

Henry Abbotts mission in life is to convince everyone that Kobe is not as good as everyone thinks. /pathetic
349 Days ago

margarito86

And to all you ripping kobe; at least my man wants to ball. He isnt scared of the moment. If you put me at war with a "marksman" who is scared out of his mind... id rather take a guy who wants to fight, the guy who isnt scared to fire, the one who has missed shots before, but fights back - not the guy who crowned himself and shys away when shitts about to hit the fan. Kobe wants the moment, he isnt scared.. "SHOOT THE FUKING BALL".. kobe to lebron when he passed it in the all star game. Kobe isnt scared to get scored on... the biggest rival of defeat, is fear of being defeated itself. It means you lack motivation to one day come back and redeem yourself.
349 Days ago

Bruce0131

Kobe's not scared,he's just very predictable and makes life easy for the defense in clutch situations. Kobe is a one trick pony and when you know the trick it's not difficult to foil it. Bron is better in that situation simply because he has way more options because he is as likely to pass as he is to shoot. I'll guarantee you that the percentage of success in those situations besides his fg% advantage is way better than Kobe's because an open teammate will still make better than LeBron's 38% too.
242 Days ago

aznace15

I'm not saying Kobe isn't great. He is. I'm just saying that sometimes facts demonstrate that he doesn't make as many as people think. He really does miss a LOT of shots that could be shot from players who are open. Just watch the 1st game of the season when he played the bulls. Tried to shoot a lay-up on 3 bulls players in the post and got stuffed like a mother. 3 of his teammates were wide open.
349 Days ago

aznace15

How do you know other players don't want the ball? And how do you know that Kobe is just too selfish to give it to other players who DO want the ball? Guarantee you Bynum would like a shot. Guarantee you that Gasol wouldn't mind a left or right hook in the paint. Just because Kobe wants to shoot the ball at the end doesn't justify the sheer number of bricks this guy has taken. Just because someone has the desire to take the last shot game doesn't cover or justify the end results. By that standard, we should give the ball to the "hero ball" guy who's taken the last shot 95 times and missed them all.
349 Days ago

Bruce0131

I don't think Kobe has ever hit a clutch shot to win a championship,but I know one game 7 where he was 6-24 from the field and kept firing. Lucky for him Artest and Gasol were there to keep him from being the goat(and I certainly don't mean g.o.a.t.).
242 Days ago

-RenQuist-

The end result is 5 Championships. Kobe is incredibly clutch.
348 Days ago

margarito86

ROFL @ HENRY ABBOTT. Where were these articles when kobe hit 3 or 4 buzz beaters in one month span? Still remember how Kurt Rambus embarrased you in that pod cast when you tried to get "statistical" with him. I laugh at you; and so does coach Dave Miller, who numerous time has ripped you.. clearly stating "its easy to sit there and write about statistics when you never played the game"... LAUGH. I cant believe ESPN pays you to write this crap.
349 Days ago

Go Laker Nation

Statgeeks have no rings and gamewinners Kobe has 5 rings and a lot of gamewinners Goodnight
349 Days ago

aznace15

Kobe has 5 rings... a lot of gamewinners... and a TON TON TON of bricks. Took him enough shots to get those gamewinners. Kobe Bryant fans truly hate statistics with all of their being.
349 Days ago

-RenQuist-

The "stats" don't even begin to explain the entire story. For example, all that last second heaves Kobe is forced to take when his teammates waste the entire shot clock and expect Kobe to make a play w/ 4 seconds left and bail them out. These "clutch 'stats'" are not standalone stats like rebounds, points, and assists. They require context especially when comparing one player to another. Abbott is just a worthless blogger who dedicates his pathetic career to hating on Kobe.
348 Days ago

Dr.D72

If you are a baseball player and fail 7 out of 10 times, you are actually really good. I know basketball is a different sport but the truth is you need to fail a lot to be able to succeed. The reason I believe Kobe has soo many missed shots at crunch time is because he is never going to back down or shy away from the moment which is exactly what other players do. They will take 2-3 shots and miss them and not shoot again do to fear of failure. This wole article is about not having your star players take the shot. Or like dumm a#$@% Abbot says "hero ball". Then my question is how did they become stars to begin with? How do you actually become a "hero ball" if you don't take a big shot? if you don't shine in playoff games? if you don't hit a buzzer beater?
349 Days ago

BigBlueCat89

Other players don't get many game winning attempts because players like Kobe won't pass the ball, not because they're scared to take a big shot.
349 Days ago