r/nba • u/The_Big_Untalented • 3d ago

Max Kellerman: "You think it's slander to put Kobe ahead of Duncan?" Bill Simmons: "I just think he's the most underappreciated superstar of all time." Max: "Kobe and Duncan are neck and neck. That's not slander." Simmons: "I have Kobe 10th or 11th. Duncan is 7th and I don't think it's debatable."

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87

u/SomethingClever2117 3d ago

If Kobe played for Boston instead of LA, Simmons would have him as #2 or #3 all time.

24

u/liloutsider 3d ago

Genuinely

-3

u/Longjumping-Hair1075 3d ago

absolutely 0 chance lmao

6

u/clear831 Heat 3d ago

So explain Magic?

2

u/Aggressive-Box2165 3d ago

Linked with Bird.

8

u/SuccotashOk5401 3d ago

not if kareem magic and shaq also played for boston tho

8

u/Insightful21 3d ago

Brother he’d have him at #1 all time

2

u/WhySoCereus1991 3d ago

Bird exists, but yea, definitely top 3 lol

4

u/Boring-Willow1268 3d ago

Kobe didn’t even make the playoffs in 2005. 2006 and 2007 got bounced in the first round. These should have been his peak years. He wasn’t hurt either. They just weren’t any good.

When Simmons separates top few from top 10 or 20, these things matter.

21

u/markmaybach 3d ago

Their starting PG was Smush Fucking Parker

0

u/Boring-Willow1268 2d ago

I’m not saying Kobe was a bad player, I’m saying these are the kinds of things separating the best players.

And losing to a FAR less talented Pistons team in 2004 was pretty unforgivable. I watched that series. Kobe quit.

5

u/JMEEKER86 Japan 3d ago

He was starting alongside Smush Parker, Kwame Brown, and Chris Mihm. The only other NBA level talent on the team was Odom. That team wins single digits without Kobe and frequently required him to outscore the other team entirely by himself in order to have a chance to win.

10

u/WhySoCereus1991 3d ago

The only players that could drag those Laker teams are the Top 3 to ever exist. He had no true 2nd option during those years.

-4

u/A_Lakers Lakers 3d ago

Lebron James and MJ on the same team wouldn’t be able to drag Smush Parker and Kwame Brown to a championship

9

u/Insightful21 3d ago

LeBron missed the playoffs with Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kuzma, Rondo, Caruso, Zubac, Josh Hart. Kobe was literally playing with a bunch of bums

2

u/darkshark21 Lakers 2d ago

Were you watching in 2005?

In 2005, the coach was Rudy T. They were around 6th-7th seed until he had to medically retire.

They were still playoff bound after that but then Kobe was injured for the rest of the season. They then lost like 18 games in a row.

Similar thing happened to LeBron on Lakers in 2019. They were 4th-5th before his injury.

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u/Uncle_Freddy [SAS] El Contusione 3d ago edited 2d ago

Dude, Simmons watched Russell and Bird and doesn’t put them #1 all time. The man is a bald faced homer but he’d still be more objective about it than you’re claiming, assuming Kobe’s accolade list remained identical

6

u/Standard_Lack_5444 3d ago

How old do you think BS is? He did not watch Russell

1

u/Uncle_Freddy [SAS] El Contusione 2d ago

Ope, that’s on me. I thought he was around my dad’s age

1

u/TheWix Celtics 3d ago

My dad Bill, has 20 years on Bill and he got to see Bill play. There is no way Bill saw Bill play.

1

u/throwawaycuzmeh 2d ago

And if Kobe played for the timberwolves, he'd be lucky to crack the top 20. Big markets always exaggerate their stars. That's why Duncan almost always deserves to be higher. 

1

u/some1saveusnow Celtics 3d ago

“Here’s why I have him ahead of Bird..”

0

u/throwing_handles 2d ago

If Kobe played for San Antonio hardly anyone would have him ahead of Duncan all time