Fill in the blank... Kobe Bryant was a ____ defender.

Kobe's defensive prime was in the early 2000s, when he was as absolutely one of the best defenders in the game. However, after Shaq's departure, his offensive load was much higher, so he could not maintain the same level of defense, but still was getting reputation votes for All-Defensive Teams (similar to Kawhi Leonard in the last few seasons). I feel like his defensive resume in general tells a wrong story. He was truly great in his prime, but, afterwards, there were definetly multiple guard defenders better than him during the middle to end of his career.

Kobe didn't "accept" the assignment of guarding the best player in the olympics. Kobe REQUESTED the assignment! What a beast!

I remember in 2011, when they got swept by the mavs in the playoffs, kobe's defense was a huge part of the reason why they got swept. He missed a lot of defensive rotations due to his lack of effort and defensive focus

The production of this guy! Crazy that u can deliver such great content on a regular basis🔥🔥 Keep it up my guy!

I appreciate such a level-headed and fair take from a Kobe fan about his defense. He really did have to be motivated; but when he was, he could really be the best wing defender in the league. He had all the tools

I really think this is a perfect assessment of Kobes defense throughout his career. Fans raved about his defensive abilities throughout his career but i always thought he was SELECTIVE in terms of when he wanted to turn it on

I think one of the reasons people say he’s one of the best defenders ever is because he’s given his best defensive effort against other superstar players and that’s usually when he got the most coverage, so that’s all people saw.

I notice that the vast majority of people who say he’s overrated are all young and didn’t start watching until after he retired.

Yeah i noticed kobe was not very popular with the vote in awards like MVP and DPOY. They are still part of consideration in the topic, but because he was very unfairly disliked, i tend to not to put them at super high importance.

You really do got the best timing, just yesterday I was watching Kobe defensive highlights, that's crazy

The problem when evaluatimg defenses is that most just relly on steals or blocks, and defense is beyond that, making the opponent have it tough to recive the ball and forcing to pass it or take difficult shots are not messured

i like how no ine has comsidered the amount of injuries he went thru and how they greatly hindered his ability to go all out in defense, Kobe us an all time great defensively no matter which way you try and spin it

If Kobe keeps getting compared to all the best defenders in NBA history, that should mean he is at least an amazing defender. That's saying a lot, especially since that's not even his strongest part of his game. Great video, Jonny

The amount of underrating Kobe is very disturbing. He is definitely one of the GOATS. Let me tell you something, as a Kobe hater in 2000's. Each time Lakers faced my favoirite team at the time, I was always afraid of him. Not Shaq, him. And he proved me right each and every time. He was the most feard player through vast majority of his career.

Comparing him to MJ doesn't make Kobe look bad, it just shows how transcendent MJ was.

Kobe was definitely capable of being the best perimeter defender for like good 6-7 years we saw the clips where he locked up D-Wade full court but from like 2007/08 he kinda started to coast on defense as he got older same thing like Lebron around 2017/18

The fact that you had to compare Kobe to the Goat of basketball to measure his defensive prowess just shows how good of a defender Kobe was.

Short answer yes he was an overrated defender but he was a good defender and one of the best defenders at his position in the league in his prime

Literally one of my favorite KZfaqrs, watch a video or two before bed every night LOVE IT!!! Good content!!!!!

I love your videos I look forward to them the most when I lay down at night I love the analytics because I'm a numbers guy

The thing about Kobe as a great defender is that he was not afraid to guard the best perimeter player on the other team.

Huge fan of your content bro!!

Good to see honesty. It's not easy when you're a fan of someone. A lot of comments are sidestepping the question, in fact, so props to you, sir.

If steals and disrupting passing lanes matter so much why aren't we talking about Stockton as a GOAT defender. He was actually better about not giving up a good defensive position than MJ and Kobe.

Kobe's last 2-3 All NBA Defensive Team selections were based on his reputation.

I love / agree with your take. RIP Mamba

Great video! I think that as you are pretty great at analyzing things when it comes to basketball, you could explore in your channel FIBA and Euroleague content

Your medium length videos come in clutch on my lunch breaks

Kobe was an excellent defender especially earlier on ! It’s hard going all out on defense every night in your absolute prime, when your the only option on offense

Number 8 kobe is underrated defensively he was clearly the best defender in his position during his prime and was the best shot blocker as a guard, he was so great defensively he was even a dpoy candidate in some years.

Great video again

you also have to keep in mind the era Jordan played in being able to handcheck like a beast will help you stay in front of the offensive player and allow you to get more steals and potentially more blocks. I still don't think Kobe if you put him in that era is Jordan defensively at all but his numbers would be closer. It makes what Jordan did offensively back then so much more impressive.

Regarding Rodman the tennis stat "forced errors" would be very interesting :).

He was often voted as a top 2-3 perimeter defender by his peers every year during his prime…

I believe your assessment t is fair and accurate. If Kobe wanted to, he could defend tenaciously. But he never always wanted to. Also, there was a point where he would become exhausted trying to play well on both ends. He admitted that when he retired, saying he needed someone like Trevor Ariza and later Ron Artest to guard the other teams best offensive player so he could focus a it more on the offensive end. You can't tell me Kobe deserved a few of those 1st team defensive selections over Tony Allen. Tony was a menace defensively Puts things into perspective and how good Michael Jordan really was then. Although Mike did get 1.5 year break from elite basketball

Kobe was a leader, watching LaBronze and them from a few years prior knew he had to set the tone.

It is videos like this that make me appreciate what Jordan did on the court so much more. He was the main offensive weapon on his team while also being a legendary all time defender and he kept this up throughout his career. That is just insane. Kobe is an amazing defender though.

This is a great video and breakdown and i agree with almost all of your points. The 2008 Olympic run was the most dominant run by a perimeter defender ive ever seen. However i DISAGREE with your conclusion. Yes he was a better on ball defender than almost anyone besides Pippen to me .. but a guy like Jordan who was much better off ball(the measurables) but not as good on ball... think of all the times Jordan was crossed by small quick guards... that almost never happened to Kobe. But moving on 5:20 Basically when we get to the number 24 contender years. Yes Kobe was a selective defender. He was great in the playoffs and against superstar matchups but he was sometimes not motivated during games.. but Kobes goal was always to win the game and being that he had to do so much offensively it was necessary to pick times to rest in game. But what your evaluation misses is that he picked spots within games. So when gsmes came down to the final 6 minutes, he picked those times to be impactful... tbis is why he made those 2nd teams towards the end... their would be several gsmes in a season where hed be the best defender in the league...and when gsmes were on the line he stepped up and made big plays...coaches notice that

Waiting for my delayed tram in the cold, thank you jonny for this heat 🔥

We always forget to mention who Kobe was actually guarding compared to others , he was defending all world offensive juggernaut on a nightly basis while averaging 30 . He was great all around no question

Kobe Bryant was an all time great on ball defender. He wasn’t a gambler on defense. But you could argue he’s the greatest Young Defender ever. Put his numbers against; Sidney Moncrief (83&84 DPOY) Joe Dumars Bruce Bowen Micheal Cooper (87 DPOY) All have similar numbers defensively. That was the kind of defender Kob was. Great Content bro 💯

he was one of the greatest defenders ever when he wanted to be. i completely agree that he would turn it on when he was in the playoffs or against other superstars and definitely turned off frequently in less important games, especially more often as he got older. but i also think comparing him to Jordan is a bit harsh since Jordan is probably the greatest defensive guard ever. this video didn't make me think less of Kobe but it did remind me just how insane Jordan was.

Nahh kobe was legit. If he was defending the players jordan was hed have been a monster. The league had more versatile scorers in the 2000s therefore tougher games. Prime kobe was a menace and tenacious as hell. Kobe without a doubt is one of the best on ball defenders weve ever seen.

Was waiting for a video about this

This is pretty accurate. Players often have their best defensive seasons before getting the most recognition. Rodman, for example, should have won DPOY earlier, the year Eaton won it. KG and Duncan were both defensive beasts very early in their careers, but Mourning and Mutombo got all the DPOY love. Kobe was at his best from '97-'98 through the three-peat defensively. Then he started chasing steals stats, which just wasn't his best skill. Prime Kobe's defense was at its best as mixture of styles. He was great at the point of attack and as a one-on-one stopper against high-usage guys. He was also good running through screens and chasing off-ball guys, with his good stop-start ability and elite conditioning. He also was good at helping with blocks and deflections. He was generally good at position and team defense. But only part of that defensive skill-set shows in the stats. It was actually when he started chasing steals that his defense dipped slightly. Some guys from his era, like Jason Kidd and Eddie Jones were much more natural ballhawks than Kobe, even though a locked in Kobe was a better overall defender. Kobe was still pretty solid through those All-Defense seasons, though increasingly overrated over time. Closer to the end, he actually became a sub-par defender, even before the Achilles injury. In his last healthy season under D'Antoni, Kobe barely played any defense, often cherry picking offense by not even getting back or by lagging near halfcourt. I do have to say, Kobe's early blocks numbers were impressive. Very few guards get those type of numbers, and he did it in an era where stats were deflated. That's another thing. Kobe played during a deflated stats era. Steals were simply harder to come by, so comparing his numbers to guys who played in the steals peak era of the 80's and early 90's won't give an accurate read. Again, his former teammate Jones was the better ballhawk, but even Jones' steals numbers were deflated some.

Kobe was defintely a solid defender especially with on ball defense but not an all time great lockdown defender 💯 no slander to the mamba tho🖤🐍

great perspective :)

Great video

No, he was a top defender throughout his careers, lacking support but still winning that defense.. not just 30+pg.. defense is just effort. He don't short effort. Plus he picks up the best offensive player. Stats ain't a great assessment of defense.. it's more than steal & blocks.. it's position.. that's why defensive rebounds are important but not the only reason. Inform the people.

never led the league in **any** defensive category and was routinely a negative DBPM. I would argue even Vince Carter was better defensively. but because he played in LA and was crowned 'the next Jordan' he was given all-defensive selections automatically.

I remember back in 2011 when someone critique Kobe Bryant for saying he wouldn't take a charge or avoided taking a charge as much as possible. I made the observation that even Michael Jordan with the Wizards would still play defense wholeheartedly when he was past his prime and in his twilight of his amazing career, he would still take a charge and wouldn't give up on defensive plays as much as Kobe. People were extremely upset that i said that. I have seen Michael Jordan play and thats always been my observation on his style of defense. Basketball players in the 80's and 90's were made of sturdier stuff.

It’s layers to this thang = it’s levels to this shit

9 first teams is crazy. He was one of the best for a while, but having as many as the Glove is asinine.

You got one thing wrong about the All Defense team voting. During Kobe's career, the All Defense team was voted on by the COACHES, not the media. Big difference... as the coaches have better insight into who affects their defensively (coaches could not vote for players on their own team). The media's opinion is far less trustworthy than NBA coaches.

It would be interesting to see opposing players shooting percentages for Rodman, etc… his smothering defence would result in players shooting lower than their averages I’d imagine

Great video Jonny, and Kobe is my greatest player of all time and Rodman is my favorite player.

Kobe goes through the process all greats go through after retirement where they get slowly mythologized until they are viewed as infallible. Oh god… I just imagined what’s going to happen to Lebron when he retires…

To me, this is why Jordan is just so great. He not only had to carry the load on offense for bad teams early in his career, but also was going 100% on defense as well

even Phil said this. Like some of his All Star selections on the later part of his career, it was the same with some of his All Defense selections, more of a reputation selection instead of actual performance.

What I don't like is how guys get credit for being great defenders when all they do is defend and give u next to nothing on offense its a lot more difficult to be elite on both ends and considering the era he played in and the lack of help defending the perimeter until he got artest late plus the fact that his position was stacked with way more talent then what mj faced ill say kobe was a great defender

He is one of the best all time.

Factoring in his offense as well as defense, would you say he was a top 10 two way player ever? That would be a very interesting video, guys like Jordan and Hakeem would be very high of course, as well as Duncan.

Underrated

People calling Kobe's defense overrated are casuals who only watched Ben Taylor's analysis on Kobe's peak season analysis

No one has ever called kobe one of the greatest defenders of all time not even kobe stans. At most an elite defender

I agree with whay you said completely. And people who gush over kobe are the only ones who say otherwise. He was no where near the defensive player hes known by kobe fans to be

Can you make a video about jason kidd defence.cause he is top 3 defensive guard to me and he is so underrated on that end

Wade and especially Tony Allen should have gotten a few of those selections instead of Kobe.

Kobe Bryant was a great defensive player. Maybe his stats don’t blow your mind but certainly the amount of responsibility he had to carry on a game by game basis didn’t allow him the opportunity to consistently be as elite on that end as he definitely could have. Outside of MJ, Kobe is probably the best 2-way player of all time.

Kobe tore his Achilles on April 12, 2013. The night BEFORE the tear, he put up the following numbers at Portland: 47 pts, 8 rebs, 5 asts, 3 stls, 4 blks. Marc Stein reported the next day that no one had ever registered those numbers. By this time, Kobe was past his prime and trying to carry a team with an injured Steve Nash and an ineffective Dwight Howard... and yet, he showed that he could dominate both sides of the floor when he needed to.

Athletically, Kobe was very close to MJ except for one thing - MJ’s monstrous hands. I think MJs hands were the main attribute that made him a better rebounder and pick-pocket than Kobe. Kobe once talked about how MJs hands made him able to do some things on the court with less effort than Kobe had to expend to do the same thing. But yeah, when Kobe wanted to play defense, he could be the best defender on the court.

Kobe is great defensive player. He's just limited on his stamina. When he puts the effort he is the best perimeter defender on his prime together with D Wade. They're probably the most entertaining 2 way players of their time. He's preserving his stamina to last up to the last quarter of playing. For someone like me who can read opposing teams play but isn't athletic enough to intercept the ball and can only play honest defense and atleast put my body between the offensive player and basket, it will be really great to have those gifts.

You are absolutely right, Kobe picked his spots. MJ did it too later on but he was just a better defensive player. Kobe to me was a little passed the the line between very good and great. Nothing wrong with that. Also to add, if MJ didn’t retire that first time, I think it’s safe to say he would at least have 11 first team defensive selections. It’s kind of crazy to think what his numbers would be like if he didn’t retire that first time.

Great breakdown. He was one of the best defenders for a perimeter player, but he was not as good as the absolute best, and certainly wasn't someone who should be in the conversation with the best defenders ever, who are all big men.

Kobe isn't overrated as a defender. Some of his accolades as a defender are undeserved, but his actual defensive abilities, when trying, are great. His rep in the media as a great defender got him those all-defense accolades. Rodman & MJ also kept guys from getting rebounds & shots, which aren't a countable stats, but they are very observable. Jrue Holiday does that (used to be the best at it) & I don't think he has ever led the league in any stats, but all of the players think he's the best defender in the game.

Kobe is great defender however Phil Jackson said in the back half of the 2000s and early 2010s that Kobe was getting defensive team nods because of reputation. if Phil says it, i believe it. i didn’t coach Kobe…

Even if a few of his defensive selections may have been unwarranted, there's no question that he was a great defender.

To be really fair for Kobe… MJ had Scottie,Dennis Rodman, & Ron Harper … I have nothing to say about Jordan’s DPOY year! It’s truly insane but he definitely on that list for Top defenders and top defensive guards. Phil has some points but I truly don’t care what he has to say atp I’ve watched enough tape. He was never a liability and was considered one of the best defensive guards at the time. MJ still was crazy tho😭

The thing with Kobe's defense is we all know that if he wanted too he could be one the best defenders all time. If we're talking defensive legacy then he isn't one of the greatest but if we talk about ability there is an argument.

He didn't have the same level of conditioning as Jordan, to give as much effort on defense, especially as he got older.

I was just looking this up and then of course you're the first video and of course I click it.... But yeah I was wondering about his defense. Really wasn't that level like for blocks or steals .. he did play passing lanes but he wasn't really locked down unless he wanted to. Of course he worked on that side too.. The game was going in a different direction at the time also

Idk if this is valid, but to judge a players on-ball defence, you could look at the stats of the player they guarded vs. The league average against that player. Then, you’d expect the number of forced errors/turnovers etc to increase? Just an idea

MJ is quite literally the best backcourt defender of all time. So comparing him to any other guard isn't really fair

The issue with Kobe's defense is it was more of an effort thing that lead to those Inconsistencies. He also was fast and athletic, but not crazy fast and athletic. I feel the most important thing to me is "potential." The fact that he had the potential to be the best defensive player on the court if he focused on it makes him one of the best defenders of all time in his given position in my opinion.

What i remember is the coaches always put good defenders around him, so he doesnt needed put so much energy in that regard usually.

No matter how good you are in one area you are not going to do it every night and every game. That would be like expecting somebody to make every shot or free throw. The key is to do it way more and often than you don't. Consistency is the key.

It depends on what Kobe You are talking about. There was a stage in his career when he took Defense as part of his Weapon. Young Kobe was focused on scoring. When Kobe started studying Pippens defensive videos. Thats when he became a really good defender.

IMO, In his time Kobe was a top 3 wing defender. All time he’s a top 5-7 wing defender and top 50 defender ever.

Saying Phil Jackson was genuine in his assessment of Kobe in his book in 2004 is flawed Phil admittedly stated that because his daughter had experienced being sexually assaulted that when Kobe went through his rape trial that it distorted his viewed Kobe during the 2003-2004 season and no matter what he did he couldn’t get rid of the anger ( I wish this was Facebook and I can post it in here but just go look it up) If you go watch the break down of Jordan defense he literally gamble just as much as Kobe if not more but definitely in the same way as Kobe jumping passing lanes ,reaching for steals and coming up empty handed but Phil didn’t have disdain for Jordan like he did Kobe so Phil never commented anything negative on Jordan I see people using Phil words against Kobe without applying the full context and the hypocrisy of Phil’s words when Jordan did the same thing And it doesn’t make sense because I’m the 2004 finals the commentators were Marv Albert and doc rivers and they were raving about kobe lock up defense on rip Hamilton Please don’t compare Jordan and Kobe because the competition they had to go against is miles different Just look at who Kobe had to guard and Jordan had to guard

OVERRATED AS HELL

11:14 But you put Kobe as a honarable mention in your greatest defensive players video, has your opinion recently changed?

So a nice round +/- 0. Can't get more average than that.

As a huge Kobe Bryant I’ll say maybe his off ball presence/iq on defense is a bit “overrated” I do know he would get beat quite a few times from cuts or back doors. However his on ball defense is one of the best ever. As far as 1 on 1 defense goes it’s hard to find better defenders in that regard than Kobe Bryant.

Overrated in general

I’m reminded of The Last Dance where Michael’s mentality is described as a switch that never got turned off. Kobe sometimes let his switch turn off, but when it was back on… watch out 🐍

I still remember that all star game where him and Lebron went 1v1. He was LOCKING HIM DOWN, and blocking all of his shots. LEBRON.. so no Kobe is not an overrated defender. He’s probably the smartest basketball player ever, he knew every single type of defense, he knew every team’s defensive strategy. He was a great defensive player

kobe is the most overrated player in nba history

He was a better defender than Jordan to me MJ fans - "But MJ was a way better defender than Kobe and he won defensive player of the year and was first team all defense 9 times.” Well Kobe has also been selected on 9 first team all defense teams and though he didn’t win defensive player of the year there were many years throughout his career where he forsure should have. In 2010 Kobe locked up Russel Westbrook in the 2010 first round and completely shut him down. You can look up Russel’s stats when Kobe was on him but let me give you a hint: they were TERRIBLE. Kobe in 2010 was running on fumes, his body was slowly giving up on him and there is only so much injuries even the black mamba could take. Despite this Kobe locked up the fastest player with the ball we have ever seen and one of the top 5 most athletic players to ever play the game. Kobe and Jordan are both AMAZING defenders but I’d have to give Kobe the edge for his ability to play with multiple injuries and power through it.

570 more steals and 150 more blocks in 270 less games is crazy.