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(Butler is playing more efficiently and unselfishly on offense and more disruptively on defensively than Captain Mamba Mentality ever did an a Finals series) https://twitter.com/byChrisJoseph/status/1314934986026483712
Just for giggles:
2000 Finals vs Indiana (LAL wins 4-2)
Kobe is at 16 ppg, 4.6 boards, 4.2. assists. Clearly still the second-banana here, and the shooting splits are horrific: 37% from the field, 20% from three and 91 from the line.
2000 Finals vs Indiana (LAL wins 4-2)
Kobe is at 16 ppg, 4.6 boards, 4.2. assists. Clearly still the second-banana here, and the shooting splits are horrific: 37% from the field, 20% from three and 91 from the line.
’01 against Philly. (LAL wins 4-1)
25 ppg, 8 rpg, 6 assists. He cracks 40% from the field this time, at least: 41% FG, 33% 3FG, and 84% from the line.
25 ppg, 8 rpg, 6 assists. He cracks 40% from the field this time, at least: 41% FG, 33% 3FG, and 84% from the line.
In '02, the Lakers were up against the Nets, who were just happy to be there. They swept them.
Kobe netted 27 points per game, 6 boards and 5 assists. This series is the ONLY one in his Finals career when he wasn't underwater on efficiency: 51%FG - 53% 3FG- 80% FT
Kobe netted 27 points per game, 6 boards and 5 assists. This series is the ONLY one in his Finals career when he wasn't underwater on efficiency: 51%FG - 53% 3FG- 80% FT
'04 Finals vs Pistons (LAL loses 1-4)
22.6 pp3, 3 rebounds, 4.4 on ghastly 38% FG- 17% 3FG - 92% FT shooting splits. Yiiiiikes.
22.6 pp3, 3 rebounds, 4.4 on ghastly 38% FG- 17% 3FG - 92% FT shooting splits. Yiiiiikes.
'08 Finals vs Celtics (LAL loses 2-4)
26 points, 5 boards, 5 dimes on 40%-32%-80% splits.
'09 Finals vs Magic (LAL wins 4-1)
32 points, 6 boards, and 7 assists on 43%-36%-82%. His best *scoring* Finals, but again with Westbrook-ian shooting numbers.
26 points, 5 boards, 5 dimes on 40%-32%-80% splits.
'09 Finals vs Magic (LAL wins 4-1)
32 points, 6 boards, and 7 assists on 43%-36%-82%. His best *scoring* Finals, but again with Westbrook-ian shooting numbers.
In his last Finals appearance in 2010, the Lakers beat the Celtics in 7.
Kobe went for 29 points, 8 rebs, and four dimes on 42% -32% - 88% shooting. And of course, he shot 6- for-24 from the field in Game 7.
Kobe went for 29 points, 8 rebs, and four dimes on 42% -32% - 88% shooting. And of course, he shot 6- for-24 from the field in Game 7.
this man’s marketing was *genius.*
And of course, the whole Black Mamba nickname he gave himself was a brand recalibration: he was accused of rape in a high-profile case and his previous golden boy/phenom image was no longer on the table
That the “Mamba” thing took off tells you a lot about how invested people were in making that whole thing go away
One last thing: if The Heat win the Finals in 2011 — that is, if Bron doesn’t weirdly shit the bed — are we SURE the best-non Jordan two guard of all time belt doesn’t then belong to DWade?
