Very underrated defender, on ball and help. I personally think he's one of the better off ball defenders. People sleep on Kobe's defense. Anyone remember that stretch when he had to defend a series of all star point guards? The western conference was stacked, with all star guards. Kobe was the only one who could guard them. I'm talking Michael Conley, Russel Westbrook, Stephen Curry ect. at 34 no less. That was the year of the Achilles tear for those who want reference. Plays both sides of the ball, a real MVP.
+TheDudeintheBlueHoodie He was still a good on ball defender that season, but his off-ball defense was positively terrible that season. He fell asleep every time his man didn't have the ball. But yes, his on-ball defense was solid.
agreed think hes pretty close to jordan, but thats what separates jordan and kobe. they both have 2 main differences, kobe marginally better 3 point shooter, jordan marginally better defender, basically exact equals everywhere else. kobe is a really great defender though
smh Kobe was a much better 3pt shooter than MJ was, and by the same token I would say that MJ was a much better defender. Kobe is a great on ball defender, but he could be very inconsistent off the ball. I'm sure that there were years when Kobe's defense rivaled MJ's, but I think MJ was much more consistent overall.
Brandon Reed i dont think its a matter of skill or ability i think its just they had different focus, jordans focus was on and off the ball on defense, kobes was scoring and usually on ball defense, but as you can see this season easily rivals a jordan season on defense
Emmanuel Stalling when you are going up for a shot, the hand is part of the ball, after you release the ball though it will be called foul when you touch the hand. refs should know better.
Rave Setsuna Easy to second guess the refs from a sofa, hard to see the angles when you're on the floor and things are happening fast. I know, it's been said, but it needed to be said again.
Emmanuel Stalling exactly, no one is superhuman enough to see a professional basketball in slow motion, that's why they install the slow motion replays
True fans of the game know Kobe has 4 MVPS: 03, 06, 07, 08. The fact Steve Nash has 2 MVPs and Dirk has one, says it all. Around the end of Jordan retiring from the Bulls, the MVP almost never went to the best player in the league, which it does in almost every other sport. Also people never point to the fact Kobe has played in arguably the hardest conference ever in the NBA throughout his whole career. Had Kobe's prime when Shaq left started somewhere on a team in the Eastern Conference, he would have earned those MVPs he was robbed out of.
MVP ain't gonna be given to the best anymore back then it was truly the best and not based off of hype or commercials or etcetera. Kobe deserved way more. When knowing these facts, I also hope true fans of the game understand that MVPs don't determine how great a player is.
I'm ok with Nash having the first one, but Kobe should easily have 3. Dirk should never have got it that year. and Nash should definitely not have got it the year before. Those were arguably Kobe's two best seasons. And he was dragging one of the worst teams ever with him to the playoffs. Its a complete joke that a guy who may go down as the second best player ever only has 1 MVP. Even if you look at all three players and say their stats aren't enough to say who was better, Kobe was all NBA first team defense every year!
Not 03. Kobe and Shaq only won 50 games with Phil Jackson coaching. I think KG should have won it over Duncan for the regular season. He led the Wolves in 5/5 categories and got 51 wins in the West with a weak cast. Not 07. They were only 1 game over 0.500
+Anon Ymous well....2003 Kobe had: -12 3s in a game(NBA record) -9 straight games 40 or more points (more then MJ) -amazing game at MSG(46 points,legendary dunk,crazy shots ) -55 points vs MJ(last match-up between each others...like in 1987 when MJ scores 56 vs Dr.J on their last game vs each others) amazing come back game vs Dallas(kobe scores 25 in the 4th plus the game winner shot) -several game winner shots(Memphis,Dallas,Phoenix) -he averaged 30-7-6-2 -he played most of the first part of the Regular Season without Shaq. -He was sensational
it wasnt juss ppg look at PER ast reb he carried that team steve nash already had a good team kobe was clearly the most valuable player of his over any other player know basketball
kobe is the most underated defensive player in the leauge. If he decided to have a mindset of wanting to win defensive player of the year he could do it EVERY YEAR! he just has to reserve his energy for offense.
Kobe is a 9x NBA All defensive first team and 3x defensive second team selection. In 16 seasons Kobe has earned defensive honors in 12 of them and he wasnt really given consistent playing time and starts until his third season.Take away the 04-05 season and basically every season Kobe Bryant can compete healthy he is recognized as one of the best defenders in the league. He is one of the most skilled players to ever play the game
The last block, man nobody would try to block that because of the possible result but my man Kobe is on a different level. He doesn't care because he knows that he can do whatever he wants. That is Mamba Mentality at it's finest.
that block to kirk was clean . The contact to the face was just the aftermath of a great play . kobe hit the ball with so much force it pushed novitski's hand back after stoping it at impact, so kobes hand with the strength put, like a windmill with force, spins on around ! lol
I will miss him...I used to cut class to watch his game, he brought the game to another level, the intensity and passion he had will always impact other people. OGs showed no love, Like KG and KB. Not like these days young players have friends all over the league and playing soft. kinda miss the old time right now.
In his prime Kobe was the Charles Woodson of the NBA on defense, he was an intimidating on ball defender and plays like a free safety with blocks and steals to help his teammates
Kobe was the best player in the league multiple times but in total he should have one 2 mvps instead of one. When he was averaging 35 a game yea he was probably the best player on the earth but it's hard to give the MVP to a player on an 8th seed team. Only time I felt Kobe was truly robbed was when Nash won his second MVP. I love Nash too don't get me wrong but he was never truly the best player in the league those 2 years or through any year during his career. Shaq should've taken Nash's 1st MVP and Kobe should've gotten Nash's 2nd. Kobe only won MVP because, although yea he earned it, it was mainly because the league fucked up and realized this is going to be a top 10 player in NBA history and we haven't given him an MVP. Technically during kobes MVP season Chris Paul had all around better numbers.
I don't understand about the dislike. People don't like the game now. they don't like good defense? Even in LBJ block highlights I wouldn't dislike that. I like good defense highlights. People that dislike this are just in denial about kobe's defensive talents.
For example, like when a defender is tall and the player taking the shot is shorter, the shot needs to be arched more and it will hit the glass on the way down. Basically, any high arcing bank will probably be on its way down by the time it hits the glass, but a regular bank shot's highest point is when it hits the glass. Its just how the mechanics works. I used this as an experiment for a project in physics my sophomore year in college. haha if you were wondering how i know.
i hate not seeing kobe swat some people this season cos of his knee and all. when he decides to go up for a block, you know he's gunna connect and its gunna be good. one of the most emphatic shot blockers.
you guys should try to block like kobe is here... not jumping straight up all the time but swiping it at a horizontal level... it works . ty kobe, mj, and pippen
Anyone else notice that Kobe is blocking those shots with his left hand? Kobe's right handed but blocks shots with his left hand? That my friends, is called dexterity.
Very underrated defender, on ball and help.
I personally think he's one of the better off ball defenders. People sleep on Kobe's defense. Anyone remember that stretch when he had to defend a series of all star point guards? The western conference was stacked, with all star guards. Kobe was the only one who could guard them. I'm talking Michael Conley, Russel Westbrook, Stephen Curry ect. at 34 no less. That was the year of the Achilles tear for those who want reference. Plays both sides of the ball, a real MVP.
+TheDudeintheBlueHoodie He was still a good on ball defender that season, but his off-ball defense was positively terrible that season. He fell asleep every time his man didn't have the ball. But yes, his on-ball defense was solid.
+TheDudeintheBlueHoodie man kobe has been 12 times in the all nba defensive team...no really underrated :-D
agreed think hes pretty close to jordan, but thats what separates jordan and kobe. they both have 2 main differences, kobe marginally better 3 point shooter, jordan marginally better defender, basically exact equals everywhere else. kobe is a really great defender though
smh Kobe was a much better 3pt shooter than MJ was, and by the same token I would say that MJ was a much better defender. Kobe is a great on ball defender, but he could be very inconsistent off the ball. I'm sure that there were years when Kobe's defense rivaled MJ's, but I think MJ was much more consistent overall.
Brandon Reed i dont think its a matter of skill or ability i think its just they had different focus, jordans focus was on and off the ball on defense, kobes was scoring and usually on ball defense, but as you can see this season easily rivals a jordan season on defense
For a Superstar Kobe sure gets called for a lot of fouls on clean blocks
Because he swings at the ball instead of just getting a hand on it. Refs dont like that.
Emmanuel Stalling ya but that's no excuse for the refs to call bad calls. they should be trained better
Emmanuel Stalling
when you are going up for a shot, the hand is part of the ball, after you release the ball though it will be called foul when you touch the hand. refs should know better.
Rave Setsuna Easy to second guess the refs from a sofa, hard to see the angles when you're on the floor and things are happening fast. I know, it's been said, but it needed to be said again.
Emmanuel Stalling
exactly, no one is superhuman enough to see a professional basketball in slow motion, that's why they install the slow motion replays
The way Kobe plays defence is just totally empowering . . .
True fans of the game know Kobe has 4 MVPS: 03, 06, 07, 08. The fact Steve Nash has 2 MVPs and Dirk has one, says it all. Around the end of Jordan retiring from the Bulls, the MVP almost never went to the best player in the league, which it does in almost every other sport. Also people never point to the fact Kobe has played in arguably the hardest conference ever in the NBA throughout his whole career. Had Kobe's prime when Shaq left started somewhere on a team in the Eastern Conference, he would have earned those MVPs he was robbed out of.
MVP ain't gonna be given to the best anymore back then it was truly the best and not based off of hype or commercials or etcetera. Kobe deserved way more. When knowing these facts, I also hope true fans of the game understand that MVPs don't determine how great a player is.
I'm ok with Nash having the first one, but Kobe should easily have 3. Dirk should never have got it that year. and Nash should definitely not have got it the year before. Those were arguably Kobe's two best seasons. And he was dragging one of the worst teams ever with him to the playoffs. Its a complete joke that a guy who may go down as the second best player ever only has 1 MVP. Even if you look at all three players and say their stats aren't enough to say who was better, Kobe was all NBA first team defense every year!
Not 03. Kobe and Shaq only won 50 games with Phil Jackson coaching. I think KG should have won it over Duncan for the regular season. He led the Wolves in 5/5 categories and got 51 wins in the West with a weak cast.
Not 07. They were only 1 game over 0.500
+Anon Ymous well....2003 Kobe had:
-12 3s in a game(NBA record)
-9 straight games 40 or more points (more then MJ)
-amazing game at MSG(46 points,legendary dunk,crazy shots )
-55 points vs MJ(last match-up between each others...like in 1987 when MJ scores 56 vs Dr.J on their last game vs each others)
amazing come back game vs Dallas(kobe scores 25 in the 4th plus the game winner shot)
-several game winner shots(Memphis,Dallas,Phoenix)
-he averaged 30-7-6-2
-he played most of the first part of the Regular Season without Shaq.
-He was sensational
+Salvatore Mazzamuto he wont reply to your post. nigga is wrong af.
No one can ever play and love the game the way Kobe did.
Heart, desire, and intelligence are what has made Kobe SO great on both ends of the floor.
At 6'6" to be a able to block shots from bigger guys up front is a great feat.
kobe deserves more than juss 1 mvp in his prime 05-07 steve nash won mvp really shame
Dude I don't know how he had 35 ppg in 06 and Nash won.
coolsim999 dropping 35pts doesn't mean he deserved mvp lmao
it wasnt juss ppg look at PER ast reb he carried that team steve nash already had a good team kobe was clearly the most valuable player of his over any other player know basketball
Deontae Jones other players out played kobe like wade but yea that year he did deserve it but i think people look too much into the points.
look at the stats not juss points look at his PER
KB is the most competitive and handworking athlete ever.......
Most blocks was came from his left hand. Damn!
+RottenDick You're supposed to mirror your opponent on defense.
Bruh Brah That's a skill most players don't have
RottenDick that's how you play defense
Left hand contest on a right handed shooter
So fundamentally sound
Unbelievable
1:55 Kobe has been watching film of TD for years, the way he timed his shot from that far back is not a fluke.
true, kobe would be the one to do that
Perfect timing. Wasn’t even close to a goal tend
4:10 what an absolute monster.
I miss Kobe
That block on Duncan's shot while it was mid air was insane.
Look at Kobe in his prime, guards literally couldn't get past him. His offense is so famous that no one realizes how good of a defender he really is
Kobe's blocks are beast when he wears that arm sleeve.
I watched Harden's defense and come watch this lol...NBA these days and back then. I will stop watching NBA once Kobe retires
I came here from harden's spectacular defense too and it was hilarious
***** lol you dont understand, feel whatever u wanna feel about me because i dont care
true story
offensively kobe is a little better lmfao are you serious kobe is light years ahead of harden kobe is a top ten goat watch your mouth
The NBA is better off without Kobe's selfish style of play
Kobe d great..NBA will never be exciting as it is without kobe...
kobe is the most underated defensive player in the leauge. If he decided to have a mindset of wanting to win defensive player of the year he could do it EVERY YEAR! he just has to reserve his energy for offense.
Kobe's a great defender.
Kobe is a 9x NBA All defensive first team and 3x defensive second team selection. In 16 seasons Kobe has earned defensive honors in 12 of them and he wasnt really given consistent playing time and starts until his third season.Take away the 04-05 season and basically every season Kobe Bryant can compete healthy he is recognized as one of the best defenders in the league. He is one of the most skilled players to ever play the game
NO matter his block attempt is a clean block or a foul, you can clearly see Kobe's determination to win a battle
The last block, man nobody would try to block that because of the possible result but my man Kobe is on a different level. He doesn't care because he knows that he can do whatever he wants. That is Mamba Mentality at it's finest.
that block to kirk was clean . The contact to the face was just the aftermath of a great play . kobe hit the ball with so much force it pushed novitski's hand back after stoping it at impact, so kobes hand with the strength put, like a windmill with force, spins on around ! lol
The batman theme in the background suits kobe so well. He pretty much is the batman of basketball.
Kobe is almost 36 years old and had some severe injuries, do not expect too much from him. He already had his time.
I will miss him...I used to cut class to watch his game, he brought the game to another level, the intensity and passion he had will always impact other people. OGs showed no love, Like KG and KB. Not like these days young players have friends all over the league and playing soft. kinda miss the old time right now.
Great 9 minutes of footage 🙌
Heart . Desire . Intelligence .
7:57 Kobe got speed 👀
24 says are you kidding me? I'll meet you at the top
Luis Velazquez Joel myers and stu Lantz were classic
I might be the only guy within a thousand miles who watches defensive highlight videos on half speed playback.
Lmao at shaq just booked it after Kobe blocked his shot at 7:29
lol
lmfao
great video
Oh shit Halo # soundtrack intro!!!! lol cool vid!
3 defensive experts in one team wow kobe , metta and dwight .
Dang I See Why Kobe Is All Defense 1st Team All the Time Amazing Video
In his prime Kobe was the Charles Woodson of the NBA on defense, he was an intimidating on ball defender and plays like a free safety with blocks and steals to help his teammates
Amazing and exciting!
i've noticed, this is what drives him to the championship, DEFENSE
After watching this I feel really bad for Yao and Duncan, the Mamba was RUTHLESS!
Best player from like 04-2012
the most underrated defensive player in the league
you are crazy. kobe goes hard on defense every single possession, especially when he was younger.
nice comp thanks.
This video shows how much the NBA hates Kobe Bryant
agreed. he's a pretty clutch defender.
Kobe was the best player in the league multiple times but in total he should have one 2 mvps instead of one. When he was averaging 35 a game yea he was probably the best player on the earth but it's hard to give the MVP to a player on an 8th seed team. Only time I felt Kobe was truly robbed was when Nash won his second MVP. I love Nash too don't get me wrong but he was never truly the best player in the league those 2 years or through any year during his career. Shaq should've taken Nash's 1st MVP and Kobe should've gotten Nash's 2nd. Kobe only won MVP because, although yea he earned it, it was mainly because the league fucked up and realized this is going to be a top 10 player in NBA history and we haven't given him an MVP. Technically during kobes MVP season Chris Paul had all around better numbers.
for all you ppl complaining about fouling, just to be clear, the hand is considered to be a part of the ball when its in contact with the ball
So true.
kobe shoulda won at least 4 mvp he was the best in the nba for most of his career
Kobe is Top 5 of All time
sick!!
Kobe's defense isn't about stealing or blocking, it's his ability to be able to lock down a player.
I don't understand about the dislike. People don't like the game now. they don't like good defense? Even in LBJ block highlights I wouldn't dislike that. I like good defense highlights. People that dislike this are just in denial about kobe's defensive talents.
For example, like when a defender is tall and the player taking the shot is shorter, the shot needs to be arched more and it will hit the glass on the way down. Basically, any high arcing bank will probably be on its way down by the time it hits the glass, but a regular bank shot's highest point is when it hits the glass. Its just how the mechanics works. I used this as an experiment for a project in physics my sophomore year in college. haha if you were wondering how i know.
Kobe is ambidextrous.
hes like "right kobe, im goin to wait for u on the other end.."
if you ask me, all those blocks were clean
I'm a LBJ fan and I came to witness a great defender in Kobe.
Loved the Halo music in the intro.
I miss you... Kobe
Loving the Dark Knight music.
he is the best
the last one was nice !
i hate not seeing kobe swat some people this season cos of his knee and all. when he decides to go up for a block, you know he's gunna connect and its gunna be good. one of the most emphatic shot blockers.
@DSOTL well said. not a lot of NBAers want to risk being put on a poster, ESPECIALLY not superstars.
This is all in one season!
TMUDE
= The Most Underrated Defender Ever
2:33 just vicious!!
The Dark Mamba .
MVP MVP MVP . . . !!!
Kobe didn’t get a lot of calls when he got fouled but got called for a lot of fouls when it was clean.
cool video. should show some of them steals
Damn on the last Bonzi Wells block I though it was a hard foul at first then I saw he got a lot of ball, impressive
unlike lebron who only can do chase down blocks..... smh for those who says leflop's defense > kobe's def
+loveBGM um so how many times has kobe been runner up in DPOY award like lebron?
+imsljr420 Lebron got more DOPY votes than Ibaka who lead the league in blocks that year so idk
+imsljr420 Lebron two DPOY voting is a joke, he got torched by PG in 2013 and torched in 2009 by Orlando
Omraj Kang bron shut down paul george in game 7
BEASSSSSSSSSSSSSST!
Kobe blocks Yao and Shaq, many times. Just amazing. Miss you Mamba.
it just made me laugh so much when shaq sprinted after Kobe blocked his shot ! . he didn't wanna hear a word from Kobe !! lol haha
love how lamar odom flys by at 2:40
We need another video just for his steals!
All those blocks are spikes but kobe plays great defense and those fouls were clean blocks
at 1:13 what game was that? they had the retro jersey but also the short shorts and everything haha
Kobe isn't much of a steal and block defender, but he is a deadly perimeter and lock on defender.
nice music choice
love the block on shaq i bet that felt good for kobe
fuckin love watching kobe play...hes a winner, not out there to make freinds!
Kobe got MVP chants In Boston. Nuff said
My only greatest of all time Kobe.
MVP~MVP~MVP~MVP~MVP~
Kobe's left arm stretches to the size of MJs in Space Jam.
yeah it was some throwback special they did but they changed back to the regular shorts at half time cuz they said they weren't comfortable.
kobe not only offense but as much in defense :)
this should be the "blocks" section. much more to defense than just blocks
@NEL0061 This is one of those times when the difference between 'then' and 'than' is very important.
i liked this video, even though im a lebron fan, thats all i wanted to prove
epic
you guys should try to block like kobe is here... not jumping straight up all the time but swiping it at a horizontal level... it works . ty kobe, mj, and pippen
Anyone else notice that Kobe is blocking those shots with his left hand? Kobe's right handed but blocks shots with his left hand? That my friends, is called dexterity.
missing the block on Deron Williams but nice vid