Kobe's Career......As a Starter

When you look at the career of Kobe Bean Bryant, how often do you remember or take into account the years he played limited minutes.  You remember those days, the bald head, and then the beggining of the somewhat weird fro'.  Yes, we may all recall his three consecutive airballs he hoisted against Utah in the playoffs.  We also cringe, reminising his first All-Star appearance when he shooed Karl Malone from the lane, in order to take Jordan on his own. 

However important these growing years may have been for Kobe, they are in a sense unimportant to his overall  importance to the game of basketball.  So, how about we just throw out his first two years of NBA Ball and take a look at what it does to the thing we all care about......stats!  Without further adew here are the statistical differences:

98-99-Present                           Career

FG% - .457                              FG% - .455

3P% - .339                              3P% - .341

FT% - .844                              FT% - .840

STL - 1.65                               STL - 1.5

BLK - .60                                 BLK - .60

REB - 5.8                                 REB - 5.3

AST - 5.2                                AST - 4.6

PTS - 27.6                              PTS - 25.1

You may be saying to yourself, "they look almost identical", but in reality, and when history looks back, its huge! On one hand, you have a player who is a 28, 6, and 5 player, and on the other hand you have a 25, 5, and 4 player.  The differance between the two is, being compared to Tracy McGrady, and being in the same sentance as the greatest player of all-time, Michael Jordan.  Of course, comparing a still playing Kobe to the long retired great, Jordan, is definately premature, the similarities are there. 

Getting away from that acenine comparison, the reason I feel Kobe's starting stats are legit, is this.  His first two years in the NBA are essentially feel out years.  Having had no college experience, no time to develop his still too slim body, and the ever important experience that college basketball can give you.  Regardless, Kobe is a great basketball player, but erase those two years and he without a doubt is a legend of our time.