L.A. Lakers: Does Kobe Bryant's Clutch Shooting Excuse His Poor Shot Selection?
Earning the reputation as a clutch player in the NBA involves more than the ability to hit game-winning shots, because anyone can get lucky once in a while.
The clutch mentality is more like a sixth sense or an uncanny talent to recognize when the momentum of a game can be changed, then having the gumption to dictate circumstances, regardless of the consequences.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is considered by many to be one of the most clutch players in the game today, but Bryant has never been able to escape criticism of the questionable shot selection that goes with that designation.
Bryant has connected on 25 percent of game-winning shots he has attempted in his career, but as his detractors are quick to note, that also means that he has missed 75 percent of the shots he has taken in that situation.
That means Bryant has played the role of goat more often than not, and when using the term goat, I plainly mean the opposite of hero.
But does the number of game-winning shots Bryant has missed out-weigh the mental fortitude it takes to accept the challenge?
For Bryant, success is met with indifference and failure usually invites ridicule, but his career has been crafted on the determination to excel under adverse circumstances.
No one wants to win more than Bryant, and it is this attitude that may lead him to believe that each shot, regardless of the degree of difficulty, is going in.
Bryant is not alone in his belief, because he is the one player that is capable of transferring his aura of confidence to those who are viewing his performances.
Even though I have groaned at a number of questionable shots during the course of Bryant's career, I also acknowledge that if anyone can make a bad shot look good, it's Bryant.
It is difficult for me to doubt Bryant when a game is on the line, and even though my faith is not always rewarded, there is that 25 percent.
I will never forget Bryant's big shot over Dwyane Wade to beat the Miami Heat last season, nor will I forget the six game-winning shots that followed it.
Those are the moments that remain etched in memory, and those moments also fuel Bryant's reputation as a clutch player.
Of course, Bryant misses more shots than he makes in those situations, but who would you rather have taking the final shot with the game on the line?
When polled, the majority of NBA general managers chose Bryant, and the same opinion is held by most of his peers as well.
Bryant's shot selection will likely be a point of debate for the rest of his time in the NBA, but will history remember the number of shots that Bryant has missed, or the big ones that he has made?
