Player Profile
Bryant is a shooting guard who is capable of playing the small forward position. He is considered one of the most complete players in the NBA, has been selected to every All-NBA Team since 1999, and has been featured in the last fourteen NBA All-Star games. Sportswriters and sportscasters frequently compare Bryant to Michael Jordan, a comparison Bryant dislikes. In 2007, an ESPN poll of sportswriters voted him as the second best shooting guard in NBA history behind Jordan.
He is a prolific scorer, averaging 25.4 points per game for his career, along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.5 steals (as of the end of the 2011–2012 regular season). He is known for his ability to create shots for himself and is a competent three-point shooter at 33.7%. Bryant shares the single-game NBA record for three pointers made with 12. Bryant is often cited as one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA, and utilizes his wide array of moves and shots to elude defenders and score from virtually anywhere on the floor. Some of Bryant's best moves are his turnaround jump shot, and his ability to post up his defenders and score with a fadeaway jumpshot. Chris Ballard, a Sports Illustrated NBA writer, describes a "jab step-and-pause" as a move Bryant uses where he jabs his non-pivot foot forward to let the defender relax and instead of bringing the jab foot back, he pushes off it and drive around his opponent to get to the basket.
Aside from his scoring ability, he has established himself as a standout defender, having made the All-Defensive first or second team twelve of the last thirteen seasons. Bryant rarely draws charges playing defense, which he believes has spared his body and contributed to his longevity. He has also been noted being one of the premier clutch performers in the NBA. In an annual survey of NBA general managers, Bryant was selected in 2012 for the 10th consecutive season as the player they most wanted taking the shot with the game on the line. Both Sporting News and TNT named Bryant the NBA player of the 2000s (decade).
Read more about this topic: Kobe Bryant
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