Kobe Bryant, who was the youngest in an All-star game, cited his 37 year old age as an excuse for bad defense

Kobe Bryant has been one of the best two way players in league history, but towards the end of his career, his body simply didn’t have it in him.

Kobe’s legacy was built up by everything he achieved in his career, his five rings, Finals MVPs, scoring titles, and more, but a major part of his also the fact that he spent his entire career with the Lakers.

In an era defined by player autonomy and the right to take your brand anywhere, Kobe chose to stay put. He stayed put even when the Lakers were rebuilding and had no superstars to surround him with when he easily could have been playing along a superstar or two had he wanted.

He made the Lakers must see TV even when they weren’t. 20 seasons. That’s how long Kobe was a Laker. Countless memories were made. Everything from pure elation to absolute heartbreak included. That’s who Kobe was for LA. All his efforts resulted in a lot of money as well, as at the time of his death, Kobe Bryant had a net worth of $600 million.

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Kobe Bryant was ‘too old’ for good defense at the end of his career

The three greatest shooting guards of all time are probably Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade, in that order. All three of them were offensive masterminds, finding ways to score from any angle of the court.

However, there was something else that set them apart too. Apart from being offensive wizards, all three of these guards were incredible defenders.

Michael Jordan set the standard when he won DPOY, and Kobe and Wade both followed in his footsteps. Defense takes a lot of your body though, and towards the end of Kobe’s career, he couldn’t maintain that same level of play on both sides of the ball.

Kobe lost most of his athletic abilities when he tore his Achilles, and after that, he suffered a few more season ending injuries. All told, he didn’t have the same capabilities he once had, and he was aware of it too. At 37-years old, in his last game at MSG, Kobe had a fitting reply for a fan who called him out.

Kobe was once the youngest player in the All Star game at just 19 years and 169 days old, and then, age caught up to him, as it does with everyone.

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