WATCH: Kobe Bryant hilariously pulls out age card when heckled by fans to play defense

Kobe Bryant was one of the most complete basketball players to grace the NBA.

Bryant was a two-way stud who could lock up your favorite player and drop 30 on him on any given day. The Lakers legend was the prototype for a two-way guard, in the same manner, as his idol, Michael Jordan.

18 All-Star selections and 12 All-Defensive selections prove how prolific Kobe was on both ends of the court. Chances are that Bryant was your favorite player’s favorite player – such was the impact he had on the modern game.

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Bryant was a pest in the defensive end. Kobe’s physical tools and athleticism combined with his constant effort and “Mamba” mentality made him an elite defensive option.

However, with age, sporting decline is only natural. Post-2012, Kobe was not a feature in all-defensive selections. Injuries also took a toll as Kobe was robbed of his explosive athletic abilities to a great extent.

But, Kobe was self-aware and did not blame anyone. The biggest example of this came during a game against the New York Knicks. Fans were heckling Kobe for lack of defensive effort.

Bryant responded in a candid manner and displayed what he was going through at that phase of his career.

How did Kobe respond to fans heckling his lack of defensive effort?

Bryant merely acknowledged the lack of effort and attributed it to old age. As any NBA fan would know, this wasn’t the Bryant of his prime. Kobe himself realises it and tells the fans to basically cut him some slack.

“Too old for that” said Kobe as he dismissed hecklers. The Lakers weren’t a contending team towards the fag end of Kobe’s career. For a rebuilding team that had sights on a tank, Kobe didn’t have to run himself down to earth too.

Bryant, therefore, didn’t get the stick he would have if the circumstances stood otherwise. This merely became a veteran accepting his fate and eventual decline.

And as they say, the laurels talk for themselves. No one can possibly ever call Kobe a bad defender due to the lack of effort in his late 30s. Bryant had enough history to counter all such allegations and some.

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