Kobe Bryant offered pretty simple justification for setting the NBA’s all-time record for missed field goals. Asked for his thoughts on the landmark after his team’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies last night, the Los Angeles Lakers legend stressed his position and longevity as explanation of the achievement.
Via ESPN’s Baxter Holmes:
Asked about the record, Bryant, who scored a game-high 28 points on 10-of-26 shooting and finished with 13,421 misses for his career, smiled and said he wasn’t aware of it.
“Nah, I don’t follow that stuff, man,” he said.
How does he explain setting the mark?
“Well, I’m a shooting guard that’s played 19 years,” he said, shrugging and smiling. He later added, “Like I said, ‘shooting’ guard, 19th year.”
We pointed to similar means in our initial write-up of Bryant’s record. Only a player so gifted and productive for so long would be capable of such a feat. There’s a reason guys like Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, or Tracy McGrady don’t approach Kobe’s mark – their peaks or time as primary offensive options were far more fleeting.
Still, that Bryant feels the need to mention that he’s a shooting guard is needlessly defensive. The NBA doesn’t prescribe to positional guidelines and limits the way it used to. Centers orchestrate offense, point guards post-up, and Lance Stephenson averages 10.9 rebounds per game in today’s league.
A better way for Kobe to put it would be that he’s been Los Angeles’ clear alpha dog since Shaquille O’Neal left town in 2004. A decade of unmatched shot production will lend itself to misses, as will the previous few seasons that Bryant shared the load with Shaq. Role has everything to do with Kobe’s record – positions don’t at all.
Either way, it’s clear that Bryant isn’t flinching despite establishing a new number for futility. We never expected anything less.
What do you think?
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