You know basketball reference is free?
It really doesn't matter what you think about his performance this game he wasn't the undisputed best player.
We were all alive, we saw it, nothing was undisputed about the way that finals ended.
He did.
Kobe shot worse than all the other star player in that game.
it was a very common sentiment at the time. I hate to be the bearer of bad news.
the reality is there isn't a year where Kobe was the undisputed best player.
And it def wasn't after going 6/24 in game 7 of the finals.
1. I was starting LeBron's run at 08-09 his first MVP year. Not 07-08
2. Easy, Kobe's MVP year there was plenty of debate between KG, CP3 and him for MVP.
He def wasn't undisputed.
The second chip he nearly shot them out of game 7 in the finals, and many people argued Pau should have been...
yup,
undisputed best player belt since 1959
Russell (59-63)
Wilt (67)
Kareem (72-81)
Moses (82-83)
Bird (85-86)
Magic (87-88 )
Jordan (88-98 )
Shaq (00-03)
Lebron (07-15)
Jokic (22-now)
DPOY narrative is funny.
Every year it seems like we make fun of someone for winning DPOY or saying they should win DPOY for getting lit up in the playoffs.
Fundamentally a great defensive player can only do so much.
More times then not, when playoff time comes, some DPOY/DPOY candidate is...
It's going to be hard to explain Jamal Murray to my future grandkids.
His stats aren't that good, he never made an all star team, but he seemingly could turn himself into a superstar come playoff time.
If you're not getting the stop short back up into the trailing defender call, it makes things much tougher for Brunson.
You can put a big guy like Brunson and have him stay behind him and rear view contest.