The ultimate prize for any NBA player is to win the championship, that’s what it’s all about. But most basketball fans agree that some title wins mean a bit more than others.
Kobe Bryant won five championships, but the two he won in 2009 and 2010 stand out because he was the main man for the Los Angeles Lakers. And an NBA fan used what Paul Pierce said about his Finals wins to support his point that it has a case to be considered the greatest championship win of all time.
“Yep, doing it without Shaq,” Paul Pierce said on All The Smoke. “We had four All-Stars, do you know that? He was the only All-Star, him and Pau Gasol, but he toughened Pau Gasol up. Because that first Finals, we ran through Pau Gasol… He made him a Hall-Of-Famer.”
After sharing this video, the NBA fan added: “When I say that Kobe won back-to-back without a top 75 player, this is what I’m talking about. This wasn’t Earvin playing with Kareem or vice versa.
“This wasn’t MJ playing with Pippen or Bron playing with Wade, Bosh, Irving, or Anthony Davis. Pau was a good dude but those rings were Kobe’s and that ’10 ring should be held up as one of, if not the greatest of all time…”
When I say that Kobe won back to back without a top 75 player, this is what I'm talking about. This wasn't Earvin playing with Kareem or vice versa. This wasn't MJ playing with Pippen or Bron playing with Wade, Bosh, Irving, or Anthony Davis. Pau was a good dude but those rings… pic.twitter.com/mWhVeHwdwa
— @TheGOATSofBall (@TheGOATSofball) June 12, 2023
In the 2009 and 2010 playoffs, Bryant averaged 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. He was on a different level to anyone else and it led to him winning two Finals MVP awards. The 2010 Finals between the Lakers and Boston’s Big 3 went to seven games, and Bryant averaged 10 points per game more than his co-star Paul Gasol, during that series. And there’s no denying that Kobe had a massive impact on Pau.
Was The Difference Between Pau Gasol, Scottie Pippen, And Dwyane Wade That Big As Co-Stars?
When it comes to overall careers, both Dwyane Wade and Scottie Pippen are ranked above Pau Gasol. But their stats in the NBA Finals tell a bit of a different story in terms of how much they helped LeBron James and Michael Jordan respectively.
If we count MJ’s last ring with Scottie in 1998 and LeBron’s last with Wade in 2013, the stats make for interesting reading. Against the Utah Jazz in 98, Scottie Pippen averaged 15.7 points and 6.8 rebounds. In 2013 against the Spurs, Dwyane Wade averaged 19.6 points and 4.6 assists. To put it into context, Pau Gasol averaged 18.6 points and 11.6 rebounds in the 2010 Finals.
There is a lot more to the discussion than just saying Kobe Bryant made Pau Gasol, or that he didn’t have as much help as Michael Jordan or LeBron James did. Gasol is a Hall-Of-Famer and needs to be given his respect, while still acknowledging how incredible Bryant was in 2009 and 2010.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85nBQ_AoRwk
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