Kobe Bryant: The Most Underrated Season of his Career – CrownHoops
Kobe Bryant is one of the best NBA players of all time. Love him or hate him, that is just a fact. We all know that he is a multiple-time champion, a one-time MVP, two-time scoring champion, and a two-time Finals MVP. However, we will be looking at the one season which seems to be overlooked throughout his illustrious career. Without further adieu, let’s delve into what is the most underrated season of the Black Mamba’s career.
KB24: His 2007-08 Campaign
Kobe Bryant had a terrific all-around 2007-08 season. Yes, we know about his scoring prowess and how he modeled his game after the great Michael Jordan. This particular Lakers team did lose to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, but the fact remains that Bryant led his team to the Finals for the first time since the Shaquille O’Neal era in the purple and gold. That same year was the season that the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol to finally pair Bryant with a co-star.
With the Black Mamba having to adjust to playing with an All-Star player after not having one for many years, it makes his 2007-08 campaign even more impressive. That year, we really saw Kobe Bryant grow and really show his value as a true leader for the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the fact the team lost in the Finals to a Celtics squad consisting of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett, Bryant showed that he was destined for NBA greatness in that season. However, what do the numbers say about his underrated season?
Kobe Bryant: His Underrated Season’s Numbers
As alluded to earlier, Bryant actually had an all-around solid season. Not just in the scoring department. During the 2007-08 season, the Black Mamba averaged 28.3 points per game coupled with 5.4 assists per game. He also tallied 6.3 rebounds per game that season, which is tied for the second-highest rebounding total in his career in a season. Bryant even shot a nice 36.1 percent from three-point territory in this particular year as well to go along with 45.9 percent shooting from the field along with averaging nearly two steals (1.8) per game.
His advanced statistics are also impressive. During this campaign, Bryant would tally an offensive rating of 115 and a defensive rating of 105. His offensive win shares total that season would come out to be 9.5 along with his defensive win share total of 4.3. Not to mention, he would come away with a total rebounding percentage of nine percent as well. All in all, it is easy to see why the Mamba’s 2007-08 campaign is the most underrated season of his legendary career.
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