Examining Kobe's "Quit Game" (A Response To Heat Check)

Link to my social media accounts: linktr.ee/Cybe...
Sports related for now but eventually I'll be linking my personal content as well, my goal is to keep sports content to this and have a personal account where I discuss my non-Sports passions like history and weightlifting
Anyway, Heat Check makes great content but this one merited a response. I've never hid the fact that Kobe is my favorite player and someone I'll always believe belongs in any all-time basketball debate but even trying to be as objective as possible I don't see how anyone could possibly believe Kobe quit on the Lakers. What I saw was someone playing his game in the 1st half (to little team success), trying to get that same team involved in the 2nd half (who did not respond the way they should have) only for the game to get too out of reach for any realistic comeback (especially in an era where the 3 wasn't utilized like today).
Kobe was a beast in the 2006 season, one of the greatest in NBA history as he led a weak Lakers roster to 45 wins (missing 2 games where they went 0-2) and to the 7th seed (6th best record) in a brutal West. Nash wound up winning MVP due largely to the Suns winning 54 games without Amar'e for virtually the entire season. He had a great season but not one comparable to what Kobe had, Kobe was elite on both ends (yes he played better defense in other seasons) and averaged 35.4 PPG in an era where teams rarely scored over 100. Unfortunately due to an off the court event (that only takes a few minutes of research to clearly see his innocence) and playing in an era where team record mattered way more than it should have he finished 4th in MVP voting but 2nd in 1st place votes
Most people know that 2006 was Kobe's MVP but not enough know the truth about his game 7 and the events leading up to that point
Credit to KobeTheGOAT on NBA Twitter for some of the quotes listed here and for providing so much ammunition years ago with this thread: / 1427692320925917186
Thanks to anyone that makes it to the end of the video and this post. Love the sport and as long as I am around I am determined to improve the discourse around basketball particularly with Kobe who will always be my favorite athlete ever

[@KobesFiles]

Great video man

[@bamwilliams]

Keep doin yo thing broham 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾

[@jordankobewade7]

exactly. great points

[@michaelbarnes2126]

You inadvertently proved why Kobe should have won MVP over Nash at least once during that time period. People love to say that LeQueen’s ‘08 Cavs roster was trash but they led the league defensively I believe. Kobe’s 2006 roster was hot garbage after Odom and didn’t even have an identity, which Kobe was their identity smh. R.I.P. Kobe and great video

[@cyberTV24]

I constantly love to remind people that guys that the mid 00s Cavs didn’t want (and barely played for) STARTED for the 05-07 Lakers. There is never a retort to that One could also frame that for Shannon Brown going from being cut by the 08 Cavs to being a rotation player for the Lakers in their title years Like people don’t want to believe that Kobe elevated guys around him, but it’s all backed up by numbers, by film, by how his teammates performed on other teams, and by what his own teammates said about how he elevated them

[@michaelbarnes2126]

@@cyberTV24 true bro, pure facts 💯

[@liamhuber9001]

Well done man, glad to see you doing something you enjoy! -processing

[@cyberTV24]

Thanks bro!