Paul Pierce vs Kobe Bryant One On One, 2008 Finals

[@carlfrancis4704]

Pierce and Kobe guarded each other A LOT in the finals. Don’t see two superstars guarding each other almost every play

[@Kosher93]

Pierce isn't a superstar lol

[@morganfreeman6892]

Cameron X ?

[@theplanesfly]

Morgan Freeman Lol dudes a idiot

[@Wynn253]

Carl Francis cuts it’s literally impossible...players are more skilled today

[@369pendulum]

@@Wynn253 What does that have to do with anything? The top players in league are the best defenders most of the time they just choose not to play d

[@anthonysanchez1590]

Two Superstars not afraid to guard each other the whole series boys really earned their paychecks

[@Ic-zy7tq]

Paul pierce is one of the most underrated players of all time

[@Vito_Caligiuri]

He’s also one of the most disrespected. “Fans” don’t want to know how good he was. They just pay attention to what he says as an analyst and judge his career off that. There was a post that went viral a few months back that stated LeBron scored almost 1400 points against Pierce. But when you look into it, Pierce scored over 1200 against him. It’s mainstream to hate Pierce apparently

[@fredleeland2464]

@@Vito_Caligiuri he's Barkley'ing himself working for ESPN but instead of having other former players on the panels he is on showing him respect or referencing his greatness, they laugh at his opinions or say how far fetched he was at saying he was better than Wade

[@patf3207]

@@fredleeland2464 Getting laughed at by a bum like Jalen Rose lol

[@reg12269]

Ain’t that the truth.. pierce was better than Kobe and lebron overall.. not in talent but overall game and raw skill

[@llPHAzERll1]

He really is, he killed my Lakers on the championship run but it’s mostly because of what he does off the court. He has come off as a hater but I definitely respect his game.

[@Omar17132]

If you play defense like this now in the nba your ass getting Suspended for the entire season.

[@momoney7398]

And fined. And they probably call you a dirty player.

[@YankeeD23]

Lmao. If the Lakers and Celtics are playing in the finals, the officials better let them play. It's _the original_ NBA rivalry. Like 1/4 of NBA fans are either Laker or Celtic fans. The NBA is smart enough to not disappoint the leagues most die-hard fans. As well as their most profitable franchises.

[@dawizz98]

Derek Lowery I have a eastern conference team in the Western Conference team and ironically it's the Lakers and Celtic lmfaoooooo

[@shootthejay7002]

If you play defense like this you get arrested

[@leksrosales6882]

If you play defense like this now you need to do or have a drug test.

[@KB-vd8wq]

People don’t give Paul Pierce enough credit. They say he’s nowhere near the level of Kobe, and the stats might not show that, but watching them go at each other here definitely shows that he was a very worthy opponent for Kobe.

[@dawizz98]

Kyle Braithwaite he only showed up for the finals Kobe is Unfuckwittable my brother

[@TreyTruth619]

Kyle Braithwaite agreed he gave Kobe work

[@icjet1ks]

are you just going to give all the credit to Paul Pierce for the fantastic Celtics defense with double-triple teams on KB?

[@iTzAkechi]

K B for 1 year 😂

[@thecarter8700]

It’s legit like the MJ/ Reggie thing .. One player obviously superior, but the other can still be a rival and a top notch competitor

[@kawkatlau6119]

Missed shot highlights, it shows how competitive those games were back then

[@libraalibaba]

Lol...honestly defense was just as important back then

[@freshprinceofsolair]

it shows how ineffective iso bball is in the finals

[@libraalibaba]

@@freshprinceofsolair well there wasn't much room for passes either let's not act like they weren't clamping on those lanes.

[@freshprinceofsolair]

@@libraalibaba just adding another factor. obviously defense is important in an nba championship final lmao.. u know what they say iso ball wins championships

[@libraalibaba]

@@freshprinceofsolair I've never heard that but I know mismatches. Teamwork heart and and defense does for sure.

[@bkallday80]

Man I used to hate Paul Pierce, of course I was a Kobe lover back then but looking back on it Paul was really good. He never gets in a rush, his game is really smooth.

[@yobro6053]

Hes is the dude who you cannot say if he lost his athleticism he wouldn't be near as good, be barely had any and was a beast lol

[@DONTTAKEMYPIE123]

KOBEY?????

[@specter290]

Remembering pierce, he had a killer mid range like Kobe. Just less athleticism and speed but always a mid range threat, and an all star

[@bkallday80]

Lol... As my mom would always say him too...! KOBEY

[@danjr130]

@@specter290 Pierce was also efficient at the 3

[@effyiong]

and note to videoposters....its sometimes even more thrilling to show highlights of missed shots ..lets people now how hard basketball can really be

[@thedopest534]

Rest in Power Bean but lets give Pierce his credit he and Mamba were beasts!

[@mace2gorc872]

factz

[@kck08bro30]

One of the most epic finals matchups ever! 08 was an awesome year! Kobe vs Pierce and i graduated high school lol!!

[@jeremytucker8853]

Nah, not really.

[@kevinwang1778]

@@jeremytucker8853 Same Bro. i am in my 30s now.

[@curryis828]

@@jeremytucker8853 🤡

[@glenardensfinest]

Shows how Good Paul Pierce was! I saw alot of double teams on him. R.I.P Mamba!

[@xtiantv6631]

We all witness how good defense they used to each other , what a final game

[@patf3207]

Feel like the refs sorta let them too

[@BIGDREAMER444]

Paul pierce was good as hell

[@nylarae9503]

The truth

[@siircartiier]

just acts like he’s better than he truly is

[@Moneymaker600]

@@siircartiier he was a dog

[@insider821]

@@siircartiier bitch he was tf just cause y’all dick ride kobe and lebron and Steph foh he was a killer a one of the top cluth players of all time and beat lebron and kobe ina same year

[@maul685]

Celtics knew how to play defense on Kobe, only the Pistons did it better.They did a good job in 2010 too especially in game 7 when he had a terrible game but the Celtic lost Perkins in game 6 and still fought like lions in game 7 decided by 4 points with Lakers having 23 offensive rebounds.

[@rasharbanks1392]

Darth Maul we didn't have Andrew Bynum at all in 2008 and he was averaging 14 n 10

[@Chloethepomsky]

And yall still got blown out game 6 tho game 7 on 2010 was by 4

[@dxrd2001]

@@rasharbanks1392 who cares about bynum ,he's just a trash.

[@kenshinhimura8708]

erving Julius Bynum wasn’t fucking trash

[@iTzAkechi]

Devyn Gabree so? We still won.

[@Madman-en8db]

Paul pierce and Kobe both were very good defenders

[@reg12269]

Paul was better

[@BenLewXI]

Can we just acknowledge this great defense by pierce in these 1v1 possessions on Kobe?

[@riqui5406]

this is exhausting to watch

[@ilijeganu273]

Kobe doesnt get enough credit for his defense in the nba finals. In game 5 he had two clutch steals on paul pierce to seal the game. If only Bynum and Ariza werent injured but hey LA didnt deserve to win after throwing away the lead in game 4.

[@jollyjoe9281]

or after getting blown out by 39 in game 6...KG's knee injury in 2009 kept the Celtics from a 4 peat...

[@jollyjoe9281]

Good grief Laker fans are moronic, Jackson had him guard Rondo so he could hang off of him and take it easy on defense, the only time he didn't guard Rondo was when Rondo was on the bench...still didn't work and the Celtics destroyed them in 6.

[@jollyjoe9281]

All Laker fans are idiots but the Kobe FanBoys are the dumbest, spare me your stupid clips this is how it went down...Games 1 and 2 Kobe played against Allen and they went to LA down 2-0 after a couple of Boston easy win/beat-downs... for the next 4 games, Kobe's starting assignment every game was to cover Rondo and that meant not covering him outside of the paint; when Rondo was not on the court his assignment was to stand next to James Posey at the 3 point line. They actually won 2 out of 3 games with Kobe guarding NOBODY and they might have won game 4 if Paul Pierce didn't completely shut down Kobe in the third quarter while Boston came back to beat their asses... Game 4 Pierce shutting down Kobehog enjoy....kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIalYX58iaihqsk

[@jollyjoe9281]

your entire theory is stupid, for four of the six games Kobe played defense against No One; laying off of Rondo and standing next to James Posey at the 3 point line is not playing defense. It is certainly not impressive and far from having to "defend nonstop through this series", even after taking a break on D Kobe still stunk and was totally outplayed when it came to crunch time against Paul Pierce... 4-2, 39 point game six win, total domination, Banner 17.

[@bjsw534]

jollyjoe stop it. 4 peat? Lmao you really think they would’ve won 08,09,10,11? You’re dreaming man. You’re making stupid ass assumptions.

[@YankeeD23]

It's definitely not the smartest way to play, but you gotta respect the determination and relentless perseverance of guys like Paul Pierce and Kobe.

[@sagetrades]

Crazy how much more suffocating the defense was when there were less 3pt shooting

[@fcarter3863]

When you shoot less 3s the game becomes more physical

[@AS-xl9gb]

Even though the lakers lost, you really see how calculated and fierce Kobe was. Dude approached games as if he was going to war.

[@Karan-kc4cu]

Back when defense was played.

[@SL-pg4dh]

Stfu. This is just the NBA finals. Defense are always played in the NBA finals. The cavs held the warriors to 89 points in a game 7 of the 2016 NBA finals.

[@Karan-kc4cu]

@@SL-pg4dh who hurt you?

[@SL-pg4dh]

Your stupidity and bandwagoning.

[@divine6732]

@@Karan-kc4cu He's telling the truth though.

[@fredleeland2464]

Back when it wasn't desired to get the refs to call a foul for analytic purposes The players just play the GM's game now, blame these math majors who like sports

[@Jumpman90]

Kobe fg percentage was bad because they practically throw the whole team on him on defense

[@idkidk2573]

@Bulls Vs The world And open.

[@edp-gb6yz]

@Bulls Vs The world tf u support the bulls

[@edp-gb6yz]

@Bulls Vs The world yeah last time yall won a chip was 98' yall irrelevant as hell

[@edp-gb6yz]

@Bulls Vs The world first off u dont know who my goat is and second, no one gives af about the bulls

[@edp-gb6yz]

@Bulls Vs The world yea thats what ppl who got no response say. ur future star lavine is leaving cause ur front office dont know how to appoint a competent head coach, knicks are traaaash but theyre still relevant, unlike bulls

[@nbapbaupdate8338]

Still watching 💪💪💪 October 9, 2024

[@wizzjo1nt5]

Kobes defense was better, made him unable to get a shot off way more which lead to a lot more force to pass and turnovers. Also in this video I got Kobe 6/16 with 1 shooting foul drawn, Pierce 3/10 no shooting fouls drawn. Didn't count the plays where they were just help defenders, switchoffs or screens for either. Stricty 1v1s in nba team play, obviously other players on the court makes a big difference. So not true 1v1. Also Kobes passes lead to more assist than Pierces. Not sure why this needs to be said because Kobe is clearly a better player but the general consensus in the comment section is that Pierce is better lol. Not surprising though since haters love to click on Kobe videos especially ones they know he lost the series in.

[@joeyultra5553]

Thank you.

[@afterthought6889]

Nailed every point.

[@libraalibaba]

People like to bring down Kobe because of this series. Yet viewing this again he should be applauded for this defensive effort.

[@johnlloyderazo6627]

Paul Pierce was so good and crafty as hell

[@patrickrichardt5419]

Probably the two best players in the league that postseason. They battled each other so hard, they almost look trash:-D love it

[@gordoskinny1412]

I miss how the players use to play

[@gordoskinny1412]

Sterlin Jordan well I wasn’t exactly around to see wilt or the other greats play og this was my era shit to soft now

[@chibill467]

it was extra fire because they rivals

[@keithturner1303]

The game was at a good slow pace the post game was still there love this shit! now it's a fast paced three point contest i don't even watch the NBA anymore it's boring.

[@antigraphein943]

Love this. Thats why numbers dont explain everything, just show one aspect of the game. When you look the work inside the court you can discriminate talent and game comprehension better.

[@mendozaraul6607]

Pierce isn’t even known for his defense and he guarded Kobe better than some of the so called Kobe stoppers

[@mace2gorc872]

miss these type of games where the best player from each team guarded each other and went at each other

[@cactusjack2264]

Damn, this some fire ass quality bruh.

[@Cash3600]

Pierce vs Kobe was always a good matchup . Always had good battles since before the big 3

[@XAVIOUSPOWER-FULL]

Pierce was a str8 assasin bro

[@JordansTake35]

Remember when the NBA used to let players play defense? Watching this i've seen like 18 fouls and 3 flagrants by today's standard.

[@trulyisrael4913]

I hope you noticed something they didn’t call a lot of fouls on that game that’s real basketball of course you’re going to have some intentional foul or some non-intentional foul that doesn’t mean you have to call💯💯💯🔥🥊 them all

[@jeremytucker8853]

If you think this is real you should've been around during the 90s.

[@dawizz98]

Jeremy Tucker here we go with one of you

[@SL-pg4dh]

A • The Op was the one of him first.

[@theclassicmanila-style8435]

Yeah man, now they were calling soft fouls even on pick up ball kids are calling fouls that should not even be considered as a foul 6-8 years ago. I'm older now i sit a lot in the park watching them play there's stoppage almost everytime not hating on kids there are more skilled now but man they adopted the less physical nba style even on pick up

[@mylescurley4926]

Thank you !

[@steventruong85]

We need more superstars guarding superstars. That's where you see the real competitiveness comes out.

[@zichongchen5383]

Miss those days players still body each other.

[@jeffjames15]

7:07 Paul broke his own ankle 😂 REPLY

[@SeanDiego]

Someone shot one of those ice bullets

[@collider12]

Kobe one of the best defenders! Paul Pierce hella underrated as a player.

[@fatalsniper3413]

Kobe is nowhere near one of the best defenders. He had a couple of good years and is definitely above average but definitely not one of the best.

[@collider12]

@@fatalsniper3413 Kobe is tied with Garnett with the most first team all defense selections in NBA HISTORY and he's the only one that didn't win a DPOY award with that many selections

[@alfredino724]

man Kobe wanted that ring but Paul wanted it more.

[@primoprimo2953]

james dino two years in row after this he got 2 rings .

[@alfredino724]

@@primoprimo2953 yeah I was gonna write that with my original post. just didn't wanna make it too long. I was just saying pierce never had this kind of a chance but took advantage

[@AgentJ2007]

Of course, he never made the made the nba finals prior to this. He was always close to making the NBA finals but not quite. When the opportunity came, he wasn’t going to pass it up.

[@FavreianVengeance]

Kobe was allowed to drape himself on Pierce. Pierce had to play real defense.

[@ineverwin4890]

It’s before NBA got softened.

[@maximillianford9301]

Some incredible defense on display here. Each of them made the other look second rate at times. Great stuff

[@rkf304]

Where is the left handed block on Kobe jump shot in game 4?

[@effyiong]

fafamily this is amongst the last times i loved ball....no jacked up threes...exhausting...painful defence....players put their body on the line to stop and easy basket even AFTER foul been called-n superstars going against superstars not like today..where defences leaving a no contact corridor to the hoop for lebron to dunk uncontested

[@neroangelo4360]

have u watched lebron on this playoffs?

[@Rín-wín]

13:37 . Somewhere I heard that Kobe had three lungs.

[@gbru]

@ 9:27 Dick Stockton, "Farmar for Three!" half second later "AHHHH!"

[@KRHEE]

Dam pierce is a good defender surprisingly

[@ericphan2715]

You don't know basketball if that's surprising to you

[@jeremytucker8853]

Pierce always been a beast on defense.

[@NukeTheWorld]

You probably started watching basketball after he left the Celtics

[@Ben2bwild]

Paul is very underrated in general. Kids clowning him all the time like he isn't a hall of famer. Paul used to give LeBron the business in his prime.

[@SL-pg4dh]

Sometimes what you lack can end up being your strength. Because he is not an athletic guy he knew he couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. So he didn’t overreact and bite on every fakes. He played smarter D. Athletic guys tend to overreact knowing they can rely on their athleticism to help clean up their errors.

[@akeembrown7661]

looks like a bunch of bricks they both play great defense but anyways great video thank you for this.

[@Dr_Diaz]

Kobe misses a lot of shots

[@shadowstalker7474]

@@Dr_Diaz so?

[@shadowstalker7474]

@@Dr_Diaz u probably brick more then him lmao

[@BIOHAZARDXXXX]

Anyone else binging Kobe videos

[@erickmosqueda8057]

FSX737Pilot X no Kobe’s trash

[@BIOHAZARDXXXX]

@@erickmosqueda8057 Who hurt you?

[@dawizz98]

FSX737Pilot X he's a troll Who lives under a dirty bridge

[@Cash3600]

Paul pierce the Truth 34

[@lexist7]

This got my heart pounding like I didn’t k ow what was gonna happen

[@leothechibowow9920]

Monster match up. Both struggled burning up a whole lot of gas. Wow moments.

[@kumsy]

Damn... there will never be another Kobe. Fuck!

[@jhonbenedictbaltazar8996]

The physicality and ths defense. This is what i wanna see. You can't play defense like that in today's league. Thats an immediate foul especially if u flop like james harden.

[@theclassicmanila-style8435]

They market their product on really young people who cares about the stats and highlights and even the clothes the players wear, feels like the nba doesnt care for grown ups, you see pierce and bryant were holding , elbowing, bumping each other , nowadays they'll calls those a foul , more freethrows more stat pading is their new end product

[@Panther016]

not in the playoffs.. they got back to killing each other in the playoffs, especially the finals. That's why Harden can't win in the playoffs

[@LobsAllDay]

the game was much more physical than todays nba. kobe would easily avg 45 in todays soft era.

[@effyiong]

imagine either of these teams defence against warriors even wit kd.....suffocating..bodies falling...energy sapping defence..warriors regular 3 point barrage would be unlikely

[@edwardbarrera2749]

effyiong dude the warriors have way too much talent for either team

[@torpedospurs]

True but it is hard to play that kind of defense if the offense spreads you out by threat of 3pt shooting.

[@efraimmanases1383]

back then, moving screen is an offensive foul. so warriors players will be fouled out because of it

[@SL-pg4dh]

It easier to play defense when the opponent is running isos. which is basically what Kobe and Pierce were doing. Warriors offense is far more sophisticated

[@tshinki23]

Peak Bryant starting in 2008 to 2010. Picked his spots better. Not just better shot selection but when to distribute to his teammates and particularly Gasol. Still played excellent 1 on 1 defense and overall more methodical on his approach to each game and especially the playoffs.

[@curiouslymavismade]

Paul did a great job against Kobe in isolation defense.

[@caseycoady3063]

I am amazed at both of them on defense. They are men amongst men.

[@Leonkidd]

I cant breathe watching these games...

[@gonstead808]

One of the best finals runs. Very competitive games.

[@chibill467]

All I see is Gasol doing everything quietly, definitely underrated

[@christo-j5507]

These moments of turnovers and bricks are still entertaining to watch! Way better than some soft games!

[@Ogwrad]

Woe, kobe was fouling pierce nearly the whole time damn

[@dawizz98]

Luke Ward slapstick defense boy you knew kids are used to that defense

[@Ogwrad]

@@dawizz98 what I'm saying is kobe would have been called for a lot if fouls in today's game, he would have adjusted od course, but just saying

[@ryu-ken]

@@Ogwrad nah. Stars still get away with things. Always been that way. Like in today's world they don't call travel no mo

[@verginn]

Thats why i kinda want old nba, less freethows and drama and lot of actions In offense and defense

[@chibill467]

@@Ogwrad they smart, if the first two times ref wasn't calling it, then they know how the lines are

[@stevecarter2966]

Played such good defense they made each other look bad.

[@wetlettuce8215]

Paul pierce looks so slow and heavy but the truth is he is the total opposite

[@usuitakumi8673]

That's Kobe for ya. Making plays, scoring buckets AND clamping the opposing team's best offensive player. Kobe's the GOAT for me

[@davidbeaton9691]

This is a super dope video

[@coachbighead]

3:14 is what separates him and Jordan

[@GainaIytics]

I miss this kind of basketball. Both teams playing lockdown defense led by their best players

[@chipchipperson8609]

Back when stars actually played defense.

[@mohammedalam5640]

this was a mauling paul kind of owned kobe in the series and kobe one again taking bad shots

[@4546gbhgcnju6re]

@@bjsw534 triggered

[@bjsw534]

chasin chicken only stating facts

[@johnwitherspoon1545]

Someone big mad lol

[@camaradiop3731]

@@bjsw534 Pierce DOMINATED Kobe; accept it, bro.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@andrewliu111]

@@bjsw534 No excuses. Kobe has Odom Gasol.

[@mnmaddict37532]

Lakers vs. Celtics finals are the best. Can't wait for them to meet up again.

[@jamesho9670]

6:35 cover the eyes 12:21 a foul by kobe

[@deshawncurry2029]

3:15 Pierce fouls Kobe pulling his right arm. Kobe then goes left hand floater. #HeReallyGotGame

[@theclassicmanila-style8435]

Back when the nba allows defense, now it's all about cute stats and soft touch fouls, look at how they defend with their body and hands, both pierce and kobe would have fouled out already if they played like this today

[@JohnPool-vx2px]

12:26 why did he let the ball go???

[@daydreamromance7443]

He can matchups prime Kobe, People talked about KD,T-Mac,Lebron ,sometimes D-Rose .People seems to forget about how good Paul Piece really was.

[@captainobvious90]

The series that got me to watch NBA to this day...

[@jamiecain8120]

I am a die hard boston celtics fan in the NBA . I will always miss the Boston celtics legend players like Kevin garnett and Ray Allen and Paul pierce and Larry bird and Robert parish also bill Russell too . They're are famous boston celtics legend players go Boston Celtics beat la Lakers go red sox baseball beat new York yankees go Boston Bruins NHL of hockey too especially all boston sports fans of people in Massachusetts !!!!

[@jesseashmore8426]

3:35 would be a flagrant 1 in today's NBA.

[@mandaragat7484]

Kobe vs Paul was epic

[@neguswitdaprunejuice7772]

Coming back to this after Twitter casuals argue that Lebron is a better defender than Kobe. The same Paul Pierce here that is being clamped and harassed by Kobe defensively is the same Paul Pierce that dropped 45 in a game 7 on Lebron head with Bron being his primary defender. Clutch baskets at that. Let’s end this conversation

[@kingleo8048]

Lebron was a better defender only Kobe fans think different

[@kingleo8048]

Kobe had Allan Houston and arenas drop 50 on him

[@neguswitdaprunejuice7772]

@@kingleo8048 In the regular season. Getting 40 pieced in a live or die game is WAY worse.

[@kingleo8048]

@@neguswitdaprunejuice7772 He also gave him 45

[@neguswitdaprunejuice7772]

@@kingleo8048 He shot 26% from the field the first 4 games. That was the least he could do

[@ronnieortiz9138]

Pierce gets a lot of heckle and all that but he was always my favorite SF of all time. Dont get it twisted w P

[@Josedelgado-ug2wj]

Miss you kobe 😢

[@RaytheonNublinski]

They really trying to trash Paul pierce on Twitter right now. Took me two seconds to find this video. Tf are they doing with their lives? Pierce clearly can play.

[@penuelyahucodiyah.4678]

3.33 three players to guard pierce? Wow, Pierce was a Giant

[@awman42]

The truth was the truth.

[@yangli2014]

Best defensive era imo

[@7napoleon]

If by today's standard, Paul and Kobe can get more than 50 free throws each game.

[@oz4eva]

thank you '

[@MrRGM10]

I wanna see this kind of D against lbj . Im sure his gonna choke and brick shots by a mile even kobe had a hard time against pierce .

[@winningthepoolc7293]

LeBron 45 vs Pierce 41 08 Playoff Pkzbin.info/www/bejne/eovLdIhsmdOWqKM

[@MrRGM10]

Havent seen lbj recently getting clamp down on D like this! pretty sure he will cry. Posting stats doesnt defy how hard you hit those shots so gtfo

[@DeathrowDC]

Man look at how physical the game was just 10 years ago smh. Most of this shit would be fouls nowadays.

[@NSB25445]

Rondo will be all over Curry, Ray Allen will be able to at least slow down Thompson, KG won't let Durant breath, Paul Pierce will not let Green near the ball. Offensively they are a complete mismatch. Rondo has a free reign, and controls the pace because Curry is useless, and if Klay defends against him, Allen will get 60 points on 80 percent shooting against Curry. Durant may be good, but we all know he isn't a match for a beast like KG who can shoot rebound post up and basically do everything. Pierce finds a way to get his 30 points like always, and trash talks Green so much that he will foul out in the first quarter. If they switch, Paul Pierce beats Durant physically and KG will destroy Green. And Golden state will not get a single rebound. Prediction: 4-2 finals. Disclaimer because of morons who don't understand: This is obviously a hyperbole, but you get the idea.

[@kingbeaner2314]

Bozhidar Neshkoski Warriors in a close 7.

[@churro4569]

Bozhidar Neshkoski you just said kg won’t let Durant breathe don’t talk anymore if kawhi can’t shutdown kd kg had absolutely no chance

[@NSB25445]

@@churro4569 You haven't seen a prime KG play then.

[@churro4569]

Bozhidar Neshkoski I cannot believe you think kg is a better defender then lashing and in telling you right now no one can guard kd I’m sorry you sound like a old head but no one is guarding kd

[@NSB25445]

@@churro4569 I did say that this was a hyperbole.... A prime KG can, and will slow down Durant. SLOW DOWN, not shut down. He is just as mobile as Durant, and even taller. He is the perfect defender for Durant. Just like the that saying in boxing, styles make fights.

[@miorionomichi]

Giannis take notes, Kobe guarded the best players you should too

[@larrylockhart367]

You would end up in jail playing defense like that in todays NBA.

[@kembryembry3394]

Totally different era of ball. Look how tough these games are. The optics prove the game was much tougher just 10 years ago let alone the 90’s lol. All these dudes “breaking” records today lol

[@scopeworth7781]

I mean I don’t know. People play defense today too. A lot of what you’re saying is nostalgia and selective memory biases. Look at 0:37, Pierce doesn’t even put a hand up to contest Kobe’s shot. If Harden did something like that today, you would see it on every talk show and Shaqtin a fool. Btw this is all coming from a guy born in 87. I’ve seen people say that basketball is getting worse in literally every era since I’ve began watching. Watch Wilt Chamberlain interviews where he talks about Jordan, he was calling Jordan and the 90s era ‘soft’ as well. A lot of today’s players get unfair criticism. James Harden for example, is a pretty solid defender especially for a 6’4” guard. How many 6’4” guards have you seen back down centers like Embiid in the post? Harden is a good post defender, a decent on ball defender, and an occasionally lackluster off ball defender. People just look at the rare lowlights and make their judgments off of one or two plays. If you watch Harden consistently, you know he is above average for a 6’4” guard.

[@paulostatic8497]

@@scopeworth7781 Thats not the only case. The Nba change rules after rules to "protect" players from getting hurt. That's why player's today even if they wanted to cannot play defense as physical as these bacause it would be blown whistles everywhere.