The most exciting part of any NBA Draft is trying to project how successful a player will be at the next level. While it’s almost impossible, analysts do their best to assess a prospect’s strengths and weaknesses, usually finding an existing NBA player who is a good comparison.
A lot of times, as we all know, the assessments made on draft day end up being way, way off. Some kind soul on Twitter decided to make some revisionist history of their own by altering a screen shot of Kobe’s draft day profile to make it a little more ... well ... honest. See for yourself.
The Photoshop work is exquisite -- it really passes for the real thing. But, alas, the idea of Kobe coming into the NBA known as a teammate-disliking ballhog is a fallacy. Another Twitter user quickly replied with what he says is the real profile.
@DaAnsahonSports @NBAonTNT @kobebryant you know that's not real right? pic.twitter.com/eiyAJwwgF4
— Blake Winter (@blakewinter1) February 16, 2017
The real one is clearly not as funny, and not really accurate either. Kobe had a small impact in his rookie year and a large impact in his second year with the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and making his first of 15 All-Star games. He also didn’t add much weight, closing his career around the 212-pound mark.
The long-standing Twitter meme about Kobe not passing can be debated (he averaged 4.7 assists for his career), but the fact that he didn’t get along with some teammates -- namely Shaq and Dwight Howard -- can’t really be argued. He also may or may not have had a hand in Mike Brown’s firing in 2012. This look would suggest that he wasn’t a big fan.
Hopefully this Twitter hero’s Photoshop work acts as inspiration to this year’s NBA Draft analysts -- let’s get a little more specific (and honest) with our evaluations. Can’t wait for Grayson Allen’s ...
