The Kobe run has been getting a lot of love on this sub recently, and one thing I want to add to the conversation beyond standard glazing is that Kobe didn’t take it easy during the regular season despite having championship aspirations.

Everyone points to MJ playing all 82 games during the second threepeat, but Kobe tried to do the same too – his MVP year he became the (as of 2026) last MVP to play all 82, and repeated the endeavor in 2010 and 2011.

2009 was the only year he missed games, and that was due to an ankle injury that took him out during ASB for 9 games. Still, 9 games in 4 seasons, three of those involving extensive playoff time, is impressive.

CartoonsAndAppleJack

25 | 3 hours ago

We need to keep in mind the game is played very differently now. Injuries have skyrocketed because players are expected to cover a lot more ground now than they used to. The seven seconds or less Suns would be considered slow in today’s day and age.

Kobe was definitely an iron man and I’ve never seen anyone handle pain like him. But context matters. It’s a different league now, and if Kobe played today, that accomplishment would be far more difficult just because of the demands of the modern pace-and-space era

Vegetable-Tooth8463 [OP] | Hornets

3 | 3 hours ago

No for sure, it’s a lot quicker and spaced out. I support load management, but we can’t deny it’s an impressive feat regardless, especially with the SSOL Suns increasing the pace of the game during the late 2000s.

Caboclo-Is2yearsAway | Pacers

11 | 3 hours ago

The average pace had not risen significantly in ‘08-‘11. It was the mid-late 2010s where it rose.

Vegetable-Tooth8463 [OP] | Hornets

-14 | 3 hours ago

There was definitely an increase in the late 2000s lol. That was when traditional centers began to die out and stretch 4s like Pau, Bosh, and Amar’e became more valuable.

Caboclo-Is2yearsAway | Pacers

5 | an hour ago

Pace literally is tracked. It was low 90s in the late 00s. Just eyeballing it, but looks like its just about 1 posession above the average for the decade. 15-16 it went up to mid 90s, 100s by the end of the decade.

Vegetable-Tooth8463 [OP] | Hornets

-11 | an hour ago

I don’t think you know what Pace is lol

SleepingInAJar_ | Raptors

1 | 25 minutes ago

He’s right.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_stats_per_game.html

Vegetable-Tooth8463 [OP] | Hornets

1 | 5 minutes ago

Lol

SpaghettiNipz | Mavericks

-1 | an hour ago

I love how the first comment is simply made to discredit the acknowledgement that Kobe missed so few games

Neto34 | Clippers

-1 | an hour ago

I don’t get this take. The court is the same size so the covering more ground? Majority of teams run pick and roll with two guys in corner not moving for spacing. And pace was just as fast if not faster in the 60s and they played more games with worst travel and medical.

BailysmmmCreamy | Heat

1 | 23 minutes ago

I don’t think you watch much ball if you think the majority of teams run an offense with two guys standing in the corner not moving.

Neto34 | Clippers

1 | 15 minutes ago

I watch plenty of ball. Enlighten me. Lakers with luka. Any harden team. Even the Knicks with brunson. You’re telling me Josh Hart and Bridges are running around trying to get open? Another thing is majority of teams switch any screens so they aren’t moving as much as you think by chasing a guy around the court. They just pass him off to the next guy.

agree_2_disagree | Lakers

-5 | 3 hours ago

So based on your argument, everyone played 70+ games a season during that era and every era before that, right?

Limp_Screen7405

12 | 3 hours ago

The average All-NBA player was playing 70+ games 15-20 years ago so yes

Evilfart123 | 76ers

-7 | 3 hours ago

Reading comprehension and critical thinking not allowed for LA fans

Vegetable-Tooth8463 [OP] | Hornets

3 | 3 hours ago

Philly fans have zero room to talk about critical thinking lmao

agree_2_disagree | Lakers

-2 | 3 hours ago

Apparently pointing out logical fallacies is not allowed on r/NBA

BailysmmmCreamy | Heat

1 | 20 minutes ago

Funny how you respond to this comment but not the one providing you the actual information showing it’s not a fallacy lol

Natureboy7939 | Lakers

20 | 3 hours ago

Love him or hate him he was very outspoken against load management. He understood people were buying tickets to see him and wanted to perform.

Vegetable-Tooth8463 [OP] | Hornets

4 | 3 hours ago

Unfortunately, that attitude is what contributed to his Achilles injury (that and getting older)

Natureboy7939 | Lakers

8 | 3 hours ago

I mean really only a short career if you compare it to LeBron lol but LeBron has basically been playing since they switched it from peach baskets to actual rims

Vegetable-Tooth8463 [OP] | Hornets

2 | 3 hours ago

I didn’t say he had a short career

Natureboy7939 | Lakers

4 | 3 hours ago

Yeah but I think the Achilles thing was just him vs Father Time

Vegetable-Tooth8463 [OP] | Hornets

2 | 3 hours ago

Fair

Snowballingdownvote

-2 | 2 hours ago

Yeah I mean that’s what happens when you jump from SuperTeam to SuperTeam. Let’s conserve a lot more. If he actually was talented enough to win on his own. Maybe he wouldn’t played as long.

Natureboy7939 | Lakers

1 | an hour ago

Or stayed through a single rebuild lol Wade got a mild knee sprain in Miami and he booked his flight to Cleveland lmao

Snowballingdownvote

1 | an hour ago

Yup. Wade has a slight limp and he was already in the air.

guidethyhandd | Timberwolves

3 | an hour ago

I blame it more on his insane work ethic. Difference between him and Lebron is that Bron values sleep, Kobe at the time didn’t

Vegetable-Tooth8463 [OP] | Hornets

1 | an hour ago

Yeah good point

Easy_Money_40 | Cavaliers

4 | 3 hours ago

I don’t trust anyone who says “triple finals run”

Vegetable-Tooth8463 [OP] | Hornets

2 | 3 hours ago

Bron had an octuple Finals run ;)

CorrectTimeline

0 | 3 hours ago

GOAT

sgt_w | NBA

1 | 25 minutes ago

What’s the argument for him over Jordan lol?

bigE819 | Pacers

1 | an hour ago

I’d love to see players games missed (ignoring end of season games when seeding is locked up. Because I know 2011-2013 LeBron only missed a couple games outside of the end of year.

RspectMyAuthoritah | Lakers

1 | an hour ago

He also had a 66 game, shortened season in the middle.

bigE819 | Pacers

2 | an hour ago

Yep, which made it even harder to play all the games because I believe every team had a back to back to back and there were more 4 games in 5 nights.

HuskerPowerrrr

-3 | 3 hours ago

The Rapist Kobe Bryant?

Snowballingdownvote

-3 | 2 hours ago

Yeah. Look.

As a sexual assault victim. This isn’t cool.

Not only does it remind me of what happened to me

I know you are only saying it because you don’t like Kobe. Not because of awareness. Which is super fucked up.

So you’re not being cool. You are being and asshole. Also. The case was dropped. So you are saying something that isn’t true.

It’s offensive and childish

HuskerPowerrrr

3 | an hour ago

The court case being dropped doesn’t change the fact he’s a rapist.

That would be like saying you’re not a sexual assault victim because the person that SA’ed had the charges dropped.

Snowballingdownvote

-1 | an hour ago

Yeah man that’s not how logic works.

Can’t believe I have to make this point twice.

You do not care what happened. You only do this to be edgy.

If you did care. You’d be so busy posting this on Trump posts you would never stop.

But this isn’t about awareness. This because you are a hater. Over basketball.

It’s offensive. Can’t believe you’re justifying it. But I’m tired of it. You dont care about the victims. You only care about him because you personally don’t like him.

It’s fucking shitty to do. So stop.

ProfessionalActive94

1 | 30 minutes ago

Personally, i just don’t like rapists.

Neto34 | Clippers

3 | an hour ago

So you would say the same thing if someone brought up Karl Malone????

Snowballingdownvote

-1 | an hour ago

Bro there is a kid from that. It isn’t the same thing. And you don’t care either way.

You’re a douche bag. That doesn’t care about victims at all. You only do this to be edgy and because you don’t like him personally.

Neto34 | Clippers

1 | 19 minutes ago

13yr old and 18yr old isn’t that big of a difference as you think. And did you ever think that people don’t like Kobe because of what he did??????

PhlyCalligrapher630

-5 | 3 hours ago

So?

WhoreyMatthews | Spurs

4 | 2 hours ago

For real that was just what stars did 25 years ago.

Duncan missed 9 games total in his first 6 seasons and 8 of those were in 2000 when he tore his meniscus.

Guys playing 80+ games was the norm.

whatidoidobc

-8 | 3 hours ago

Pathetic stuff y’all keep posting.

Evilfart123 | 76ers

-10 | 3 hours ago

Fk Kobe

HiImWallaceShawn | Timberwolves

-10 | 3 hours ago

It’d be even cooler if he wasn’t a rapist

Snowballingdownvote

1 | an hour ago

Yeah. Look.

As a sexual assault victim. This isn’t cool.

Not only does it remind me of what happened to me

I know you are only saying it because you don’t like Kobe. Not because of awareness. Which is super fucked up.

So you’re not being cool. You are being and asshole. Also. The case was dropped. So you are saying something that isn’t true.

It’s offensive and childish

Snowballingdownvote

0 | an hour ago

Yeah. Look.

As a sexual assault victim. This isn’t cool.

Not only does it remind me of what happened to me

I know you are only saying it because you don’t like Kobe. Not because of awareness. Which is super fucked up.

So you’re not being cool. You are being and asshole. Also. The case was dropped. So you are saying something that isn’t true.

It’s offensive and childish

HiImWallaceShawn | Timberwolves

1 | an hour ago

OJ Simpson also wasn’t convicted and we all know he killed 2 people. Karl Malone was never charged or convicted of anything and we know he had sex with a minor. I don’t like rapists, I detest that seemingly most of the NBA world deifies Kobe who is a rapist. There are tons of NBA fans who have no idea about Kobe or Karl Malone’s sexual assault history and so I mention it on threads discussing them. I’m truly sorry you suffered sexual assault.

Snowballingdownvote

0 | an hour ago

Yeah man two completely different situations.

Can’t believe I have to make this point as an SA victim twice.

But you don’t care what happened. If you did. You’d be so busy posting it on Trump post you would never sleep.

Buy ya don’t. Because you only do it because you’re a hater. And its offensive

ProfessionalActive94

1 | 27 minutes ago

You are a rapist apologist.

Evilfart123 | 76ers

-3 | 3 hours ago

Lakers fans are okay with it

Connect-Piece-3626

-7 | 3 hours ago

He was a rapist, he can rot

Snowballingdownvote

0 | an hour ago

Yeah. Look.

As a sexual assault victim. This isn’t cool.

Not only does it remind me of what happened to me

I know you are only saying it because you don’t like Kobe. Not because of awareness. Which is super fucked up.

So you’re not being cool. You are being and asshole. Also. The case was dropped. So you are saying something that isn’t true.

It’s offensive and childish

ProfessionalActive94

1 | 28 minutes ago

Only your sexual assault and feelings matter apparently lol. How childish and self-centered.

An underrated facet of Kobe’s triple Finals Run is that he also only missed 9 games total in the regular season