Former Boston Celtics C Kendrick Perkins speaks with ill intent on the late great all-time NBA legend Kobe Bryant. Recently, Perkins was asked by ESPN Host Mad Dog, “who would he rather have?”
Perkins responded, “I’d take Steph Curry all-time because of the way he revolutionized the game.
.@KendrickPerkins is taking Steph Curry over Kobe all-time 😳🤔 pic.twitter.com/f9YVo4TxrZ
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 19, 2022
Perkins has had many unbelievable takes; however, this seems to take the cake. Many over the Internet were outraged by the blasphemy being spewed by Perkins. Yet, many haven’t taken into consideration that recency bias is a major factor for many NBA fans. Every player is one bad series, play, a moment from being erased and legacy being affected in a negative light. With that being said, Curry is coming off an unreal playoff display and should be rewarded and praised for his efforts. However, comparing him to Bryant is nothing short of laughable.
While Curry has proven over time he’s a much more efficient and effective shooter off the ball than Bryant.
Kendrick Perkins Needs to Put Some Respect on Kobe
Bryant is the only star in NBA history to win a championship without a supporting cast member averaging 20 points or more. Not to mention, he has the most defensive teams amongst all guards in NBA history, per ESPN. Bryant may have not revolutionized the game as Curry did physically; however, mentally he changed the game forever. He’s remembered as being the closest thing since Chicago Bulls SG Michael Jordan. This means, their mindsets were similar and tenacious as well.
The mindset he brought to the game many superstars later adopted. Bryant’s legacy far exceeded the basketball court! On the court, he was as intense and fierce as it gets but he took similar traits and applied them to all sorts of his life. Many have adopted this philosophy and it has affected them in their endeavors as well.
Curry as great as he is wasn’t placed in troubled situations as much as Bryant. In fact, Curry was loved and revered by Golden State and the organization built a team around his assets. On the other hand, Kobe lived in Shaq’s shadow for the majority of his career and the team wasn’t built around him until years later. For a long period of time, Bryant struggled because he had limited help and even requested a trade.
Curry’s team has always been solid and always complimented his playstyle. Their environments were very different but Curry was never asked to carry future HOFer Draymond Green to the championship.