AROUND the NBA:

[RGP1981]

Dirk did more with less. I don't think that is a controversial statement. Dirk's Mavs had a record breaking when he played next to Nash. Still ranked first/second/top five in the following seasons. Kobe went through a chucking away on a bad team period after Shaq left/before Gasol joined the Lakers. Overall Kobe had a better supporting cast and when he won it all he always had at least one all-NBA + one all-defense teammate

I disagree with this. First, to say "did more", well, you might have been able to say that if Kobe only won 2 titles to Dirk's 1 title... but the guy won 5 titles or 5 times as many. Second, Dirk was also blessed with plenty of riches when it came to team-mates who were among the best in the league on offense. He had continuity with those players and no ego-drama too (like Shaq). Strangely enough, he did however lack a great big (which you only say Kobe needed, lol) to be a strong rim-protector and pick and roll partner. Still, to say that Dirk did more with less is another fallacy IMO. Look at the team-mates... Steve Nash, Michael Finley, Jerry Stackhouse, Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion... and the plethora of other vets that Cuban brought to the Mavs to serve as backups (Keith van Horn, Nick van Excel, Juwan Howard, Tim Hardaway Sr, Travis Best, Cedric Ceballos, Tony Delk, Antoine Walker, etc, etc). Kobe went on chucking sprees because he didn't always have as much offensive talent next to him in every position. The reason people don't remember guys like Finley, Stackhouse, Josh Howard now (as good as they were then), is simply because they couldn't win rings with Dirk. That's why people remember players like Robert Horry, Derek Fisher, Brian Shaw instead, even though they weren't good enough to be mentioned in the same breath as Finley and Stackhouse. Even Pau Gasol, was he really a better player than those two, or is that how we remember Pau now because he won titles next to Kobe?

I don't have him in the same tier as Duncan/Hakeem and other players with legit top 5/10 all time cases. Probably in a tier below with other all time greats (including Nowitzki, Garnett, KD).

Please stop saying Duncan/Hakeem, as if they are equals... Hakeem was just on a whole other level to Duncan. If Hakeem played for the Spurs, I think they would've won more than they did with Duncan, 2-3 titles more IMO. I have Hakeem in my Top 5, Kobe in my Top 10. Duncan is in the 11-15 range, with others like Garnett, Dirk, Steph, Jokic.

Duncan from 1997-98 to 2003-04, I agree, he would be a better player to build a team around than Kobe. From 2004-05 onwards though, once Kobe took off and Duncan slowed down, I think it would be much easier to build a contending team around Kobe. For Duncan to be the guy you build a team around, you would need a top-level PG AND either a top-level SG or SF. With Kobe, all I would need is a specific type of big like Tyson Chandler (who is most definitely not a top level Center of all time), and competent players that can defend and space the floor.

Here's a thought exercise, think up an SG equivalent to Tyson Chandler. As a starting point, we'll put that guy next to Duncan, and we'll put Tyson Chandler next to Kobe... and then build out the 2 teams from there, with vet-minimum (or MLE) players.

So...

Prime Kobe vs Prime Duncan
+ Tyson Chandler vs SG Equivalent of Tyson Chandler (i.e., not Manu Ginobli)
+ Vet-min PG vs Vet-min PG (i.e., not Tony Parker)
+ Vet-min SF vs Vet-min SF
+ Vet-min PF vs Vet-min PF

Who wins?

I think Kobe wins more with less... and I'm having Duncan switch on to Kobe every time, for a laugh. I'd have Dirk switch on to Kobe every time too, that would be even more fun.

The audience doesn't matter. We cannot fix who you are. Just have to endure and hope that at some point the Jazz will be relevant enough to attract your attention again 

Well, if we can get Cooper Flagg next summer, I will naturally have to set aside my man-love for Luka and return to greener pastures.

Collier, Keyonte, Cody, Coop, Hendricks/Kessler... could be the start of something special. 

Until then, you're stuck with me.