What would say more....if Nash never wins a championship, or if Kobe never wins another one without Shaq?

Question

how would each situation affect the player's legacy?

Answer 1

Your question as it is posed in the minds of basketball fans is predicated on a few factors.

Kobe is perceived (right or wrong) as an individual. Fans think that he just wants to shoot and based on his shooting the Lakers will win.

Nash is perceived (right or wrong) as the consummate team player. He is a competent and capable player and I must say the first time I ever saw him play I was impressed with his energy on the court. I never saw MVP coming for Nash but hey it is what it is.

If Nash never wins a title it will in no way stir controversy, unless he ends up on a team that is considered truly "great", say for instance they get Kevin Garnett or someone of that stature. This past year's Suns team fits the classic mold of a team capable of winning lots of regular season games by running but being ineffective in the playoffs for the same reason. No one will single out Nash for this issue. Nash may have started his NBA career as an unlikely "superstar" but now is considered a top player in the league. Still, his presence on a team doesn't make people think, "THEY HAVE STEVE NASH! WOW, THEY ARE A CONTENDER!"

Kobe on the other hand entered the NBA as a wunderkind. The media touted him as "the next big thing" in NBA basketball. He has pretty much lived up to his billing, but not in the same way LeBron has thus far. That may be splitting hairs because every player's situation is different in some degree. I don't like Kobe's game personally but he has been successful.

Kobe is now the best player on his team. He now has two careers segments, "with Shaq" and "without Shaq". While Shaq was in L.A., the Lakers were successful. Since Shaq's departure, the Lakers are an "also ran" with one player capable of going for 40 points on any given night in a powerful conference. Kobe is in a "Catch 22" situation. There is no "quick fix" for the Lakers unless Andrew Bynum has worked very hard this summer and Kwame Brown has been cured of Mad Cow Disease which is obviously what he is suffering from. It seems to me that if Kobe wants the same status of Jordan, Bird and Magic he has to stick it out in L.A. but he may be too old for that. If he leaves, he will be departing from the tradition of the "great player" that sticks it out his whole career and goes on a quest for a championship.

Steve Nash is an "underdog". The fact that he is even in the NBA is a testament to his work ethic. The only other player to come out of his college that anyone would recognize is Kurt Rambis.

People are following Kobe's fate closely. Everyone just assumes that Nash will be in Phoenix. Clearly, Kobe's future success is something that people have invested time and emotion into. This is Nash's second time in Phoenix. When people think of Steve Nash they think of his team. When people think of Kobe, they think about Kobe and everyone else is peripheral now that Shaq is no longer in L.A.

Nash could quit tomorrow and everyone would say that he played hard and he was a good team player that never won a title.

If Kobe quits tomorrow he would be perceived as the little boy that couldn't have his way so he took his ball and went home with it.

It's not a matter of what's "fair" it is a matter of perception. The Underdog (Steve Nash) will always inspire fans. Now that Kobe is an Underdog he hasn't seemed to lend himself to the challenge and he wants out of what he is calling a "bad situation". He seems content to blame others for the shortcomings of the team he is expected to lead.

How could that "improve" public perception of a person...

Answer 2

Kobe not winning without Shaq would make him look worse. He had so much promise a few years ago, and if all that culminates in him not being able to win a championship without Shaq in 10 more years of playing, that'll really hurt his already-controversial image.

I think that Kobe will win 1 more ring before he retires, and Nash will also get 1. Then that will be it.

Answer 3

Nash has already proven that he's a leader & a winner irregardless if he wins a title or not.

Kobe has done nothing, not even win a playoff series w/out Shaq. All he's shown is he can score a lot of points but not after putting up about a hundred shots.

Personally, its not even close, Nash is a decent & humble human being while Kobe has the maturity of a 5 yr old, always thinking about himself & nobody else.

Answer 4

Nash has 2 MVPs, back to back

Kobe has None.

At this point Kobe is known as a good one on one player
that can't deliver in playoffs and does not make others
better, in fact he rather be the scoring leader than a
real leader, at the expense of his team.

Nash makes everyone around him better and delivers in
playoffs.

Nash has already had a better legacy than Kobe, for the
real baskeball fans, Kobe is just followed by those who
don't understand the game.

Answer 5

Personal legacy and championships go hand in hand and that is why it will have a bigger impact on Kobe. He had 3 championships by the time he was 23 and now he may never get another one. Why? Because he though he could do it by himself. Steve Nash may never get one, but he knows he couldn't do it alone and just hopes that next year the NBA doesn't screw the Suns. If Stoudamire and Diaw were suspended, Bowen and Duncan should have been too and then let's see who wins game 7? Kobe takes the harder hit if he never wins another championship.

Answer 6

Nash's legacy will be determined on the court. Kobe's behavior has dictated that his legacy will be determined off the court. Whether or not he ever wins another championship will always be secondary to that.

Answer 7

Nash has consecutive mvps and kobe has nothing without shaq kobe might have rings but nobody wants to play with him. I dont think there is anyone right now that wouldn't want to play with nash.

Answer 8

A lot of great players never won a championship and this is in all sports, but lack of championships has nothing to do with personal legacy. It's how they preformed during their careers that leaves their legacy.

Answer 9

Kobe and shaq cuzz there like pb&j, they work like bros, and their careers would be like kingda ka slowly going up for a while but come plummiting down