According to ESPN.com’s rankings of the Top 500 players in the NBA, there are 39 players in the league who are currently better than Kobe Bryant. Many feel that Kobe’s ranking of 40th overall was insultingly low, even if he is coming off back-to-back major injuries and recently turned 36. But what does Kobe himself think of it?
“I’ve known for a long time [that] they’re a bunch of idiots,” Bryant said when asked about the ESPN.com rankings on Thursday.
Kobe looked pretty good in preseason action against the Utah Jazz. He scored a game-high 27 points on 10-of-23 shooting and played 28 minutes. Last year, Bryant referred to ESPN’s rankings as “silly” and “laughable” when he came in at No. 25. Does that mean he finds this year’s rank even more humorous?
“I tend to use things as motivation that tend to be in the realm of reality,” Kobe said with a smile. “Honestly, all jokes aside, it really doesn’t bother me too much. I’m going to do what I do regardless. God willing, I can stay healthy, and if I wind up proving a lot of people wrong in the process, that will just wind up being collateral damage.”
We know Kobe is one of the hardest workers in the NBA. While I don’t think you can call him one of the league’s best players anymore, 40th is a bit low for a five-time champion who — by all indications — looks fairly healthy. And don’t let Bryant fool you, he uses the ranking as motivation. The great ones always do.
