NBA: 2000s All-Decade first team

Nov 21, 2012; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward/center Kevin Garnett (5) and San Antonio Spurs forward/center Tim Duncan (21) push against one another during the fourth quarter at TD Banknorth Garden. The San Antonio Spurs won 112-100. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

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Dec 13, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) dribbles the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

First Team: G – Kobe Bryant:

2000s Resume: 10 seasons, six NBA Finals appearances, four NBA titles, one NBA Finals MVP award, one regular season MVP award, seven-time All-NBA First Team, two-time All-NBA Second Team, one-time All-NBA Third Team, seven-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, two-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team, two-time NBA leader in scoring, 10-time NBA All-Star, 28.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 5.3 APG, 24.5 average PER

When most people think of Kobe Bryant now, they either think about his frail, injury-plagued 2013-14 season or all the Kobe Stans who make him so hard to like sometimes. But before you go all “Shaquille O’Neal carried Kobe to his first three titles!” on us, let’s not forget that the Black Mamba was hands down the most accomplished player of the 2000s. Before LeBron James’ rise to power in the late 2000s, it was Kobe Bryant who was drawing all the comparisons to Michael Jordan.

Because of Kobe’s competitiveness, his fadeaway, and the all-around similarities to MJ’s game, the comparisons between His Airness and his greatest creation/copycat are more apt than they are for LeBron. But even though Kobe wasn’t the best player on his team for his first three titles, and even though he wasn’t always the best teammate, you won’t find a player with a more impressive resume for the decade: six trips to the Finals, four titles, an MVP award (should’ve been two) and about as many All-NBA and All-Star selections as Phil Jackson has rings.

The numbers speak for themselves, but Kobe’s graceful imitation of Jordan’s game also helped him pass the eye test with the kind of flying colors that would give an epileptic seizures. The numbers don’t quite back up his reputation of being “clutch,” but there was a time when the league held its breath whenever Kobe Bryant caught the ball in a close game. There were the game-winners, the 81-point game, and countless other memories that make him so endearing to Los Angeles Lakers fans. He’s not the greatest player of all time, but for the first decade of the 2000s? Unlike Kobe, that point of view is certainly defendable.

Next: Kevin Garnett

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