Former ESPN NBA analyst Chris Palmer, who is also known for provoking debate, was at it again on Wednesday night. Palmer regularly takes to his Twitter profile to make bold claims and recognizes a player or players for having what he has dubbed the “Line of the Night.”
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Late Wednesday evening, Palmer broached the topic of the NBA’s most unguardable players. The analyst got on the subject after recognizing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving for their impressive stat lines in their head-to-head meeting. The conversation then progressed to Durant needing to be included in a top-5 all-time list based on pure skill:
In terms of pure ability Kevin Durant might be Top 5 all-time. No defense for him in any era.
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) February 27, 2014
Palmer then transitioned to a list of his all-time most unguardable players, which included Kobe Bryant and whom his previous tweets suggests, he holds in high regard:
5 Most Unguardable All-time: 1. MJ 2. Kobe 3. LeBron 4. KD 5. A.I.
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) February 27, 2014
That tweet was then followed up with an argument that perhaps Bryant should sit atop the most unguardable list:
Nobody actually ever checked Kobe. So arguably all-time most unguardable.
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) February 27, 2014
Bryant is widely considered a polarizing figure that elicits plenty of various emotions out of people. However, what can’t be ignored is the offensive prowess that Bryant boasts and the fact that he outlasted and outperformed all of his contemporaries and perceived rivals. Tracy McGrady is attempting a comeback as an MLB pitcher and Vince Carter hasn’t been a shadow of himself since at least 2009.
Durant and LeBron James have been the next to challenge Bryant’s stature, and overtake him, but that battle hasn’t exactly been a fair fight considering Bryant’s older age by the time Durant and James entered their prime. That being said, Bryant more than held his own on several occasions to remain at, or near the top of the NBA food chain.
Cursed by an injury-laden 18th season, it’s become easy to dispel Bryant and his accomplishments. Perhaps Bryant will never fully recover from his knee fracture or torn Achilles and thus will need to rely on his legendary performances from years past. Or perhaps he will be able to suit up again, as he has in years past, and provide Palmer with more material to spawn debate with.
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