Kobe Will Guard You 80 Feet From the Action

by Brett Edwards

Here's a news flash for all of the teams attempting to take down the USA in the FIBA Championships: You have no freaking chance. Kobe Bryant will not let team USA even come close to losing. He is bringing an insane intensity level that the team has lacked in recent years, first by working out like a madman, and now by playing full court defense on every opposing team's best player.

Kobe completely shut down Leandro Barbosa during USA's 113-76 beatdown of Brazil. Barbosa was previously leading the tournament in scoring at 27 per game, but ended up with just 4 points on 1-7 shooting with Kobe all over him. Chris Sheridan explains how Kobe locked down Barbosa from the very beginning:

The tone of the Kobe Bryant-Leandro Barbosa matchup was set just a few moments into the first quarter, but you had to look 80 feet away from the action to see it unfold.

As a player from Brazil shot two free throws at one end of the court, Barbosa stood beneath the basket all the way at the opposite baseline, trying to get a clear view.

Every second or so, however, Barbosa had to move a step or two to clear his line of vision from the obstruction that kept moving in his way.

That obstruction was Bryant, who was gluing himself to Barbosa at that very moment and stayed attached to him like white on rice all night ...

"He don't guard like that in the NBA, but he did tonight and I was impressed," Barbosa told ESPN.com.

Kobe did point out that he's dropped 20 pounds since the end of last season, so maybe we will see him guard like that in the NBA. But that's a couple of months away. For right now, teams playing in this qualifying tournament against the USA should be prepared to sit back and enjoy their beating, because with Kobe bringing this type of intensity, they have absolutely no shot.

Comments

[Chris]

No shot...just like the Lakers this year.

[Brett]

Bitter Clipper fan...

[coach]

shades of scottie pippen shutting down would be bull, kukoc , in the '92 olympics !

[lakertime]

bill walton is a moron.
kobe is worth about twice as much to the team then carmelo.
lakertime.blogspot.com

[No Blood No Foul]

There is no doubt that Kobe is the BEST NBA player. No question. Too bad his team in LA has been so poorly managed.

[basketbawful]

Not to take anything away from Kobe -- he's been a driven man during the tournament -- but it's important to point a few things out. Both teams had played four games in five days; however, nobody on the American team is averaging more than 15 MPG, whereas all the Brazilian starters were all averaging 30+ MPG. Furthermore, the quality of the American team is much higher than the Brazilians...I mean, Barbosa is their best player, but he's the fourth or fifth option on the Suns. He's also 24 and relatively inexperienced.

Great defensive job by Kobe, but proof he's the best player in the NBA? Nah.

[Brett]

I hear ya, Basketbawful. HOWEVA:

Team USA has lost in previous years, and my point here is that *one of* the best players in the world took it upon himself to lock up the best player on the other team full court from the opening tip. Whether it's Kobe or anyone else, it's impressive.

Tean USA has arguably always had the best talent in these tournaments, but they were lacking the drive and determination to get the job done. Love him or hate him, it's tough to argue that Kobe's intensity is going to be the difference this time.

[basketbawful]

I agree partially. I think Kobe's intensity -- particularly on the defensive end -- has definitely improved Team USA (even former UNLV star Romel Beck gave Kobe the business last night; did you see that crossover that lead to the 4-point play?).

However, I think that this is the first time in YEARS that Team USA has had a true point guard and multiple *consistent* long-range threats. I think all those things combined are what's made the difference. Although last night's win shows that the team isn't invincible...

[No Blood No Foul]

Kobe's performance in the olympic qualifier isn't proof of his dominance, but it does serve to underline his best attributes. In addition to being an assassin, he's an above average defender. What other NBA stars can lay claim to being one of the best scorers to ever play AND an NBA all-defensive team member for 6 years?

Please -- tell me, cause I don't know. Maybe somebody from back in the day? The point is that Lebron and Duncan combined don't add up to Kobe.

[No Blood No Foul]

Check that -- Lebron's "all around game" and Duncan's defense added together don't add up to Kobe's overall skill. He's as good as anyone on D, and he's a transcendent talent in every aspect of the game.

[bhonjaze]

i think Kobe has gone up a few notches.. you can't see that in his past game. the intensity on D is something new on him now. but just about the same desire for the W, even more. he is definitely playing it for the flag, unlike playing for a young-gun laker team. it's a whole new setup, and you can expect players to step up in a whole new light because these players who are used to play against each other in the NBA are now gathered as one and with one goal. i just think too that Kobe is in a different feeling now, same with the other stars slappin hi-fives with him

[toroj]

i totally agree kobe is the best player in the nba as of now. He is a winner and should be on a winning team( not the lakers). the lakers should bring another star player into the team and thats all they need because of the fact that kobe is so good. it is so sad to see this laker team go down like this.... please give kobe something!! anything will do, trade him. get a superstar. or anything. this poor man is trying his best to get the championship but the other players in his team just plain SUCK (i.e andrew bynum, k. brown, smush parker (im glad he didnt stay in the team),k getting derek fisher is not enough. the whole point of him playing for the lakers is because of his daughter he has no intensions of putting all his energy in a championship. kobe should just go to the east like how tmac came to the west. tmac-francis, mobley, cato, others. in all honesty, w/o kobe the lakers will be like what the celtics were pre-rayallen,kg. they will just have some decent player doing all the scoring or have no one that could create their own tracks. we can all see that kobe is tired of losing. it is so sad.... lakers are such a poorly managed team. they are just like the sac kings. is like always like this? teams go from a championship to a first rd playoff team or not even make it at all after a couple years?

[mbt shoes]

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[new balance]

I couldn't agree with you more! And thanks for the blog award! I'm just thrilled to receive this award from you. I'll be sure to keep this blog an interesting place for my awesome readers, such as yourself, to keep coming back to!

[new balance]

I couldn't agree with you more! And thanks for the blog award! I'm just thrilled to receive this award from you. I'll be sure to keep this blog an interesting place for my awesome readers, such as yourself, to keep coming back to!

[jordan 7]

That obstruction was Bryant, who was gluing himself to Barbosa at that very moment and stayed attached to him like white on rice all night ...

[Mariana]

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[Cheap Pandora]

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