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The NBA remembers Kobe Bryant as arguably the greatest scorer in league history. However, in light of his scoring prowess, his defense has not been talked about enough. As a defender, the LA Lakers legend was as serious on every possession as he was about scoring on every possession.
In his 20-year career, Bryant established himself among the greatest defensive guards that the league has ever seen. In the 1999-2000 season, Bryant made his first All-Defensive team. In total, he made the All-Defensive team 12 times.
Bryant's 12 selections are the most by any guard in league history, and he is only behind Tim Duncan (15) for the most selections. He is tied with Gary Payton, Michael Jordan and Kevin Garnett with a record nine All-Defensive first-team nods.
Kobe Bryant was drafted in 1996, but it was after the 1999-2000 season that the Lakers icon started to leave his mark on every season. He made the All-NBA team 15 times and won five NBA titles from that point. He was also twice the NBA Finals MVP as well as the league MVP in 2008.
Kobe Bryant credited Gary Payton for his All-Defensive team selections
Gary Payton signed with the LA Lakers before the 2003-04 season to help the team become better defensively after their three-peat from 2000-02.
The Lakers reached the 2004 NBA Finals but lost to the Detroit Pistons in just five games. However, under Payton, Kobe learned a lot. When asked about his defense and who was most influential on his changed defense, Kobe Bryant credited Payton.
“He helped me become a great defensive player," Bryant said. "He told me one thing. He said, 'Kobe, you gotta move your puppies.' After he told me that, everything clicked for me, I started making All-Defensive teams."
Bryant was referring to moving his legs more during defensive assignments to keep players in check. Payton's passing on of defensive knowledge wasn’t just in Kobe Bryant’s case. Former NBA champion Kevin Garnett has also discussed how Payton influenced his defense.
Gary Payton, widely known as “The Glove” for his defense, was arguably the greatest defensive guard in league history. He made the All-Defensive team nine times, all on the first team. He averaged over two steals in a season eight times, including in seven consecutive selections.
