3x All-Star Clears Air Around Kobe Bryant’s 12 Accolades After NBA Champion’s Challenge

Have you seen Jeff Teague’s viral take on Kobe Bryant’s defense? The former NBA guard set the internet on fire during the Club 520 podcast, questioning Kobe’s 12 All-Defensive Team selections. Teague didn’t hold back, saying, “Maybe the first four or five he was, but after that he wasn’t guarding like that,” even calling Kobe’s defensive reputation more of “a persona.” According to Teague, after a few seasons, it just became a thing—Kobe was known for defense, whether he locked up or not. Still, Teague’s not the only one who thinks Kobe’s defense is overrated; we’ll get to that in a bit.

Gilbert Arenas wasn’t buying Jeff Teague’s take, not even a little. Jumping in on the debate, Arenas said, “Jeff Teague is only playing Kobe, what, two times a year. Kobe is a shooting guard. Teague was a point guard, fast, came downhill, right? So if Teague is getting going, that’s when Kobe’s coming in to stop him. Kobe is always out of his element… That’s not what he is there for, that’s not where his strength lies, but because we are the best player, he’s taking on that challenge every night.”

And honestly, the numbers back Gilbert here. Kobe and Teague faced off 9 times in their careers, and Kobe held a 6-3 winning record. In those matchups, Kobe averaged 23.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 steals, while Teague managed 11.1 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. Kobe outscored Teague in seven games and even dropped 41 points in one matchup compared to Teague’s 23 (as per Land of Basketball.com).

From Teague’s perspective, it might have seemed like Kobe wasn’t fully locked in defensively, but Gilbert reminded everyone that those 12 All-Defensive Team selections reflected an entire 82-game season’s performance, not just a handful of matchups. “Teague, yeah, you might got the best of him that night, or every night you played him, but he’s coming to you to slow you down.”

Perhaps Kobe Bryant’s best display of his defensive mentality came during the 2008 Olympics when he pushed his Team USA teammates to value defense and rebounding above everything else. “To me, defense and rebounding win every time,” Bryant said. Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski even revealed that before the games, Kobe asked for a role change: “He [Kobe] said, ‘I wanna guard the best perimeter player on every team we face… and I promise you, I’ll destroy them.’” Despite being one of the league’s most dominant scorers, Kobe willingly sacrificed offense to focus on shutting down opponents, proving just how much he believed defense was the ultimate key to victory.

Arenas explained, “If he had to guard three men, if he has to guard LeBron, that’s not his element. If he has to guard me or any point guard, that’s out of his element.” Arenas noted pointedly, “That’s not what he is there for, that’s not where his strength lies but because we are the best player, he’s taking on that challenge every night.” It wasn’t about comfort or matchups for Kobe—it was about proving he could neutralize the best, no matter the position or size. But let’s flip the coin and look at Teague’s arguments more closely.

Was Kobe Bryant’s defense overrated?

If we check Basketball Reference’s DWS (an estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player due to defense) numbers, Kobe’s peak came in 1999-2000 with a 4.5 DWS — his career-high and the year he won DPOY too. In 2007-08, when he played all 82 games, he posted a 4.3, his second-best. These numbers show Kobe’s defensive impact across full seasons, fully justifying those 12 All-Defensive Team selections — tied for the second-most ever. His career defensive rating was 105.5, but here’s the twist: that doesn’t even place him in the NBA’s top 250 defenders all-time, while Tracy McGrady’s 104 ranks 157th. By total DWS, though, Kobe stands at the 50th position in NBA/ABA history with 50.66 career DWS. So, was Kobe actually that elite on defense, or is there more to the story?

Let’s go back to 2002 — the year Kobe Bryant got his first All-NBA First Team selection. On paper, his numbers looked solid: 25.2 points per game on 46.9% shooting, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals. But here’s where the debate starts. That same year, Allen Iverson was putting up 31.4 points per game on 42.0% shooting, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.8 steals. Statistically, Iverson led Kobe in both scoring and steals, they tied in assists, and Kobe only edged him in rebounds — by just one board, despite being six inches taller. Not just that, Iverson actually led the entire league in both scoring and steals. Yet somehow Iverson didn’t make the All-NBA First Team, while Kobe, who didn’t lead the league in anything that season, did.

Even Phil Jackson, in his book “The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul,” called out Kobe’s recognition on these teams, writing: “Kobe’s defense, to be accurate, has faltered in recent years, despite his presence on the league’s all-defensive team. The voters have been seduced by his remarkable athleticism and spectacular steals, but he hasn’t played sound, fundamental defense.” That quote sums up Teague’s argument.

Back in 2013, basketball analyst Zach Lowe also shared a pointed take on Kobe’s All-Defensive Team nods. He said, “Bryant isn’t the first player coasting to undeserved All-Defense appearances based on reputation, but if he makes it again this season, it will be his most egregious appearance ever, and one of the most egregious in league history.” Lowe did acknowledge that Kobe was a “good defender,” but noted that excelling at on-ball defense for just a few plays each game isn’t enough for an All-Defense nod when the rest of the time their off-ball defense is poor.

At the end of the day, Kobe’s defensive story isn’t black and white. Sure, he had incredible moments and earned plenty of accolades, but whether he was a lockdown defender or not depends on how you look at it.