Is Kobe a poor Finals performer?

The Finals is the biggest stage in basketball. The Super Bowl of the NBA

2000 Finals: Kobe Bryant averaged only 15ppg on 36 percent shooting. He scored two points in Game 2 and eight points in Game 5 on 4-20 shooting (20%). In the game 6 clincher Kobe went 8-27 (29% shooting). His defense on Reggie Miller was just as bad: Miller averaged 25 ppg on 48 percent shooting (both above his season averages).

2001 Finals: The Lakers were undefeated in the playoffs and were 11-0 heading into the Finals. How ever in game 1 of the Finals, Kobe was locked down by Allen Iverson and only scored 15 points on 7-22 shots (31% shooting). Iverson lite up Kobe with 48 points and the Lakers lose. In Game 2, Phil Jackson switched Kobe to Aaron Mckie primarily for the rest of the series and Shaq had a near quadruple double saving the Lakers from going down 0-2. For the series Kobe averaged 24 points on 41% shooting. Better then his first Finals but still not great. Also he was out performed by Allen Iverson who averaged 36ppg on 41% shooting

2002 Finals: Kobe had a very good showing. He averaged 27ppg on 51% shooting, which was much better then his last two but still nothing spectacular. Also his performance was over shadowed by Shaq who averaged 36ppg 12 rebounds 4 assists and 3 blocks on 59% shooting. Shaq became the second player in NBA history to win 3 straight Finals MVP's.

2004 Finals: The infamous Pistons series. ''With his feud against Shaq escalating and the series getting away from the Lakers, Bryant began taking whatever shot struck him. Mostly, they struck the rim he shot 38% and had nearly as many turnovers (18) as assists (22) as Detroit romped in five games.'' Kobe was tired of playing second fiddle to Shaq and desired the limelight for himself.

This came to a head in the 2004 Finals when Kobe made an unsuccessful bid to win the Finals MVP. He wanted the glory and his selfishness backfired coasting the Lakers the championship. Instead of feeding Shaq for the high percentage shot, Kobe continued to throw up brick after brick. Kobe hit an abysmal 38% from the field and 17% from 3. Still, Kobe persisted in taking the lead. He took a whopping 113 shots, while the hot shooting Shaq only took 84.

Game 1: 10-27

Game 2: 14-27

Game 3: 4-13

Game 3: 8-25

Game 5: 7-21

Kobe selfishly chucked his team out of the Finals and refused to give Shaq the ball who made 63% of his shots. After this series Shaq and Phil Jackson left because they couldn't deal with Kobe along with the Lakers veterans Karl Malone, Gary Payton and Derek Fisher.

2008 season/Finals: After a 3 year hiatus of missing the playoffs and getting knocked out the first round the Lakers management fixed Kobe's mess. The Lakers brought Phil Jackson back and the got super star big man Pau Gasol for Kwame 'draft bust' Brown. Kobe started playing team ball and they were clicking on all cylinders with a big 3 in Kobe, Gasol and Odom. As the team leader Kobe was in the Finals for the first time. How ever in the series Kobe averaged 26ppg on 40% shooting. In a pivotal game 4 as the team leader, Kobe allowed his team to blow a 24 point lead while losing. In the 6th and deciding game of the Finals Kobe allowed the Lakers to lose by 39 points. He went 7-22 from the field on had 1 assist, 4 turn overs & 0 points in the 4th quarter as the rival Boston Celtics win the championship.

2009 Finals: Kobe finally won his first Finals MVP and wins his first championship as the leader of his team. Kobe averaged 32ppg 5 rebounds and 7 assists on 43% shooting. Very good showing but it still wasn't anything 'on the next level' or historical especially considering he went against a inexperienced Orlando team and was guarded mainly by a rookie named Courtney Lee and Mickael Pietrus, which is why I have a problem putting him up there with all time greats. He has only showed up in 2 out of 6 Finals he's been in and he only has 1 ring as 'the man' and only 1 Finals MVP.

What do you guys think? I know its kind of long but its worth the read. C'mon your attention span can't be that short.