Who is the most Kobe player in today's NBA?
No one embraced the challenge of taking hard shots quite like Kobe Bryant. Single-, double- or triple-teamed -- regardless of whether or not a teammate was open in the corner and regardless of whether or not shots were falling -- the Mamba mentality almost demanded that the harder the shot, the more likely he was to shoot.
He's among the best difficult-shot-makers the game has ever seen. And thanks to player-tracking data, we can quantify shot selection and efficiency to look at today's players and see who most resembles Bryant as the Los Angeles Lakers get ready to retire both of his numbers next week.
So, who takes the hardest shots now? And beyond simple volume, who are the best tough-shot-makers in the modern game?