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Kobe Bryant’s NBA 2K16 Rating Released

By Paul Bressler

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As part of their pre-release initiative, 2K Sports recently released Kobe Bryant‘s NBA 2K16 in-game screenshot that featured the “Black Mamba” donning a black “Hollywood Nights” jersey and a game face that didn’t seem to pleased about his suspect “85” rating.

Who can really blame him?

Bryant is stuck with the lowest rating of his 2K career following a stretch of some bad luck with season-ending injuries.

He ruptured his left Achilles tendon on April 12, 2013 in a game against the Golden State Warriors in which the team was fighting for their playoff lives.

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Bryant carried the Los Angeles Lakers for the majority of the 2012-13 season after the Dwight Howard experiment failed so miserably and famously.

2K gave the “Black Mamba” a pass with a formidable “93” rating, and why shouldn’t they have?

Bryant was coming off one of the best years in his illustrious career. His assists were higher than usual, and he was more active on the defensive end then many people had seen in years.

“Vino” also shot the ball with the highest efficiency of his career which is no small feat given the degree of difficulty the majority of his shots are.

SeasonAgeTmPosGMPFGAFG%3PA3P%2P%eFG%FTAFT%ORBTRBASTSTLBLKTOVPTS
2012-13 ★34LALSG7838.620.4.4635.2.324.510.5048.0.8390.85.66.01.40.33.727.3

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/1/2015.

The month before the Achilles injury, Bryant averaged a ridiculous 30.5 points, 7.5 assists, 7 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks in 45.2 minutes per game.

It appears the rating was more than warranted as was the two-year, $48.5-million extension Bryant was awarded despite the career-threatening injury.

The “Black Mamba” is a different type of cat plus he’s more than earned it considering everything he has given this organization.

Bryant overcame the odds only to suffer a broken bone in his left knee on Dec. 17, 2013 against the Memphis Grizzlies just six games into his triumphant return.

Nov 28, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (22) is defended by Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins (22) at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

He was ruled out for six weeks during the 2013-14 season but eventually shut down to protect the best interests of a player that could no longer change the outcome of a dismal season.

2K was less forgiving, and Bryant debuted with a lackluster “89” rating. It’s hard to blame them given the circumstances, but one would certainly wish better for such a legend.

Then the unthinkable happened, Bryant endured yet another season-ending injury for the third year in a row. He suffered a torn right rotator cuff on Jan. 21, 2015 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

After 35 games, Bryant’s season was prematurely over again, and the Lakers experienced their worst record (21-61) in franchise history.

2K didn’t hold back and slapped Bryant with an underwhelming “85” rating. That seems a bit harsh, but they also dropped Kevin Durant from a “95” to a “91.”

Although Durant is coming off of a career-threatening foot injury, so there is definitively a discrepancy there.

John Wall, the only other big name released, was raised one point to an “87” despite a fantastic season in which Wall averaged a double-double for the first time in his young career.

Would the untouchable Michael Jordan have been treated this way?

It should be noted Jordan received an “88” rating in NBA 2K3 at the rip old age of 39. He wasn’t exactly in his prime, but that didn’t seem to bother 2K then.

One thing is for sure the “Mamba Army” was none to pleased.

Per Lakers Nation:

"Kobe’s rating has slowly declined over the last couple of seasons, but it makes sense for the most part. Kobe is entering his 20th season and can’t do the things that he’s done throughout most of his career. Additionally, he has suffered season-ending injuries in each of the last three seasons.While his rating isn’t as high as it was during his peak 2003-2010 years, Kobe will surely still be fun to play with and the Lakers team as a whole will be more formidable with the additions of Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams and Brandon Bass as well as improved ratings for players like Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle.Kobe probably isn’t the type of person to pay attention to video games, but if he needed a little bit of extra motivation coming into the season, to go along with ESPN predicting a 14th place finish in the West, he could definitely use this as a reason to prove people wrong."

There is still no word on where the No. 2 pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, D’Angelo Russell, will place, but he figures to debut at somewhere between “74” and “76.”

Keep in mind Randle (No. 6) debuted at a “76,” but he was perceived as far more NBA-ready coming out of college.

Jabari Parker was the highest rated rookie last year at “78,” and Andrew Wiggins, the 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year, debuted right behind him at “77.”

2K has been periodically releasing screenshots of NBA players for their upcoming video game in which a player model, that captures a player’s likeness, is revealed and accompanied by their in-game rating.

Ronnie Singh, better know as Ronnie 2K, is a spokesperson for NBA 2K and is credited with the release of Bryant’s rating.

NBA 2K16 is set to be released for all major platforms (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC) on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015 and retails for $59.99.

This year’s cover features the choice of the 2015 NBA MVP, Stephen Curry, the runner-up, James Harden, and the league’s fastest rising star Anthony Davis.

Players who pre-order the game will receive an unprecedented four days of early access. There is also a Jordan special edition for gamers that includes “His Airness” on the cover.

If Bryant is especially unhappy with his rating, which he most certainly is not, he can force 2K to raise his rating with their living roster feature by coming out guns blazing and proving all of his doubters wrong.

Next: Five Things the Lakers Must Do to Make a Playoff Run This Season'

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