Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is one of the league's top offensive threats as well as solid defenders, but even he has a hard time keeping up with the other super-human athletes around the league.
The Lakers star said that New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is the "most difficult" guy for him to guard in the league, even tougher than LeBron James of the Miami Heat, he told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on Tuesday.
Bryant, who's leading the league in scoring with 29.2 points per game, called Anthony "a bull" and says he "does it all."
"I'm [180 pounds] soaking wet," said Bryant, who was Anthony's teammate over the summer playing for Team USA. "Going up against that bull, it's fun, but it's hard."
Anthony is second in scoring behind Bryant with 27.7 points and has his Knicks at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with a '16-5 record. He has the Knicks clicking on all cylinders, making him an early candidate to become league MVP this year.
Anthony, who was in the same draft class as James and Dwayne Wade, has always been capable of playing at a high level, but according to former coach George Karl, he's now learning the important aspects of the game.
"I've said I feel that Carmelo is going to win a championship someday," Karl said. "He's going to figure out that the numbers and the stats sheets aren't important. It's the scoreboard and the intangibles that make winners champions."
That attitude is why Bryant believes the Knicks are playing so well right now.
"They believe that they deserve to be in the championship conversation," Kobe said.
The Knicks play the Lakers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
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