Kobe wasn't the best player on his team until 2003, his 8th year in the league. Prior to that his first couple years were as a lesser role and then they brought in Shaq for the bulk of those years before Kobe ran him out of town.
Alright that wasn't fair. Kobe was the best guy on his team in his 7th year in the league, the last year of the Kobe/Shaq combo before they did make the proper choice of who to keep and who to get rid of.
Troof