If we are just considering 2011, then Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose were even better than Kobe for the season. Durant scored more efficiently and did it with russell westbrook hogging the ball. Rose led the bulls to the top seed in the east. Both players played on teams with less talent than the Lakers and both teams made it farther in the playoffs than the lakers. Even Lebron put up much better season and playoff stats. I would take 26.7 pts (51.0Fg%) 7.5 rebs and 7 ast over kobe's 25.3 pts (45.1 Fg%) 5.1 rebs and 4.7 ast. Once again Lebron made it further in the playoffs and he put up those stats with Dwade and Chris Bosh taking a bunch of shots as well.
Regardless of stats, Kobe should have been playing better defense in the playoffs. He let Jason Terry hit 9-10 threes in game 4. Kobe allowed Jason to shoot 58.7 Fg% and 68.4 3Fg% for 19.8 pts. That's right he couldn't even stop Jason Terry. He was so out of it that even a 38 year old Jason kidd was blocking him.
On another note 24CMAN, declaring that stats aren't everything and then defending kobe by with 35.4 ppg only shows that stats are all you are looking at. In addition 35.4ppg is not the third highest scoring average. Wilt had 37.6,38.4, 50.4, 44.8, 36.9 which already knocks that off. If going by how many players averaged more than 35.4, then MJ23 (37.1), Elgin Baylor (38.3), Rick Barry (35.6) would knock him down to fifth. Wilt, Elgin, MJ23, Rick Barry, Kobe.