Kobe Bryant ranked NBA’s third best shooting guard in GM poll

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, left, gestures to count a basket as forward Wesley Johnson, center, and forward Julius Randle react as referees nullify it during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014, in Los Angeles. The Lakers on 98-91. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, left, gestures to count a basket as forward Wesley Johnson, center, and forward Julius Randle react as referees nullify it during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014, in Los Angeles. The Lakers on 98-91. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Kobe Bryant might not believe ESPN are the only idiots in town. The Lakers’ star might feel that way about the NBA’s general managers, too.

The latest NBA.com general manager survey lists Bryant as the league’s third best shooting guard behind Houston’s James Harden (63%) and Golden State’s Klay Thompson (18.5%).

Bryant took offense last year when he was ranked second behind Harden, claiming the league’s general managers simply believed Bryant would “play on one leg.” But that turned out to be generous. Bryant only played six games last season amid overlapping injuries to his left Achilles tendon and left knee.

The league’s GM poll was released on Tuesday, adding the latest string of publicity that has not cast Bryant in the greatest light. Last week, ESPN ranked Bryant 40th overall, which prompted the Lakers’ star to call the cable sports network “idiots.” Then, ESPN The Magazine recently published an article that argues Bryant’s presence and dominating personality marks the biggest reason for the Lakers’ recent decline and inability to acquire and retain high-caliber free agents.

Still, the NBA.com poll still showed that the league’s general managers hold Bryant in high esteem. Bryant is considered the second toughest NBA player, earning a 11.1% vote behind Memphis’ Tony Allen (25.9%). Bryant also earned second-place honors for which player would those general managers want taking a shot with the game on the line, winning 7.7% of the vote and finishing only behind Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (76.9%). The NBA general managers also ranked Bryant fourth overall as a player most capable of creating his own shot (7.1%), trailing only Durant (42.9%), New York’s Carmelo Anthony (25%) and Cleveland’s LeBron James (10.7%).

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com