Kobe vs. LeBron
Dwyane who? Dirk what? Duncan why? KG where? Nash how? In the mighty, mighty world of the NBA, the league that boasts the world’s finest athletes, the debate can rage on forever. Who is the best? The most exciting? The most dominating? Ask a hundred people and you might get 50 different answers. But here we call it like it is. And we expose suckers for what they are – suckers. Not to say any of the above are suckers, but when it comes down to it the debate of who’s the best really centers on two players. Kobe vs. LeBron.
The Black Mamba vs. The Chosen One. The Assassin vs. The Prodigy. Could you imagine a one-on-one game between these two? Where is the video game? Remember the Larry Bird/Dr. J one? Well, LeBron vs. Kobe would kill that. These two would dominate (each other), gesticulate (wildly), articulate (each dunk), contemplate (each move) and pronunciate (each highflying trip to the rack). And for real there is no stopping either one. They can do whatever they want whenever they want. They are both really that good and really that exciting. Kobe with his 81-point explosions and LeBron with his Jordanesque playoff games and triple-double trouble. But the most important thing about them is their will to win and make the players around them better. And just like Mike, they are doing it.
LeBron took a ragtag group of castoffs to the Finals. Retreads like Damon Jones, stiffs like Zydrunas Ilgauskas and underachievers like Donyell Marshall. Kobe has been getting to the playoffs with undrafted dudes like Smush, busts like Kwame and projects like Bynum. Could these guys get a little help, please? I’m sure they both would be battling in the championship if they had some help. LeBron seems like a mainstay in the East and now that Kobe wants to be traded who knows where he’ll wind up.
There’s always been players like Nash, who come along and elevate the play of their teammates (Russell, Magic, Stockton, Isiah, Bird). But to do it like Mike, you have to not only elevate your teammates games, but you have to dominate yourself – as in physically, mentally and spiritually – by infusing your will to win into your teammates while at the same time making an undeniable impression that you are indeed the best player and athlete on the court. No easy feat. That’s why there’s only been one Mike. But if anyone can duplicate what he did, the overall greatness in every aspect, it’ll be Kobe or LeBron.
Kobe at 28 and in Lakerland is getting fed up. He wants that championship solo with no Shaq. Kobe is too proud to ride someone’s coattails and claim it as his own. He wants to be the star and have a supporting cast tailor made for him – hence the trade demands. Where will he end up nobody knows. But hopefully with some players to make an impact and a run at the title. And LeBron at 22 is playing remarkable averaging 26 ppg and almost 7 rebounds and assists per game. He’ll probably never average a triple-double, but who since Oscar Robertson has? As long as the Cavs maintain their advantage in the weak East and place some shooters around LeBron like Boobie Gibson, King James will have his shot at a championship. Because just like Kobe, he can put a team on his shoulders and his team through a playoff series like he did against the Pistons. Remember we just witnessed it and never mind the Spurs shutting him down, they were clearly the superior team. LeBron needs help. But also like Mike, he needs to step it up a little more. No excuses.
Kobe has three rings, but they probably matter little to him because he knows in his heart he was just Shaq’s caddy. Think if Jordan came in and played with Bird or Magic, it just wouldn’t be the same as him doing it by himself with all dudes under him. Kobe never liked being Robin to Shaq’s Batman and LeBron has been solo since the jump with an assortment of second fiddles who never matched Pippen to his Jordan. Boobie Gibson is nice, but can he sustain that level of play for a whole year?
With Kobe making trade demands, his future is uncertain. But he knows Odom, Bynum, Farmar and Walton are not championship caliber teammates. Birth of these superstars must be surrounded by complementary players who can hit a shot. They need a Paxson, a Kerr, a Wennington. But also both of them need to take it upon themselves and make some of their teammates into those guys by inspiring confidence just like LeBron did with Boobie.
With Kobe and LeBron’s ability to get to the rack at will, take anyone off the dribble at anytime, play great defense and be the superstars that they are under intense pressure day in and day out, they are clearly the two best players in the league today. But as to who is the best, that is open to discussion. For me, though, I’ll go with LeBron because he just led a similar Cavs team to the Finals while Kobe’s Lakers can’t get out of the first round.
dc Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 7:50 pm
its not boobie gibson it’s daniel gibson…
ali "chota daku" d Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 7:59 pm
Kobe is a fer sure a part of this discussion without debate.
Lebron however has company in my opionin.
Where is D-Wade… 1 year of injury excludes him from this conversation? that is so sad the way we all live for today.
Chad Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 8:02 pm
Kobe Bryant is getting better, he learns something new every year.His is the most complete and feared player in the league. The west is the stage, the east is a j.v. league. Lebron didnt play against Arenas and Hughes and Kristic, Kobe played Stoudemire, Nash, and Marion. LeBron brings the same sloppy play every year just overpowering his opponents and using what his nike shooting coach taught to lean sideways.
KDiddy Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 8:07 pm
r u serious, dude if your gonna have a disscussion about who’s the best, the flash is definitely the best, who was the player that detroit couldn’t stopin the eastern finals shotting over 60% from the field before gettin sick, and then your talkin jordanesque game 3 down 13,who took over the game and put his team on his shoulder & won a championship ooh!the flash, and who does shaq play robin to? ooh! the flash seriosly remember the game the cavs were playin the heat & the flash had a trillion turnovers in the first 3 quarters & bron & the cavs were up 20 who took over the game in the forth quarter and lead his team to victory will the other was bittin his nail ooh! the FLASH.
Kap Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 8:15 pm
Hey great article but to say LeBron is better than Kobe I gotta beg to differ, Kobe’s offensive game is way beyond King James (until he can develop a descent mid-range jumper he’ll always be number 2), and Kobe plays way better defense. LeBron’s road to the Finals this year was pretty much a hand me down, they faced a DIV-IAA team disguised as the Wizards in the first round, the Nets were also in disarray, and beat up on a beaten down Piston’s team, and If da Kobe’s didn’t get hit with the injury bug, they were destined to be at least been the fifth seed and they could of beat either the Jazz or Rockets, but that’s just a what if situation, But LeBron has a way’s to go because Kobe’s da closest thing to Mike…well…since Mike.
Yelito Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 8:33 pm
Nice article, nothing new though, I understand and believe that Kobe is the best player in the world, but Kobe is right there. Now, I’m getting tired of soooo many people saying that Jordan dominated by himself, that he makes people better and so many crap. First Jordan with Pippen= 0 Rings. In his first 7 years he did squat, just a bunch of stat but he felt miserable on the playoff. In his first tripeat, he had the most versatil player on the NBA in Pippen, an awesome power forward in Grant and a very capable bunch of role players in Paxson, Cartwright, Armstrong and others. IN his second championship run he had an even better team in Pippen in his prime, Tony Kukoc, Steve Kerr and the x factor Rodman, not to mention a rotation of big men that could do their work. Yeah, he never had a dominant center but always had blue collar players. IS Jordan the best ever? perhaps, but he didn’t do it by himself, and he didn’t make nobody better, and that’s the truth.
Yelito Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 8:34 pm
I meant Jordan without Pippen 0 Rings.
bill Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 9:04 pm
You are ot of your mind, untill lebron shows the competive fire he will not be as good as kobe. just because his team made it to the finals does not mean that he is better than kobe. first the east is weaker than the west and kobes team mates were injured most of the season. the lakers were kobe and sometimes lamar. the cavs had lebron and gooden and the center (can’t spell his name), and they had a couple of other players that played their best games of their life. the lakers did not have one player that played the best game of their life all year long. and lebron had players that could catch a pass in the post but the lakers did not and that makes a big difference in a teams ability to win big games. every team that has won in the past has always had a inside player and an outside player to balance the attack they did not have to be great just productive. untill lebron wins something he is still number other than one. Kobe , Wade …..Lebron
Jesse Bean Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 9:09 pm
Most if not all of those comments were superb if only talking about Kobe. Lebron is an unbelievable talent and a remarkable athelete, easily one of the best in the world but his demeanor, mentality, ambition, and focus are nothing in comparison to Kobe and Mike. I doubt there are many my age (25) that have watched and played as much basketball as I have with my entire focus on the pros. Only Kobe is comparible in the winning catagories. Lebron is not nearly consistant enough and continually misses winning opportunities, especially at the free throw line. He does not have the intestinal fortitude of the great champions. He is more of a hawthorne effect circumstance with everyone pulling for him. Kobe is set apart from everyone else as he seemingly hits every big shot in the face of more adversity than any great has ever circum. The more they cheer or jeer, the better he is. Kobe is the only basketball player I have ever witnessed playing, includeing mike, that has made me say “wow, that is the best I have ever seen.” If Kobe had Lebron’s same opportunities in his career span he would have already won multiple MVP’s. Kobe is undenialbly, unquestionablly, unequivically the best. And probably ever.
roman Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 9:18 pm
kobe and lerbon, both are good basketball players, all get to say
tim Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 9:19 pm
dc. you’re right about it his name being daniel gibson, but boobie is his nickname. so yeah. neither one of you guys are wrong…in some sense
T Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 9:45 pm
Kobe is way better than LeBron… did u not watch the usa scrimmage? kobe takes over while lebron tries but cant overcome kobe’s will to win… kobe is far superior to lebron offensively and defensively as well he has a better shot and much better on ball defense.. kobe is also more like mike.. he has the killer instinct and will to take over a game.. he lives for the final shot and is ridiculously clutch at it.. lebron is a more like a scoring magic johnson.. he scores more but pretty much rebs the same all while making his team mates better but magic was much more clutch than lebron… but i agree with kdaddy that wade has to be included in this battle… besides the 3 hes either on par wit lebron or better in certain aspects… he gets his team mates involved while dominating the game gettin to the basket at will.. he also has in my opinion a better jumper than lebron does (again not counting the 3 lebron shoots the 3 better) and he is more clutch than lebron is hittin many more clutch jumpers than lebron who has only made 1 clutch jumper that i can remember… 2 if u count tat lay up he traveled on against washington but tats not really a jumper.
1 last thing.. i agree with yelito that jordan didn’t really make anybody else better.. he juss dominated the game offensively so well and only passed to the players he trusted to make shots.. meaning that they were alrdy good players that he gave the ball to.
Dre Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 9:53 pm
I don’t even think Lebron should be that high on the list when you are talking about the best in the league. I think Kobe is the best but I would also argue for Duncan and Wade before I would argue for Lebron.
My Thoughts Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 9:53 pm
dc Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 7:50 pm
its not boobie gibson it’s daniel gibson…
^^^
Boobie is his nickname lmao.
In my personal opinion, it has to be Kobe. He can dominate consistently in any facet of the game. Remember though, Lebron is only in his early 20s! Lebron is nowhere near his prime and will definitely take the crown soon. Dwyane Wade is my favourite basketball player, but he isn’t the best player in the NBA. He is definitely in the elite, but he still must refine his jumpshot. I wouldn’t be surprised if Flash pushed himself into the conversation again next season.
Dball Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 11:06 pm
wowwwww, so dumb.
Kobe couldn’t get out the first round because they played the suns and are in a much tougher conference. Who did the Cavs play? a completely dismantled wizards that otherewise might’ve won. Kobe is way bette.
And Duncan is better than all of them. How about two sides of the game. Duncan is better on defense than both of them and grabs tons more boards. Then on offense he helps create for four other teammates and thats why he wins those rings.
paulwall Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 11:06 pm
totaly a crappy article.first of all i do concur that kobe is the best in the NBA based on individual statistics.LeBron is not even in the same range as Kobe as far as the offensive and defensive skills are concerned.I mean Lebron is a phenomenal athelete but he still gots to learn the fundamentals of basketball and polish his midrange jumper.but anywyayz to make my point, Dwayne Wade aka Flash is the closest thing to Kobe as far as the offensive and defensive skills are concerned and in my opinion Wade is the best player in the NBA from a team perspective point of view.He makes his teammates better and also takes over the game when needed.What more proof do you need.Dwade is coming back strong this year for all y’all haters.
Brett Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 11:08 pm
Alright for everybody putting down lebron…thats bull…you cant say he beat down a beaten up pistons team because everybody thought the pistons were going to sweep the cavs…and he had his infamous lebrons game 5…you can say flash is better than him because while he won a championship he had shaq…lebron had zydrunas and lebrons stats rise above dwades…lebrons sidekick in the playoffs was a no name rookie daniel ‘boobie’ gibson a unknown rook who was making a name for himself…and whoever said jordan didnt make anybody better is a complete idiot
alfredo velez Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 11:16 pm
yo f**K labron and kobe both dem ball hogs kobe never passes and so selfish and labron right up selfish labron is better then kobe but my boi carter and d-wade is way better the reason why people like kobe and labron so much is that the think thay they can pul there team on top the lakers will not win a championshie with kobe alone nore make is to the finals labron can pull him team to the finals but will always lose because team work win chamionship not selfish ballhogs
dasdf Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 11:18 pm
um…lebron got out of first round playing a antwan jamison led washington team…kobe had to play against a 2 time mvp as well as another all nba first team…you think lebron would have them? lol dumbass
ethical suicide Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 11:20 pm
First off, the comparison should forever be between Mike and Mamba. In the time period that MJ played in, nobody had ever seen or played like him. In this day and age where every undrafted weakling can hit a buzzer-beater and throw down like vinsanity, it’s a marvel that Kobe is still beasting on these youngn’s like a joke, the way it’s s’posed to be. I just can’t understand what the fascination is, sure, MJ was great but every generation tries to annoint their best as king. Truth is, KB24 is a monster and if ppl jus stopped hating, they would realise that, no lie. Everyone throughout the world knows him even without endorsement deals (see Jordan, Woods etc.) Lastly, who have you ever heard of who can piss off 6 billion ppl because of how confident he is? ‘Nuff said.
Dave H. Said,
July 27, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
There is no comparison to Kobe and Lebron. They play 2 different games. Kobe is a much more polished player offensively and defensively. Lebron is much younger and has a ridiculous amount of talent, but he is not as determined IMO as Kobe. I dont see the fire in Lebrons eyes that I do in Kobes. People just like to hate on Kobe, like its the thing to do. Stop listening to b/s reporters, who jump on bandwagons and rant and rave about the “hot player of the year”. Its like when people say that Nash is the best point guard of this era. That to me is hilarious. Anyone heard of Jason Kidd? Kidd is lightyears ahead of Nash in overall career production. Kobe is the best player on the planet, no questions asked. I think the question is who is the second best player in the world…Lebron might be behind Wade, Duncan and KG. Lebron is flashy and the media buys his fake charm. The dude is cocky enough to say that “this team (USA) is his team to lead”. That is hilarious. This is more Jason Kidd and Kobe’s team than his. Get in the back of the line King James. Your turn will be there, ONCE KOBE RETIRES.
Dumbass velez Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 12:00 am
how the hell is carter better…he had kidd and jefferson and still got wrecked by lebron, he shoots under 40% in playoffs…and lebron is not better than kobe…kobe can explode at any time and he ACTUALLY makes his teammates better. If lebron made his team better then he wouldnt hav scored 27 in a row…plus he cant play defence at the same level as kobe, kobe only looks worse at defence now cuz he carries the entire offensive load while lebron has gooden, hughes, Big Z who all avg 10+ points per game
wb33 Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 12:03 am
kobe all da way & wat ru talkin bout alfredo??? kobe is better dan vince carter in every stat except for rebounding & vince barely beats him there & kobe has better d dan vince too & kobe has 3 rings while vince has 0!!! vince also has jkidd & rj! da olnee thing vince has kobe on is dunking - BIG DEAL
Dave Lewis Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 12:12 am
“because he knows in his heart he was just Shaq’s caddy.”
That is some BS right there. Kobe was the MVP of the WCF all three years. It was kobe with the game winner against the Pacer in OT, it was Kobe with the game winner over Kidd against the Suns in their way to ring #2, it was kobe who scored 48pts and 16 rebounds against the Kings in Game 7, it was Kobe with 45 and 41 over the spurs Twin Towers, it was Kobe locking down AI in the Finals. It was he who got the Lakers through the Spurs, Kings and Blazers while Shaq dominated the much smaller East in the Finals getting the “easy” MVP by matchup default.
. To simply put aside Kobes huge contributions and clutch plays on the biggest stage as “Shaqs caddy” shows a lack of sophistication and memory of those games.
davon Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 12:24 am
the alfredo velez fuckboi cant even spell lebron(LABRON) lol so his vote dont count lol
Hart Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 1:07 am
Kobe is by far the best player in the league and being voted first team all nba offense and defense only validates this. Lebron’s offensive game is far from being polished and his defense is not even worth talking about. Besides, his NBA resume is not even comparable to Kobe’s.
Lebron is in a tier below Kobe and on the same level with other players like Duncan, Wade and Garnett. Both are exciting players to watch though.
Eric Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 1:20 am
What the hell, why isnt Tim Duncan the best in the league???PLEASE gimme a legit reson, why does it always have to be a wing player thats the best player???? Except for Jordan, which wing player was actually considered the best player in the league????
Antonio Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 1:26 am
First let me say one thing….Alfredo Velez, go back to school and learn how to spell (Uh, first grade is a start)
Now, lets talk about the best player in the league. The best all around player in the league is Kobe…hands down! Just look at the championship runs, yes…Shaq drew a lot of attention in the post but who did the team go to in the crunch…it certainly was not Shaq because he couldnt make a free throw! Kobe has 3 rings because he was the catalyst. You give Kobe a couple more pieces on what he has now the Lakers will once again be dominant (barring injuries).
To compare LeBron to Kobe doesnt make sense at this point…even King James said that he doesnt have the killer instinct that Kobe has…so what does that tell you! LeBron is definately one of the greatest players in the game…no doubt, but not the best!
This is how it is and anybody that really knows sports without favoring their own team or player would agree.
ronaldo9 Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 1:34 am
dude
kobe is in the western conference man. the western conference. he can’t do it all by himself and beat nash, amare, barbosa, and the others while shawn marion and raja bell are in his grill. even if he could, could kobe beat houston, san antonio, dallas, golden state, utah and denver if ever in the second round with those teams more equally balanced and have the better supporting cast.
can’t compare kobe to lebron by using the playoffs cause the eastern conference is so much weaker than the western conference. lebron had an easy playoffs, seriously. he faced and went through the wizards who were without the magic of caron butler and gilbert arenas. the only person he had to face there was antawn jamison who has been sadly forgotten since his days in golden state. then they beat the nets, who have no bigs. they got Big Z and drew gooden and varejao that are CAPABLE of doing damage. then they faced the pistons, who has no superstar that can create his own shot and no one that can defend the strength of lebron. so it was easy.
cant compare. if kobe moves to the east or lebron moves to the west. then we can see and then we can compare.
Tyler Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 1:37 am
It was a good article, Kobe is the best all around guy in the league, and he has no supporting cast, but he has not tried to get those guys better. Lamar Odom is a good player, and so is Andrew Bynum, and they would be far better playing with Lebron. Lebron is more talented then Kobe and he is younger, so I would put Lebron as the best player in the League. And I agree that Tim Duncan is the best power forward to play the game, and he definetly belongs up there with the best players in the League. Give it another year and we will find out who is the best.
m Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 1:49 am
Lebron is not a top two player in the league, he is a top one player in the East. Kobe is hands down the best player in the league, much better than Lebron. Lebron hasn’t even figured out how to hit a mid-range jump shot, and he got shut DOWN against a real defensive team like the Spurs. Sure Kobe vs. Lebron would make a good one on one game but who are you kidding Seth, Duncan, KG, and Nash are all more valuable than Lebron until his game continues to develop. These guys keep their game elevated all year in the western conference while Lebron plays in NBA junior, the leastern conference.
LéGuy Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 2:40 am
LeBron is the best FOR HIS AGE!!! He aint even in top 5 in league because he lacks experience so badly! If u r talking about the best player u have to consider all aspects which influence the game of the player… I mean experience touches the performance much more the potential of the player! (potential doesnt touch it at all)… So I disagree with lebron`s name in the talk..
But I agree… Kobe is the best (even if I dont like it too much).
GET LBJ OUT OF IT!!!
BUCK Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 3:42 am
I’m a Cav’s fan and love Lebron like a son, but I have to keep it real and Kap and Yelito wrote the the only real thing I’ve read today. I’ll even go a little farther and say Kobe is a better scorer and plays better defence then Jordan did.Only thing that between Kobe and Jordan, is Jordan’s three more rings, not skills. Also, I wish everone would stop saying great players make their teammates better, because there is no such thing, This is a myth made up by someone who was clueless. Great players draw so much att. that their teammates are given a lot of chances to show what they can do and that is it. Magic never taught anyone the sky-hook, Jordan never taught anyone to hit open jumpers.
Mr.European Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 4:07 am
From my personal point of view, the article is an absolute rubbish (no offence, Seth). First of all, raising such isue is of no use, because we all know, that for today, there is NO such player like MJ was (who was clearly the best player himself on the ground and could also inspire the teammates for the victories). Thus, debating who is the best now is of no use, because there is no such player who could dominate the opponents both physically and mentally and having an undenieably positive aura. The champions are changing virtually every year: if D-Wade was a monster in the finals against the Mavs, then Parker was the one, who caused the most of troubles to the Cavs.
And what about Kobe? Forget the times, when one player may be the corner (and the only) element for a victory. The USA national team’s disasters in the last decade proves, how much the team-play is important. The same thing came to the NBA. Kobe plays with a bunch of walk-ons (except for Odom, maybe) and he has a full trust from Phil, so he can do whatever he wants in the game. No surprise to score over 30 pts a game. Put Kobe in the US national team and he’ll either be an avarage starting 5 member or he’ll leave the team with a great scandal, because “I don’t get enough of ball and freedoom” or smth. like that…
In my eyes, LeBron is more a basketball player, for basketball is a TEAM game, and King James does a better team-play than Kobe.
sasha Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 4:48 am
In order to decide who is the greatest player you have to imagine that you are a respected player in the NBA who happens to be free agent. You have plenty of offers…from LAL, CLE, PHX, SPURS, MAVS and MIN. All of the teams mentioned have one major star on the roster. You have to choose one team and also one star. Bear in mind that your goal is to win the championship as you aren’t growing any younger…your choice should determine who is the best player in the league…and don’t tell me it’s the LAL(Kobe’s team) or CAVS(Bron’s team)…need a hint? It’s narrows down to the SPURS and PHOENIX.
Ishmael Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 5:31 am
Gotta be kidding me. LeBron James? Yeah, I’m a witness. I’m a witness to boring drives and kickouts. I’m a witness to barrelling down the lane and hoping the refs bail him out. I’m a witness to depressing egomania (What do you want to do in the next five years, LBJ? “Two words. Global Icon.” ahhhhh, I lost eight years of my life). I’m a witness to utter laziness on D. I’m a witness to uncreative assists (”underrated” passer LeBron going for his zillionth kickout to a jump shooter). I’m a witness to overexcitement, don’t know what they’re missing because we all forget even the greatness of MJ. When you’re so desperate for new blood, you forget the good stuff. Prediction for LeBron’s career: 1 championship, maybe, in an especially weak year (say, the Spurs get old, and the Lakers don’t get better or major star injuries on the elite teams). Knee inury in his late 20’s. Major fade-out in his 30’s. Career marred by lack of true focus. Never improves on D. In his late-Thirties, he’ll be a third-string jump shooter on the Seattle Supersonics dynasty, while Durant goes for his 5th ring. Hall of fame, but in the just-above-Vince-Carter level.
Rosalind Booker Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 5:39 am
D- Wade? are you kidding me? Kobe is the best to EVER walk on the court. NO ONE compares to Kobe, NO ONE. So let’s not get it twisted. Love him or hate him, Kobe is the BEST. And further more, he will be in the hall of fame, will D- Wade? NOT!!!
g Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 5:40 am
to sum it all up. lebron is good but still far frim the skills and achievements of kobe.. kobe wins man.
t emanuel Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 5:42 am
hey guys lets be real kobe is the best player in the league with the most heart period!!
rock Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 6:53 am
lebron better than kobe hands down. some of you need to open your eyes and actually watch the game of basketball.
jcasso Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 6:56 am
forget it. no one is as good as kobe. not if you’re talking about pure offensive power. yeah, lebron is a better team player, but this blog is posing the question of who is the better player in a head to head matchup? the answer to the question is CLUTCH! lebron shrivles up at the end of the game, kobe shines. end of discussion.
oliver Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 6:56 am
Cavs went to finals only cause, Arenas, Butler, got injured, and same was with some Nets players. East sucks, they would lose in first round in the west. I am not sure they would go past bulls either.
brian Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 7:51 am
Bball fans I am going to be honest I am LA fan lebron is a great player lacks d fense and desire kobe has the all arround game dwade is better then lebron and some1 said what about a big guy tim what about him so he is the poster child for the league and cries when he doesnt get calls play center were u belong especially at 7 ft just goes to show he is weak shaq let him know that kobe is the best and every1 knows that
bigdog Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 7:52 am
Kobe is the single most disruptive force in the league… to his on franchise. i don’t want to hear about he doesn’t have a supporting cast Lamar, ex laker Caron Bulter are more than average players. He has had average bigs ( Chris Mims, Andrew Bynum,Ronny Turaif,Kwame Brown) and shooters in Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic and Vladmir. If Kobe is so great then get your teammates easy looks for easy baskets. Motivate them not whine and complain and leave all your personal issuse at home. Your defense is so overrated. You’ve been torched by Dwade, Gil Zero, Bonzi Wells, Ray Allen, Cory Magette to name a few. How many “superstars” got 60 point put on them last year?Put M.J. on the Lakers they @ least get to the 2nd round.
amra01 Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 7:55 am
how can you even mention the name of god Michael in an article about over-polished by media kobe and Lebron… they ain’t that good Lebron is an nowdays Dominique Wilkins a freak of nature kobe knows how to play ball he dribbles shoots moves way better than any other guard but he is so weak mentally he just doesn’t have it inside and either of them just don’t try at D.
Wade proved himself last year he had some bad injuries this year. I expect Carmello to get better than Lebron he is fundamentally better than Lebron.
Matt Sans Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:10 am
Lebron isnt on kobe’s level. His jumps shot and defence arent even close to kobe’s and bron does have a better team then kobe and if lebron were in the west like kobe he would of been out in the first round.
bigdog Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:13 am
As far as him perhaps being the greatest? Forget about it. Bill Russell has rings for both hands. The most dominant? Wilt, Shaq, Kareem were so dominant they cause major rule changes in the sport as an attempt to slow them down. Don’t make the Jordan comparison he isn’t as good as Pippen in his prime ( you know the guy who led the Bulls the year Jordan retired), Dr.J, Charles Barkley, Magic, Bird. The bottom line is championships and without Shaq he won’t win another. Lebron has alot of potential but he isn’t there yet. But Dwade is a prime time player. He’s makes his teammates better, he’s clutch, a team player and has a ring to show for it.
david Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:15 am
You must really be getting hard up for articles. Add up both guys rings and they still don’t equal Duncan (I guess if you want to include Dwane’s gift, then it’s even). Take Timmy off the Spurs and they’re 500 at best. Pick a player to build a team around and the pundits will tell you Tim all the way. And he ain’t finished yet. So he’s boring — he wins.
Kobe should count as 2 players — himself and his ego. Sure they’re “flashy”..Yes they’re phenomenal talents. But TODAY ? Tim.
Aj Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:15 am
Ithink you all are forgetting about Allen Iverson………At six feet no one has done what he has and probabaly there will be no one. Lets take you back to 2001 when allen iverson and a bunch off bums on the team except for Mutumbo went to the finals. It was all Ai that year..In my mind if he had been 6′7 he would have been greater than jodan….but thats just me talkin….lol
LeBron James Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:17 am
Kobe is better than LeBron. Seth you’re a retard.
Seth Ferranti Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:20 am
I’m sorry guys. I was wrong. I take back everything that I said. Kobe is better than LeBron. I don’t know what I was thinking. Please forgive me.
bigdog Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:23 am
oh, i forgot about Hakeem the Dream, unstoppable. During the M.J. “retirements” the most unstoppable force in the league. Miss me with Kobe Bryant!
scuba slim Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:28 am
the video game was Jordan vs Bird… Dr. J?? C’mon now
carter Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:32 am
I still think Kevin Garnett
is the most dominate he had how many staight double doubles Is always up in the stats but just becuase he has no support people write him off
Eugene Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:53 am
let me start by saying this, Kobe, Lebron and lets not forget Dwade are the best wing players in the planet hands down. However, last time i checked 8 of the last 9 titles went to teams led by 2 player, Duncan and Shaq. Sure Kobe was on the lakers team, but like the article said he was robin to Shaq’s batman. The best players have always been jugded by championships, and although fans prefer to watch a wing player over a dominate center if you wanna talk best lets talk Duncan vs. Shaq.
Francis Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 9:00 am
Neither are better than Tim Duncan in the league. But because this is down to two players only, and since they are completely in different positions to the great TD, I have no choice but to compare LeBron and Kobe.
Kobe is just about better in all facets of the game. Better moves, defense, clutch and shooting make Kobe a complete player, even though he may not be as physically freaky as LBJ is.
Teamwise, LeBron is more committed to involving the team, while Kobe gets his bad reps at ball hogging and isolating his team mates. James has a fairly decent team in a pathetic conference while Kobe has to tough it out in the west. Head to head they would be equal, depending on who plays the better game.
But when it comes to winning, Kobe just does it better.
Shannon Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 9:12 am
“The west is the stage, the east is a j.v. league. Lebron didnt play against Arenas and Hughes and Kristic,”
LeBron didn’t play against Hughes because he was on the same team.
Michael Boff Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 9:28 am
I didn’t even read your article after you discarded Wade from the question. Wade is SOOOOO much better than Lebron it isn’t even funny. I could name five players off the top of my head that are better, but I won’t. Dwyane Wade? We are talking about a performance against the Mavs, that Lebron’s game 5 PAILS in comparison too? To say you call it like it is, and exclude Wade, is ridiculous. But you are just part of sports media, and you feed on hype.
And if I had to pick one player in the NBA for a team, its Duncan hands down.
Michael Boff Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 9:32 am
OK I just went back and read the article….Now I’m sure your an idiot.
One of your main points is Lebron leading a bad team to the finals, and the Kobe not being able too. You are joking right???? THE CAVS PLAYED WIZARDS, NETS, and a falling apart PISTONS!
Now aside from the fact that Kobe played THE SUNS, which is better than all of the above teams combined, he would then have to have played THE SPURS.
What went through your head when you were reasoning this out?
Frank Davis Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 9:44 am
I don’t get it. We are so much into flash over substance. Basketball is the only team sport where one player can truly make the difference between winning and losing, the only one where to be in the greatest conversation you have got to be able to will your team to at least be a consistent contender. To get the crown, you have to be the best player on a championship team. Who’s the best player in the NBA? The one who gives you the best chance of winning, the one if you were doing a draft and all NBA player were eligible, you’d pick first? When Jordan played he was that man. In Shaq’s prime, he was clearly thaat guy. Right now, that guy is clearly Tim Duncan. In a society obsessed by stats and hightlights, he get overlooked, but he is the player in the league who gives his team the best chance of winning. That makes him the best
Kobe and Lebron are great players, but a Kobe led team has never gotten out of the first round and in Kobe’s game 7, against a Phoenix team without Amare 2 seasons ago, he stunk. Kobe is the league’s best scorer, but Nash has more impact on wins and losses. Lebron may become the league’s best, but he has to work on his J and free throw shooting, glaring weaknesses, to claim that throne. Meanwhile Duncan is dominating right now. 4 championships with 4 different supporting casts.
And for all you guys, like Yelito, who want to put Kobe on Jordan’s level by saying Jordan won 0 rings without Pippen, that’s just ignorance. There’s winning rings and there’s being the man. Steve Kerr has 5 rings, but nobody confuses him with a great player. Nobody wins a ring without help. Every champion has more than one exceptional player, but who is the straw that stirs the drink? Who is the player attracting double and triple teams, leaving his teamates wide open. Who is the team built around? Jordan was the man on six championships teams (that’s why he has 6 playoff mvp’s…How many does Kobe have? 0) Kobe is great, but Shaq was clearly the man on the Lakers championship teams. Can Kobe be the best player on a championship team? Maybe. But his selfishness and lack of leadership are his Kryptonite. Until that changes, he’s more flash than substance and he’s going to keep watching guys like Duncan and Wade, complete players, carry the trophy.
Here’s my list of today’s greatest players in order…
1. Duncan
2. Wade
3. Nash
4.Dirk
5. KG
6. Kobe
7. Lebron
Peace,
FBD
ralph Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 9:44 am
what? lebron or kobe? none of the above.. kobe is a selfish player, he can’t make his teamate look good and he is boastful.. lebron is just luck to have that kind of athleticism, but his not that skillful!! dwane wade is better than them i mean way way better.. jason kidd is better than them, duncan and garnett is better than them, tmac, ray allen, paul pierce, allen iverson are better than them!
bigdog Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 10:10 am
Since Shaq left what has Kobe won? Get out of the 1st round and then talk to me about Kobe. As far as Timmy i think he benefit from playing on a well rounded, well coached team. i’ll take K.G. over him any day i think he is more talented. Put him on the Spurs he would have as many rings if not more than Timmy.
bigdog Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 10:22 am
leave Dirk out of any conversation about top players. He’s 7ft and plays like he’s 5ft. He has absolutely no heart at all much like the Mavs team. And yes i said Dr.J he was then what Jordan was later as far as skill wise and was part of one of the greatest championship teams ever.
ballathrilla Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 10:43 am
To say LeBron is better than Kobe is to big of a statement. Me, personally, would say Kobe is better than LeBron; some may consider Kobe a ballhog but how can you say that to a guy who leads his team in assists with about 5? The downfall of LeBron james is his lack of having a consistent jumpshot and to not be able to efficiently knockdown clutch shots which is nearly opposite of what Kobe does. Kobe’s jumpshot is nearly perfection as to his beautiful display of putting his team on his back and carrying them in clutch moments. LeBron maybe the Prodigy, but until his jumpshot improves and gets rid of that “lean” in his shot, we can all say he is better than Kobe and put him into the same category as MJ himself. Until then, i believe Kobe remains better as long as those two categories are in check for him.
Marc Sarc Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 10:48 am
Well, SETH FERRANTI….WHO? Kobe is the best player in the league but LeBron is nowhere near as good as Kobe. Bron can’t hit midrange shots, his jumpshot needs improving. Wade has developed himself as a relatively good midrange shooter. So i’d rather choose Wade over Bron…
william limon Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 11:01 am
Hey seth are you ok…here we go!…better offense, better defense,
better shot, best clutch in the world. mmm..anyway lebron (and wade)
is just all physical ability that makes him good. kobe is the perfect baller, its all skills for that guy, he is by far the most skilled player in the world. And seth thats how much you know! making your pick lebron because he got to the finals playing in the east? what a joke!
If lebron was on the west side there is no way he is in finals or playoffs
kobe has no team and we play..huh.. the freeking suns!..come on.
Hey the cavs played there best basketball when lebron didn’t play, they won game after game withought him (miami goes on sick winning streak withought wade) what does that tell you. Back to kobe, time after time he has proven him self, and the haters burn and steam, time after time after time. Hey did the blue vs white game burn too?
Clutch!
Hey to all the kobe haters… its OK.. i understand…just make shure you keep doing what you do… hating the best…loving the rest…LA…
josh Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 11:03 am
get realllllllllllllll.
dwyane wade is definately better than lebron james, no questions asked.
and its debatable between him & kobe…id go with wade as of right this minute but kobe has a longer resume and thus gets the nod if this is based upon entire careers.
Bone Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 11:15 am
Kobe’s ability to shoot from the perimeter and knock down throws makes him better than LeBron, DWade, and Carmelo. Hence he is the best in the world. If LeBron, Dwade, and/or Carmelo develop the 3pt threat as a weapon they might be able to challenge Kobe then. Hell, Kobe’s offensive skills are better than Jordan’s were for that very same reason, the 3ball. That’s why Mike never scored 70 while Kobe broke the 80 mark!
Frank_head Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 11:24 am
Lebron is a fruitcake.
Kobe is the man. Plain and simple. Kobe is so wise on the court now and his attitude and swagger.
AB_40 Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 11:25 am
ohw yeah great article, not. ey how old are you 12? have you even watched the nba this year? none of those players will ever be in the same breath with MJ because of one thing??? you know the thing that wins championships, san antonio anyone? defense. MJ won the dpoy and mvp in one year. I don’t see kobe doing that and lebron will never be an eat you up defender while he can be, just watch ron artest in 04 he could do that. ah well in my eyes, kobe is the best individual player. and tim duncan the most valuable
fresherthanyou Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 11:30 am
Kobe is the better player by far. He has no flaws offensively and his defensive team accolades speaks volumes. Lebron is a strong player and undoubtedly one of the best in the game, but he is at least three years away from being a complete player. His jumpshot is no where near Kobes, and he has yet to develop a dominant post game— not to even mention the flaws in his more times than not weak defense. Yes, Lebron did lead the Cavs to the finals, but he did it in the JV eastern conference. If the Cavs faced the Suns in the first round like Kobe did they would have been packing too. Mamba is the best since that mICHAEL jORDAN guy…. accept it
migz Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 11:53 am
how can u pick lebron because he went to the finals and not kobe because he cant get out of the 1st round. maybe u forgot east and west are different
LeBron_sucks Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 11:56 am
You either:
a) chose LeBron because you enjoy pissing off Kobe fans.
or
b) chose LeBron because you are an idiot.
LeBron for the long haul, but Kobe faces competition that makes all of the Eastern conference go: “Dyyyaammmmmmmmmnnnnnnn”. If LeBron wouldn’t have been swept by the Phoenix Suns …
super Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
i agree that Kobe vs. LeBron would make a great one-on-one video game. i dont agree with that being criteria for why they are the two best players in the NBA. they are two of the most athletic, dynamic, versatile and exciting players in the L. definetly the two most talented players in the league, few other players enjoy their gifts. but i rank DUNCAN and NASH ahead of them without hesitation. Because they are BALLERS, they play to win, and they are good at that. Duncan has led his team 4 times to championship glory. You want an example of someone leading a team of misfits deep in the playoffs? how about Nash leading a team without a big man to the western conference finals? Boris Diaw at centre and tim thomas at power forward. Duncan and Nash are currently the top two basketball players in the L. Kobe and LeBron definetly have more talent and all that remains is them figuring out basketball in their heads. I think also Dwayne Wade and Dirk Nowitzki round out the top 5.
jboogie Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
i think dwade MUST be included in this conversation.. he led a bunch of old washups to the championship.. and kobe might be the most talented right now but he hasn’t shown the ability to lead a team by himself…lebron is a phenomenal athlete and basketball player and he did lead a pretty bad team to the finals.. BUT thats wat seperates wade from lebron.. wade has the ring…you’ve got to remember.. kobe=in his prime… lebron and wade aren’t even in their prime yet.. so kobe maybe most talented now.. but a few years from now .. dwade vs lebron is gonna be a battle for the ages..and i don’t think any one can predict who’s gonna come out on top.. till then.. we just have to guess
neotank Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
Lebron and Wade are the two best in the league IMHO. And I wish people would stop saying that the Cavs were givin a free pass to the Finals. If Detroit made it to the Finals nobody would say that.
Detroit was a very very good team, and Lebron socked them in the chops. If you look at the matchups, Detroit should have owned the cavs. And you all saw what happened.
And I also can’t believe people talk about Lebron not being clutch. He had the single greatest performance I have ever seen in all of sports in the Eastern Conference Finals, and he’s only 22!
Has anyone watched Kobe’s playoff performances the last 2, 3 years. He’s stunk it up pretty bad in clutch games. And he’s a head case that RUINS the teams pshyche and chemistry. Give the guy some meds please.
And answer me this. Would Kobe’s Lakers have beaten the Pistons? NO WAY!!!!
Dave H. Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
Frank Davis…come on man. That list is horrible. Yeah, all those dudes are the tops in the league but the rankings are HORRIBLE
It should be like
1. Kobe (easily)…no questions asked
2. Duncan (best pf ever)
3. Nash/KG/Kidd…tied
4. Wade
5. Lebron
6. Nowitski…and im being generous. Did you see the playoffs? Dude put his tail between his legs and ran. Terrible.
And as for the greatest of all time….that is so hard to say. MJ is everybodies “sexy” pick. “wanna be like Mike”/sticking out the tongue….bla bla bla. MJ was a BEAST, dont get me wrong. But its not as clear cut as everyone tries to make it out to be. Everyone says he never had a team around him. hahah. Scottie Pippen, Rodman (maybe both make the HOF someday. maybe not Rodman, but Pippen for sure), Kerr (one of the best 3 point shooters all time) Horace Grant (solid bigman, who knew his role and played it perfectly) Kukoc (another good role player, that could drain threes) Harper (good complimentary guard that takes care of the ball and plays good D) Hodges (another good 3 pt. shooter) So dont say he did it by himself. That is a damn good team. He had Pippen to guard the best guy everynight. And that era the balance between great guards and great big men were about even. Nowadays there are few great big men, and tons of great guards. Best of all time could be MJ, Magic, Wilt, Russell, Kobe (we will see after career) T. Duncan (again, to be continued) Kareem. ITs not as obvious as most make it. True basketball fans make real arguments for whos the greatest. ESPN highlight watchers make funny comments like Lebron being the best in the league. uhh uh! Stop watching highlights.. Who is the best ALL AROUND player out of those top guys I mentioned? Kobe. He hits the three easily, makes all team defense and offense. He still averages 5 assists and his team is TERRIBLE. You only make your team mates better if they hit the open shot. If you say that he doesnt get his teammates open shots, watch a Laker game. Dude is double/triple teamed nightly and passes it to watch his boys throw up bricks. surround Kobe with some dudes with heart and that can hit a jumper he could easily average 30pts 7rebs 8 ass. Too bad they still dont have a “shooter”. Please end this discussion. King James isnt even the best in the Eastern Conf. He still has to compete with Kidd and Wade
Dwyane Wade Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
First off guys, I am not on the level of those two players. the championship was handed to me by refs in 2006. Bill Simmons saw through it, Mark Cuban, NBAdraft.net, heck every good sports site saw that the refs gave it to me.
Second, MJ is over-rated, due to over-expansion the mid 90’s were the weakest era in basketball. Talent has gotten considerably better today. Old fogies put this era down to exemplify their era. Team ball was better back then but talent wise, we have a deeper pool of talent since we have gone international. Sure we don’t produce the scores or the steals or blocks of older players but that has a lot to do with the talent. Watch videos of players in the eighties and seventies and the majority of them dribbled with only one hand. If a person only dribbles with one hand you could easily predict him and pick the ball with ease. Bill Russell was a rebound monster in his era because the courts were smaller. Trust me when I say a smaller court affects defensive stats significantly in fact, a big guy has less effect the bigger the court gets. Kobe is the best SG ever.
The best five players ever according to me, D-Wade, are(this is based on talent alone, not statistics or awards):
pg- Jason Kidd, Magic was good but he struggled against Dennis Johnson, who was a defensive dynamo, in fact he struggled against any big guard who played D, even Walt Frazier in his twilight gave him trouble. Imagine a guy who weighs 30 lbs. heavier, is faster, stronger, and plays team ball better than DJ. JK would have a field day due to the fact Magic played weak D.
sg- Kobe Bryant, has better handles, better fadeaway, not the best but a good 3, and he plays D.
sf- Michael Jordan, he played mostly SG, but I have too much respect for him to leave him off the list.
pf- Tim Duncan, he has the fundamentals, and another two way player. KG is not on the same page. He isn’t as good of an defensive intimidator in the paint, and plays less in the post than Tim.
c- Shaquille O’Neal- Shaq was the ultimate player in his prime, collecting 30, 15 a night in the Laker mini-dynasty era during the playoffs minus the last run which Kobe was more in control, his high FG% overcomes his FT, and the fact he put opposing big men in foul trouble. Sure he was burned by Hakeem in the Magic Finals but Shaq in LA would have had his #.
As for today’s top ten is goes like this:
1. Tim Duncan- another ring, still in prime
2. Kobe Bryant- alienates team too much to take top spot
3. Kevin Garnett- Good player bad team, remember surround him with one close to all-star talent(Latrell pre-final year in Sota), and another all-star(Cassell pre-final year in Sota), and he can make the playoffs.
4. Lebron James- He does a lot of everything, if he play D, improves FT, and gets a jump-shot the top is his.
5. Dwyane Wade- Me of course
6. Dirk Nowitzki- I don’t wanna hear how he does not have an impact, points are just as important in the beginning as they are in the end. Also he shoots close to 50, 40, 90, every year, that’s efficiency, some thing A.I. & Gil needs to learn, and T-Mac used to have.
7. Steve Nash- Assist leader, in the playoffs the past few years he averages 20+ppg, 10+ apg, and always shoots close to 50, 40, 90.
8. Amare Stoudemire- The team suffers more when Nash is gone, and they can still win w/o him but if the Suns want gold he is the key.
9. Shaquille O’Neal- He’s not a beast anymore but his mass still affects the game.
10.Jason Kidd- He’s not the guy he was 4 years ago but he still has a huge impact.
Honorable Mention:
Chris Bosh- You could argue him, w/o him the team would not have any success. He’s left-handed, poor-man’s KG.
Carmello Anthony- An efficient scorer, if he played more D, and rebounded better, he would make the ascension. Also he gave the Spurs more trouble than Lebron, but then again AI, Camby, and Nene trump LBJ’s cast.
T-Mac- Despite his terrible shooting, he averaged similar stats to cousin Carter but his impact is more profound than that, he led the Rockets to wins when Yao was out.
Tie- Deron Williams & Baron Davis- Baron when healthy is always a monster, people were surpised what he did against the Mavs but he did the same against Orlando when he used to be a Hornet, injuries have marred a possibly great career. Williams at the moment is better than Paul, he can hold his own against bigger points due to his athleticism, and weight, he can shoot the three, and he can get in the paint at will. His rebounding is understated due to Boozer, Kirilenko and Okur. And minus steals, he is a better, physical defender.
These guys are the current Superstars of the NBA, sorry to burst your bubble but these are the facts. Well, I gotta go, Shaq is having a party at his house.
bigdog Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
Are we talking about the same player who, in a game seven decide not to shoot the ball and watch his team lose to make a point? Is this the same guy who talks behind his teammate’s back about how bad he is? Is this the dude who the front office bends over to grant his wishes just to hear him complain even more? This is the same guy who can’t get out of the 1st round without Shaq right? The best player in the world who wants to get traded because he can’t win with his present team. You know the team that he demanded to be traded to when he was drafted by the Hornets out of high school. This is the same Kobe that snitch on his teammate when he got caught with his pants down. I don’t know of another superstar in the history of the game that’s a bigger Ass than your boy Kobe. No matter if he’s in the west or as You all like to bite off Steven A. Smith and say the J.V. league if you are the best and draw comparison to M.J. stop making excuses and win!
rafael Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 1:49 pm
Ok LeBron led the Cavs to the Finals but he plays in the Eastern Conference , not the Western like Kobe does. If Kobe was playing in the Eastern Conference in palce of LeBron, he would also have led them to the the Finals, no doubt about that. So I think for now, Kobe is better than LeBron, but in a few years LeBron will be the best player to ever play the game.
Fair and balanced Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 2:02 pm
Instead of a long letter, everything I can say has basicaly been said, I will just give my answer: KOBE. So lets see, thats about 450 responders so far picking Kobe, and about 3 responders picking Lebron. I actually think Wade and Duncan got as many or more votes here today than Lebron. Anyway, this forum with responders from around the world, has overwhelmingly, hugely, landslidingly, chose Kobe.
Minneapleseed Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 2:14 pm
In my estimation, the question of who is best can be answered by asking the question of who wins the most games ON THEIR OWN. The easy answer there is KG. Check out this article http://dberri.wordpress.com/2006/05/28/the-tragedy-of-kevin-garnett/
It is by one of the Wages of Wins guys.
Kobe had Shaq and Dr. Phil. Duncan won in a half season, an after Jordan season, and a ref scandal season, so I won’t count him. Call the Spurs front office the best, and I would agree. LeBron and Wade have yet to peak, so to claim them the best seems a bit premature. Dirk is Dirk. Nash is the best PG in a era devoid of true playmakers at the position.
KG won MVP in 2004 and has had similar or better years every year since and garners no media attention outside of ridiculous trade specultation.
Recognize the true Best Player on The Planet resides in Minnesota.
KG4MVP
bigdog Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 2:25 pm
If M.J. would play in todays NBA he would be killing people with the way the rules are. The game has become so soft. Kobe wouldn’t have survived the Bad Boys with there physical style of play or the old Knicks with Mason, L.J.’ Patrick Ewing, Starks among others. And i ask again what superstar that you know of got torched for 60 (by Gil zero), 45 ( by Redd) among others who had 30+ points. Doesn’t sound like a defensive stopper to me. Tell who has ever did that to M.J.? And by the way Jordan didn’t always play with Pippen, he hit the Larry Legend led Celts up for 64 before Pip, Rodman,Grant and whoever else you want to bring up. Pippen came in with Grant 4yrs later.
bigdog Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 2:33 pm
in a matter of fact he averaged 35.0 a game, won his first MVP as well as Defensive player of the year in 1987-88 with Pip being a rookie backing up Brad Sellers and Grant backing up Charles Oakley. In other words M.J. was always a baller so don’t try to still his shine because he played with Pip.
noble monyei Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 2:53 pm
Kobe is the best individual player if you take the overall offense/defense and overall team impact.
Le Bron is the future and if he cultivates that assasin mentality the Kobe has he will go down as the best ever.
Shout out for my man D-Wade who is a stone cold killer also!
slugger Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
Are you kidding? I will take Wade over any of those two, and I’m a Laker fan.
Jeremy Rudolph Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 3:17 pm
Lebron is the best PERIOD !! Think about it, Dwayne Wade and kobe have not been out of the first round of the playoffs without Shaquille O’neal. Wade’s rookie year was a first round exit and nobody really knew who he was until SHAQ arrived !!! The same goes with Kobe Bryant, The last time he advanced out of the first round was with Shaquille O’neal. Lebron James does not nearly have the supporting cast those 2 guys had, but made it to the finals. I’m tired of hearing that the cavs had an easy road to the finals, because we still had to beat the best team in the east ( Pistons ) to advance. I assure you that the heat or the lakers would not have beat the pistons this year !! This makes Lebron the best player………..
Yelito Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 3:29 pm
Dwyane Wade Said, I agree with your assessment.
johan Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
being in the east couldve been a factor to why LBJ was able to bring the cavs to the finals.
jeff Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
i agree with everyone’s opinion’s. but for someone to say that MJ didn’t make the players around him better. MAN, you gotta be kidding me and that’s all i have to say.
Geo Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 4:46 pm
Kobe’s scoring skill set is far superior to Lebron’s. Lebron isn’t even in same league with his back to the basket, set jumper, pull up jumper, natural nose for the bucket, or man defense. I’d even say Lebron’s jumper was below average.
only advantages lebron has are passing and power–that’s it.
cre8or Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 5:04 pm
It is sad that there is this much debate over these two players, when a boring to watch Duncan is clearly the best player that truly makes his teammates better and guaranteed to win championships for any team he plays for. Can’t say the same for Kobe or Lebron. He doesn’t get credit because he is not a guard and everyone wants to see another Mike but there will never be another Mike so stop comparing
Mark Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
Kobe is hands down the best basketball player right now - he can do anything lebron can (and Better) plus he is a better outside shooter & Defender (One of the best defenders in the league). Kobe is the best scorer and one of the best defenders (sounds like Jordan to me) Lets not also forget, no matter how good Shaq was, he couldn’t win it all without Kobe Bryant (and Vice Versa), if he could he would’ve won it with Orlando when he and Penny Hardaway were teamates and had a great supporting cast but he needed someone like Kobe to get him over that hump.
The article closes with “For me, though, I’ll go with LeBron because he just led a similar Cavs team to the Finals while Kobe’s Lakers can’t get out of the first round”.
Have we also forgotten that Lebron is in the weak Eastern Conference and Kobe is in a STACKED Western conference? In addition, lets compare players on both teams
- Ill gladly take:
- Larry Hughes and Boobie over Smush Parker and Jordan Farmar
- Big Z over Bynum
- Drew Gooden over Kwame Brown
I like Lebron’s Game a lot, but he is second only to the man with that clutch mentality to take the game winning shot and knock down clutch free throws down the stretch, stuff that Lebron struggled with (free throw shooting during key moments in games) is still improving on, but not yet up to Kobe’s Level. Hands down, ill take Kobe over Lebron - Not even close at this point.
Jon Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 6:26 pm
Without any doubt in my mind Kobe Bryant is the best player on the planet. This is a great article but to say in the end that lebron is better than kobe is just stupid. Ya lebron maybe is the second best player in the league but he can’t match up with Kobe. Kobe leads this group of flunkies to the playoffs every year and then has to play an all star team for the past two years so don’t criticize him for not getting past the 1st round jackhole. Nobody in the league can take over a game like Kobe Bryant.
Jon Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 6:41 pm
Let me go ahead and just add on to my previous statement. For all u idiots who say kobe is a ball hog then u don’t watch and know basketball. Because kobe leads his team in assist. Also (listen carefully) there is two parts to an assist:
part 1: completing the pass
part: making the shot
and with kobe’s garbage teammates how is that possible. i mean come on ….kwame brown!!!! r u serious
so there kobe is the best ..i win
chan Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 6:44 pm
once again ppl are ranking players because of how their teams did during the season. LISTEN, if u put Kobe in place of steve nash or duncan he would be winning championships also!! dont tell me “Kobe’s a ball hog, kobe’s selfish” if u watch any of the lakers games u see kobe passing the ball plenty of times to open teammates that cant hit the shots. So if he had a tony parker, ginobli, or Amare/Marion, u would say he’s the best player in the L today. And u cant compare Lebron and Kobe, Kobe’s game is way versatile than lebrons, his midrange game is untouched and he knocks shots down when his team needs it.
pipios Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 6:58 pm
Lebron needs to learn how to make a wide open J before he can be compared to kobe
Nikos Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 7:07 pm
Kobe is far far far away from Lebron. He is much more talented. But excuse me mr. Ferranti, Lebron who???? Put him in a west coast team and he’ll never get playoffs. Wade, Nash and Dirk are greater than this… king thing invented by the US media. And please, please, please, don’t link that guy with Mike, you commit sacrilege.
Regards from Greece
Nikos
Nikos Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 7:14 pm
I just read your last comment and now i Know!!! You have nothing to do with basketball man, sorry but you should wash some dishes instead…
Brian Boytono Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:01 pm
this article sux, and get it right kobe is 29. did you hear the list of guys that recited from the bulls championship roster????? my god Odom is better than any of them. Mike Wilks won a championship with the spurs, does that make him a championship calibur teammate? in closing ive come to expect horrible articles from you that waiste my time at work, and may god have mercy on your sole
Dre Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:20 pm
People keep saying Kobe can’t get his team out of the first round putting all the emphasis on offense. Offensively he can do what needs to be done but he can’t do it all by himself on defense.
Comparing Kobe’s teams the last few years to Jordan’s teams, and Jordan’s guys played defense. Jordan, Pippen, and later Rodman gave them 3 of the best defenders in the league.
The Lakers got killed on the pick n roll and the fast break against the Suns in the last two years. Them losing has nothing to do with his inability to make his teammates better.
Whatever commentator started that saying “making your teammates better” should be killed, it is not possible. The most you can do is get your teammates open shots, it is up to them to knock them down. That has go to be the most overused and annoying phrase in basketball.
william limon Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:25 pm
KOBE is the BEST in the WORLD..come on world.. lets stop playing games.
Lets get serious… haters!… you can’t say anything anymore…you can’t
run from the truth(kobe)…say what you say.. it’s easy to see who is the best… since he came in the league…time after time…
For the kobe aficionado check it out…at..youtube.com
-kobe bryant greatest of all time-
-best of kobe bryant-
Ishmael Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 8:46 pm
You CAN make your teammates better. You can create an environment where people believe with all their hearts that they are a part of something larger, you can make playing fun, you can lead your teammates to playing for the good of the whole. Granted, that’s a bit hard to do with freaking Smush and Kwame and Mihm. It’s not about ball-hogging, or about being “selfless”. Kobe pouted and just passed the ball off in passive agressive whininess after he was called a ball-hog. Sure, Jordan might have been a bit of a ball hog. But everyone felt a part of something GOOD, something TRUE. Kobe can’t do that. I don’t think he will. MJ set the bar too high. MJ forever, baby. Peace.
Ballin Boi D Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 9:44 pm
ooo all yall smokin that iiissshhh yall kno jordan the greatest of all time he made ALL his teamates better think bout it ery1 jordan played wit was piss afta they left him or b4 they got wit him except maybe rodman but neva eva compare kobe or lebron 2 jordan please jordan was beyond great james got some potential 2 b close 2 jordan but as of now hell naw but kobe good maybe great but he doesnt make his teamates better n he cant even get near the finals without shaq if anything shaq like jordan (except he a bigman of course) he make every1 aroun him better but if u ask me duncan n nash the best in the nba duncan prolly not the most fun 2 watch but he is 1 of or the best n nash is fun 2 watch n is prolly the best
be serious Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 10:01 pm
kobe is way better than labron, Seth watches to much espn, the network that is in love with Labron James, truth is the man could not make an open jumper in the finals. Bruce Bowen dared him time and time again to take the open jumper and time and time again he threw up bricks, he needs to change his whole form cause he has that terrible lean in what is already a broke jumper, he is big and his best move is freight train down the lane and hopes people either move out the way or he gets a foul call. As a matter of fact D Wade is way better than Labron did we forget about what a HEALTHY D Wade did in the finals in 2006? Common we are talking about the finals the same stage Labrin failed on so miserabely a few months ago
On the other hand Kobe Bryant does it all, he has the most range on his jumper that i have ever seen do you see where this man takes and makes some of his 3s from its absolutely amazing, we are spoiled out here in LA cause we get Kobe every night, he has a great handle, a good passer, rebounds, plays defense, has a great back to the basket game, pull up jumper, takes it to the hole, we really need to stop hatin on him cause we might be watching the best basketball player to ever pick up a basketball. That is why he switched to 24 cause he is one better than Jordan 23.
jimmy Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 10:04 pm
Boobie is Daniel’s nickname… his mom used to call him that when he was a kid.
frankie Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 10:24 pm
Kobe is better…If kobe brought the lakers to the East they would get to the finals as well..Lebron cant play a nick of defense!!Kobe has the intestinal fortitude to bring it on the defensive end.Hes been 1st team all defense for many years when lebron cant even make a 3rd team.When you are that good on both sides of the court YOU are the BEST player bar none…Kobe has 3 rings even though Shaq was there but without Kobe shaq wouldnt get his 3 rings!!Yah Lebron makes his teammates better but so does Kobe…Kobe is on par with Lebrons assists numbers…when it comes down to it,
Kobe will have more rings than Lebron and thats where greatness lies, the number of rings baby!!!
The Professor Said,
July 28, 2007 @ 11:22 pm
All I got to say is Kobe is flat out an assassin. The flare in his eyes and his competitive nature is unbeatable. If you surround kobe with teammates like Lebron has in Cleaveland, they would definetely would have won at least 2 championships by now. Now put Lebron in LA, the lakers wouldnt even make the playoffs. KOBE is hands down much better then Lebron. But then again, Lebron is still young but Lebron doesnt seem to be the star he is capable of becoming. He’s seems like he basically lives for his sprite and nike commercials. I see him putting more effort into that then basketball. What seperates the two players is the LOVE for the game. Kobe is a perfectionist just like Jordan. He puts in the extra hours and perfects his game and he’s been doing this since his first year. Lebron, on the otherhand, hasn’t shown that committment as of yet. All in all, Kobe is much better then Lebron, unless Lebron shapes up and come’s back next season with a vengence to go to the finalz and win a championship. Also, if Kobe had a shot like Lebron in the Finalz last year, we all Know KOBE would have made sure he goess back to LA with his 4rth championship ring. You have to admit that, don’t fool yourself. Payce……
NiWdLE Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 12:02 am
i’ll choose kobe anytime. he’s the most unstoppable player in the offensive end and he’s fiercest defender in the NBA which means he’s a complete player but a broken attitude. he got nerves of steel and simply dominates the game! It’s like 1 vs. 12(like what he did with the mavericks). In fairness lebron is still very young with a lot of years to develop specially with his shooting technique. he just needs to dedicate more on perfecting his shooting and probably be a better defender. i chose kobe over bron because the west is simply loaded with all star power forward and centers as compared to the not so loaded east. how can’t you be competitive you just keep going against sub par teams who gets to the playoffs just because of the seeding. lebron’s team is much more balanced than kobe’s so he’s doing everything he can to lift up his team. Kobe’s 81 point explosion really explains how dominant he can be when the game is on the line. i like lebron too but kobe is way to better. kobe is like poetry in motion while lebron is more of an explosive dunker and great upper body strength which makes him tops the league in “and-1″ situation. t
the bottom line for me is kobe is the complete devastating package while lebron is still getting there. im no expert im just voicing out my opinion regarding this topic. peace dudes!
JERMAINE THE KOBE FAN Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 12:11 am
Don’t they mean Kobe vs Wade! During those Kobe and Shaq championship run the media overrated Shaq during those runs! Shaq never won a title without a great SG! Shaq benefited from Kobe and Wade! Michael is more successful then kobe not better! Even Jordan former teammates have said this! Kobe average 25 points a game during those championship run Shaq average 29 points a game during those championship run! That’s more then kareem and magic! Kareem has six rings Magic have 5 rings how come people don’t say magic got five rings because he play with Kareem! But when you mention Kobe three rings with Shaq they quickly reply and say because of Shaq! Because they don’t like Kobe!
Tyler Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 12:53 am
Kobe could not have gotten the Lakers past the Pistons, Lebron had two shots at it and finally did it. Lakers have had two shots at the Suns and their second year was worst then their first…….sad. My order of greatest goes like this.
1. Duncan
2. Lebron
3. Nash
4. Wade
5. Kobe
6. Milicic…hahaha
wiZo Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 1:17 am
GREAT article. till the end. i personally think kobe is the best. it also happens to be every single GM or Player’s poll i’ve seen in the last 2 years all have Kobe as the best player by a good amount too.
still, i have no problem with someone thinking lebron is the best….BUT, the one thing i can’t stand is the argument that lebron is better for taking his team to the finals. its simply illogical and ridiculous. do you really not think ANY of the western playoff teams could win the east? the lakers had it rough with a ridiculous amount of injuries and lamar and kwame playing thru pain in the playoffs. but aside from injuries, stick any of the western playoff teams (lakers, warriors, rockets, etc) in the east and they’d be a top 3 seed and favorite to win the eastern playoffs cuz in the end, like you pointed out, stars win playoffs series. not depth. not coaching. its stars that can steal one or two games thus changing an entire series.
i have no doubt lebron will overtake kobe soon. maybe even as soon as this year. but the last 3 years its been all kobe.
sam Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 2:02 am
if anyone watched this years finals they would know that lebron is years behind kobe. its not even a debatable topic. stop hating on kobe cos he got caught doing what every other nba player does
Mr.European Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 2:29 am
maybe it should be added, that LeBron is 22 years old…
RLCJ Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 3:16 am
Ok, Kobe has been in the league for a while and has developed a game better than anyone else in the league. If anyone paid attention to Kobe when he first got started in this league, without ShaQ Kobe looks just like Lebron today. There is the argument. End of discussion. They are the same one just has more experience in the NBA. Personally I think D-Wade is the best because of his will. He is not cocky and is easy to get along with. And at the same time a leader. Kobe could have never won a championship the way D-Wade did in his 3rd year. Yeah he had Shaq but Shaq was not a factor. For all u Duncan lovers If he played anywhere else and for any other coach he would lose.
Jay Ocampo Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 5:15 am
How come Kobe is always compared to Jordan? Their game is similar but that is all it is. He doesn’t have what it takes to elevate the game of those around him other than himself that’s why he will have a hard time winning a championship without someone like Shaq. During the Lakers’ championship runs the players rally behind Shaq not Kobe. Even now that he runs the show by himself I dont see his teammates really give their all for their “leader”.
As for LeBron, he can make his teammates better only because he has a point guards’ instinct and they feed off from his passes. Other than that I also dont see his teammates really getting better whenever he’s on the court with them.
Remember those average players like Buchler, Burell, Wennington, etc. really giving their all, focused and confident whenever Jordan is around eventhough they know they will hardly touch the ball, let alone score. Jordan pushes his teammates to be better and they dont hate him for it not like Kobe who’s game affects his teammates in a negative way.
By the way, Wade gets my vote! He has the ring and the championship videos to show!
Rita Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 6:40 am
Dwayne Wade is way overrated. Just like Penny Hardaway, as soon as you take Shaq away, he’s average at best.
Rita Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 6:41 am
Kobe vs Lebron…. hands down kobe. Dwayne Wade sucks homeless dog balls
san man Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 6:53 am
ok
kobe may not have gotten out of the first round in the west but thats not to say they wouldnt have been deep in the hunt in the east the problem with kobes lakers vs shaQ and kobe lakers is the caliber of the confrence..
the west is so packed it awsome just to get a 7 or 8 spot in playoffs (ask the mavs) they got there buts handed to them by the 8th seed..
when it come to the kobe lakers not getting past the sun this year well i just have one word. Amare nuff said … the lakers didnt improve like the sun did end of story….
if the NBA playoffs were a 16 team tournament with the best 16 teams records wise played the east would be dead by the second round but no one wants to admit that..(1 playing 16 and so on of course)
could the Cav really have beaten the sun, rockets even utah let alone the spurs i bet the lakers could have even had beaten them so were does that put the eastern confrence champs in the west well maybe the 9th seed ooops isnt that the lottery……
its a sad day when you have the best for the west play the best for the east who might not have even made it to the quarter finals in the west…
the NBA finals should have the best two teams in the league playing each other lucky for the western confrence fans we saw that in round 2 with the sun vs the spurs…
Dre Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 7:01 am
“You CAN make your teammates better. You can create an environment where people believe with all their hearts that they are a part of something larger, you can make playing fun, you can lead your teammates to playing for the good of the whole.”
Yeah right, and how did Jordan do that by punching Steve Kerr out, among other things.
carter Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 7:57 am
top 5
1. Steve Nash
2. Kevin Garnett
3. Kobe
4. Duncan
5. Lebron
Neither are the best and don’t give me this duncan crap. Duncan has neve had nothing to work with he has always had a supporting cast
Misha Hyman Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 8:43 am
ok ill set it strait right now. Kobe is at least 3 times better than Lebron. I’m being redundant saying that LeBron made it to the finals by default and beating teams that didnt deserve to be there (except for the Pistons). Ill give it to LeBron, that 29 of last 30 or whatever it was one of the most amaziong things ive ever seen. but it was no 81…Kobe has LBJ on almost everything. since 2001, kobe has been prolly the best or top 3 players in the L but didnt get the recognition because he was playing with a top 10 player of all time. i forget who said it but they were right, (above) that kobe was the MVP of the west finals til they got to the finals and shaq could dominate Rik SMits, Dikembe, and Todd McGullugh…in the 02 finals, kobe should have got the MVP cuz he did drop 30 and 36 in the last 2 closeout games.
ok now u might hate me but im going to say what i truely thing and one of you or maybe more agreed with me on this one…
Kobe is a better basketball than MJ.
MJ didnt get his 1st ring til he was 27 and Kobe has 3 at 28…MJs career high was 69, and KB24s is 81. and my last statement was that when MJ retired, the bulls made it to the second round. if kobe retired, theyd get Greg Oden…enough said…
MJ transcednded the game and they way iots played…but Kobe is and might be that much better…
as i said, you can hate me for it`
seth is a clown Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 8:57 am
wade’s career>>>>>>>lebron’s career
3x allstar
champion
1x finals mvp
2x most skilled player
ESPY best player in the nba
2x bronze medallist
1x most improved athlete
SI sportsman of the year
1x 2nd team defense
2x all nba 2nd team
1x all nba 3rd team
those are wade’s 4 year career a very deep resume and had he not been injured this year he would be looking at possibly
league mvp
1st team defense
all nba 1st team
go deep into playoffs
wade>lechoke(gibson shooting his FTs LMAO)
neotank Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 9:14 am
I just don’t get how nobody’s cares about the fact that Kobe is flipping nuts, and ruins team chemistry…. Come on, he ripped on Bynum on CAMERA!!! His own teammate!
That’s as low as it gets. How the heck is that team gonna gel and win games when the so-called-best-player is talking trash about his own teammates. Kobe blames everyone but himself when things don’t go well. Even after he chokes in the playoffs every year.
Up 3to1 to the suns????? Yeah I gaurantee you Lebron, Jordan, Bird, or Magic would of easily finished off that series.
But that’s ok he scored eighty one points in a game. So that makes him the best….lol what a joke.
CLO Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 9:40 am
carter,
Duncan has never had another superstar/hall-of-famer to play with while winning his 4 championships. An over-the-hill/past his prime David Robinson DOES NOT COUNT. If you look at ALL the players he’s played with in his career, he’s had a bunch of stiffs for teammates. Parker and Ginoboli are very good, but they’re not great nor are they future hall of famers. Duncan has proved over and over again that he is an unselfish superstar that gets the job done on both ends of the floor year in and year out. He makes his teammates better and it shows. You putting KG ahead of him goes to show how little you know about hoops…KG has NEVER won anything and is not capable of carrying his team like true franchise players. Nash is very good, but he hasn’t even gotten his team to the NBA Finals yet and his teammates are arguably more talented than Duncan’s teammates. Kobe is great, but he hasn’t done anything since Shaq got traded.
bigdog Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 10:21 am
If you hadn’t heard of DWade b4 he got to the Heat and after his rookie year than you don’t follow basketball. I’m willing to bet most of you guys never actually seen Jordan play in his prime if you had you wouldn’t compare Kobe to him. Go back and check the Bulls roster except Pip, Lamar is better than them . If Kobe is the best he sholud’ve been able to beat a Amare-less Suns team being up 3-1. Sure he has an array of moves offensively but stop talking to me about his defense after getting his eyes shot out by several players last year. He’s in L.A. i don’t see players going out their way to play with him unlike Shaq. Ducan isn’t the best @ PF, Garnett is so he isn’t the best player.
bigdog Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 10:30 am
And oh yeah for thoses that think the statement “make players around him better” tell Lakers and Kobe fans to check for DWade with his new backcourt mate Smush, as he put up career highs.
KP Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 11:11 am
Sorry, if I start a team, I’m taking Duncan over both of these guys.
Michael Boff Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 12:05 pm
It isn’t even a question of Lebron. He shouldn’t be mentioned in an argument for who is the best. People talk about his game 5 against the pistons. Dwade performance over the last four games of 2006 finals, especially games 3 and 5, BLOWS OUT anything Lebron or KOBE have done in the post season. Neither can touch it. Wade literally put an entire team on his back, and did the impossible. Now Kobe Vs. Wade, is a real argument. NOT for best player, but for who is better. The best player in the league is Duncan.
Michael Boff Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 12:10 pm
And SETH, did you say Lebron plays GREAT DEFENSE?!?!?!?!
Jax Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 12:16 pm
First up - Jordan is still the best ever! No question bout that… true he didn’t win any championship alone but did it ever cross your mind that basketball is a team game - dominated by some?!? He had Pippen… one of the best if not the best at his position during his prime, however, i don’t think anyone could duplicate ever what Jordan did. Walking away from basketball during his prime after winning 3 championships, came back, then won another 3 - retired; the thirst for basketball and challenges never ended there, came back with the Wizards, a lowly team, who did he have? Rip? He carried that team and made it a playoff contender at 40? Jordan is the best ever!
With regard to Kobe and LBJ, for me Kobe still is the better player. Kobe has two upper-hands compared to LBJ, defense and basketball IQ. Having a coach like Phil did him good, LBJ needs to improve defensively not to mention his shooting touch. He needs to develop a jump shot, a consistent and deadly one at that. Kobe can take over a game anyday… LBJ, depends on the circumstance i think. I would like to use the Spurs as an example, I remember the time when Kobe dominated the Spurs with Duncan and Robinson in it, while LBJ, better luck next year. The only advantage LBJ has over Kobe - age!
John Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
You are comparing a 22 yr old point-forward with court vision, size, strength and versatility against a seasoned silky smooth shooting guard in his prime. They are imcomparable. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. The supporting casts are not at fault in this scenario, but rather who brought them in. It was Lebron who begged Ilgauskas to stay, and Lebron who lured Larry Hughes to Clevelane. And it was Kobe who asked for Caron Butler to be traded for Kwame Brown and for the Shaq trade that brought in Odom. As to who is a better player, Kobe has three rings, regardless of the term “sidekick” engraved on his championship trophies, he has the hardware Lebron covets. Period
Jax Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
@neotank
i think Jordan, Bird and some of the best players in basketball that we acknowledge did mock their teammates as well… for me it depends on how you would look at it. Some would take it as a negative, as what you just said, how could the team gel? Yet for some, they would see it as the best player challenging his teammates to play better, help him out, just what the Celts did after Bird mocked them that they’re scared etc… just my POV. =)
Jax Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 12:35 pm
I would also like to add - one characteristic of a Great Player/Leader is Charisma… whether or not Kobe or LBJ has it.. you be the judge! Charisma not with regard to fans but to their teammates… getting pumped up just because their team leader is on the floor - leading!
NiWdLE Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 12:40 pm
hope you guys will stick to the topic. this is about lebron and kobe, and not wade and jordan compared to kobe… anyway for those thinking wade is greater than kobe i think it has mostly got to do with the refs when it comes to calling fouls in favor of wade… for me wade is a turnover waiting to happen and he has zo, walker, posey, jason williams, gary payton, etc… although most of them are way past their prime they can be considered as all star team in paper… while kobe has a teammate which was considered a bust and a second option who doesn’t like to take be the second option… wade’s team is much more balanced as compared to kobe’s and wade’s team is much more experienced. for me wade is overrated. west is loaded and you can see that the west is like the east in the 80’s to the 90’s. kobe’s conference is much more competitive unlike wade’s team.
Aaron Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
Basketball fans are idiots. If Kobe and LeBron were traded for each other straight up before last season started and Kobe took Cleveland to the NBA finals while LeBron lost in the 1st round.. LeBron would be torn apart for not being a leader/not being clutch and Kobe’s performance in the finals would be okay because he had no help(remember how terrible he was against detroit? … WITH shaq! why is kobe so clutch/a winner)… Same with the year before but to a lesser extent.
LeBron can score 25 all of your teams points for the last half of the 4th quarter, OT1, OT2, and win the game… or on an off scoring night put up 12+ rebounds and assists.
Kobe is a more selfish, taller version of Allen Iverson… with a better jumper but less quickness. Which isn’t bad at all. Kobe is an amazing player but I don’t understand why he is considered such a winner… He doesn’t play the type of game winners play. He IS the best scorer on the planet.
curls Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 1:34 pm
kobe is the best player alive. he is better than mj and all those other classic players. lets just say kobe is the shit.
e-weezy Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 2:07 pm
sorrry to say but kobe is the best hands
down, lebron does not even match up.
lebron has never hit a big game winner,
his nba finals rating were worst ever,
he cant hit free throws in the clutch and lets
talk about his outside and midrange game…..
wait on second thought lets not for heavens sake.
lebron is alllllll hype and has nothin to show for it
if he were in the west, he would miss playoffs
for sure.
kobe can shoot the threeee, midrange, fade, dunk,
hit free throws, pass the ball, score any time he wants,
make the best of defenders look like smush, makes a
7 footer look like boykins(the dunks over them), and
he is in the west, if he were in the east, lets talk
4 peat.
e-weezy Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 2:18 pm
i forgot to mention kobe
can play defense, and his clutch blocks are amazing,
just ask redd, deron, rayallen, or sabonis.
only thing that lebron has over kobe
is age, and refs.
bigdog Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 2:19 pm
Wade’s rookie year he took his team to the semi - finals with basically the same cast of players that Kobe had to play with. Lamar Odom is more than an average player so is Caron Bulter an All - star this past season. As Aaron said Kobe is the best scorer on the planet… right now. Wade is unstoppable and is still getting better and that’s with or without Shaq on the floor. Don’t give me the excuses about who Kobe has as teammates cause the last year he played with Shaq he had the Mailman, the Glove, D Fish,among others and he got his ass handed to him by the ” J.V.” league champs Pistons 4 - 2. He hasn’t sniffed the 2nd round since. That doesn’t sound like the best player to me.
Peter Rumm MD Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 2:24 pm
The truth Duncan > Kobe > LeBron
The reality is switch Tim Duncan for either LeBron or Kobe and the Lakers and Cavs suddenly have a better chance to win a championship and the Lakers have a legit 50 win team.
Putting Kobe over Duncan after all that Duncan has accomplished - 4 titles, 9 first team NBAs, 2 MVPS, 3 finals MVPs is rubbish.
bigdog Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 2:30 pm
Also the arguement that Ducan is the best is even crazier. There is nothing that he can do skill wise that KG can’t do. If u put him on the Spurs he would win the same way Timmy does. T.D. is the same player that got DESTROYED by Amare in the playoff before he got hurt, correct? His stats during his ’ships day, by the way, are not better than Shaq’s stats during his ’ship runs. The Spurs have a great ORGANIZATION and that goes along way to contributing to Ducans sucess.
Fair and balanced Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
kobe 947 votes, lebron 5 votes.
Bill Tree Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
I am a Cavs fan and would admit that LeBron is not the best player in the NBA …yet. Even though LeBron has improved defensively, he has two glaring weaknesses in his game at this stage of his development:
1) Inconsistent mid-range jumpshot - He needs to develop a better 10-15′ jumper.
2) Mediocre from the Line - 65% from the line isn’t MVP territory. He should be in the mid 80’s%
However, do be totally fair about this, we should compare Kobe’s stats at age 22 to LeBrons’. At this stage LeBron has MORE upside (athleticism) than Kobe did. No question Kobe is the best natural scorer in the NBA right now, but he’s a selfish “me-first” player. He doesn’t build team unity.
In my opinion, the major difference between these two right now is the “Selfish” factor. Kobe is all about Kobe, LeBron strives to help his team-mates elevate their game (case in point- the emergence of Boobie Gibson). Kobe doesn’t want anyone on his team (or in the league) to show him up, because of his inflated ego. I would rather have an unselfish player like LeBron on my team in pursuit of a championship than a player who has to be the “Big Dog” every game.
You sceptics can go ahead and continue to under-estimate LeBron and the Cavs, but with the addition of one more missing link (an experienced point guard who can dish and score 12-15 pts./game - like Mike Bibby) …you’ll see the Cavs back in the finals again next year.
joe lopez Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
Lebron? What are u talkin about. Kobe is far the best player in the whole world. You take Lebron because he took hes team to the finals in the weak Eastern Conference, get serious. Any team could have gone to the finals in the east. Kobe plays in the Western Conference. Kobester if far the better player. In the last 3seconds of the game who do you want with the ball on hes hands? Kobe no doubt. You wanna be better than your highness first you got to jumb higher than your highness, you want to be better than Kobe you got to score 81+points or average 40.+ a month and play defense like Kobe does. Kobester has a stronger will to win you can see it, feel it. Get serious.
Yelito Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
MIchael Jordan did not make anyone better, he happens to be the top player of his generation, he was the most offensive minded player and a very competitive dude. But he wasn’t a great playmaker as Pippen was, or a great rebounder and actually he was a very good defender, but he paced himself on defense often times. The reason they won 6 rings is not Jordan, it was HIM and a great supporting cast, great coaching ( that triangle offense kicks ass) superb team defense and a little help from the refs.
Dre Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
Bigdog your boy Wade got his ass handed to him by Luol Deng in friends so what do that say about him?
Carnell Johnson Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
Kobe Bryant………LeBron not even close or even in Kobe’s league. Wade…..please, shouldn’t have even been brought up. Hate on this guy all you want. He is the best. Every team in the league would love to have him. His feared throughout the league. Even though they have beef, Shaq even fears what Kobe can do.
Lilplaya2567 Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 3:47 pm
Kobe is better than lebron in every facet of the game EXCEPT drving to the hole and thats the only and i mean ONLY thing lebron does better than kobe and my opinion lebron should be 3 on the list behind kobe and wade.
and lebron went to the finals because he plays in the j.V. East and the cavs would not had got out the first round if agent 0 and caron butler wasnt hurt and kobe plays in that way difficult west and if the lakers wouldve beat the suns, they had the spurs next and then the mavs (if they would had beat warriors) and those 3 teams alone are better than any other team in the east
ok and for everybody saying that the only reason kobe won 3 titles was because of shaq get your faqs straight think about this for a min
Duncan won the title with Ginobli/Parker
Shaq won the title with Kobe/Wade
Jordan won with pippen
my point is all of these players have had either an superstar big man or another superstar on the team its very difficult for any player to win a championship by their self as being the only superstar on the team
CLO Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 4:03 pm
bigdog,
It is completely irresponsible (not to mention stupid) to even suggest that the Spurs would win the same way they have with Duncan if you replaced him with KG. Duncan has won 4 championships with different rosters for the most part…count’em - FOUR. What has KG done to make anyone think that he could come close??? He’s not a clutch player (never has been) and is too much of a soft perimeter player to have the same impact as Duncan in the post. I could understand if KG won at least one championship or is competitive in the playoffs each year like Barkley or Malone were, but that isn’t the case at all. He failed to get past the first round of the playoffs 8 straight years which is pathetic!! And the one year he finally got past the first round is completely negated by the fact he missed the playoffs entirely the following 3 years!! I don’t care if his supporting cast needs help - if he is this alleged superstar, at least MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. I admit that KG has a higher skill-set than Duncan, but where has that gotten him? The 8 things that KG can do on the court has less of an impact on the game and his teammates than the 5 things Duncan can do. Duncan did not get destroyed by Amare in 2005…he got outscored. Duncan played better overall and got his teammates involved (sign of a true superstar) not to mention his defense and rebounding were superior in that series. More importantly, Duncan’s team won the series 4-1 en route to another championship. I’m not saying Duncan is the best player in the league anymore, but I would never start a franchise with KG or Amare who have both proven nothing in the NBA so far.
Jack Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 4:13 pm
Kobe is the G.O.A.T nuff said…
sam Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 5:07 pm
dont bring amare into it, hes still a project who had a big set-back. when he’s 30 he will be better than kg and would have accomplished more. duncan would have to be the first player picked to start a team around. ohh and tony parker will be a hall of famer, he would have to fall off pretty hard in order to keep out, did you miss the playoffs?
craig Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 5:57 pm
Kobe hands down even tho im from Miami and im a die hard Wade fan… LeBron just has a physical Nature..he never developed the type of skills to parallel Kobes.. Mike Brown is a crappy offensive coach and will never be able to bring LeBron to his full potential which is sad to say. iuno bout the Cavs having an easy ride, if u look at the Pistons they shouldve won hands down, but it was LeBrons overwhelming physical talent that makes him hard to guard… if some1 could teach him how to shoot a decent Jumpshot or the basics, he could dominate instead of just doing and Iso up at the Key, then he just drives in, does a hop step and Dunk lol. Kobe is the Full package because no matter wat u think he’ll do..he’ll do it and he’ll make it. Personally i think Wade is better den LeBron because of those years he spent in College to fully learn basics of the game. Wade has that winning mentality and clutch scoring that LeBron is still yet to be known for except that Pistons game.
Abdul Hamed Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 7:09 pm
I think that Kobe is hand’s down the best 1v1 player in the league he proved that 2 seasons ago when he averaged 35.4ppg and 7asts but he averaged more than 3 turnovers also. Lebron on the other hand is the perfect player he has everything the offensive game and the passing game. He is Magic with his attitude, Mike with his insticts, & Bird with his scoring.
pep-talk Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 7:44 pm
Lebron has some of the UGLIEST offensive skills sets I’ve ever seen in an all-star (next to Chris Bosh.) When it comes to a purely offensive game no one is better then Kobe and Lebron wouldn’t make the top ten. Kobe, T-Mac, Vince(although severely lazy, amazing offensive ability), Gil, D-Wade, Timmy D, A.I., Dirk, Carmelo or a healthy Paul Pierce are better offensviely and that’s just off the top of my head. Although I am a Lebron fan, it is based mostly on potential, just as most of his hype still is. Kobe is definately the best player in the world based on pure domination, since A.I. 5 years ago and Mike before that. Although he might never win again it is impossible to say truthfully that any one is a BETTER BASKETBALL PLAYER then the Black Mamba Katana.
bigdog Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 7:55 pm
1st off i didn’t put Amare into the debate i just pointed out that he ate Timmy ass up in the playoff that year. In that series he avg. almost 40 a game and had to be doubled every touch. I didn’t debate who won the series either but if i start a franchise i don’t want my bigman getting dunk on, on almost every play by someone, who @ the time had nothing else in his arsenal. To call K.G. soft is to basically say you don’t watch basketball( that was the stupidest comment on this page.) You obviously got him confused with Dirk. Name me anyone of any significant he has played with in his career thats worth mentioning. You put Timmy on the T’wolves and he would do even less than K.G.
bigdog Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 8:08 pm
And you support that comment by noting that he has a less skill set. T.D. would get his average (maybe) but whos the Manu, Brent Barry he’s going to kick it to when he’s doubled or tripled( also Finely). Wheres your point guard that’s going to get the MVP in the ’ship game that T.D. wouldn’t get to? And the big shot is going to come from where? Not Horry. So don’t talk to me about not mentioning his supporting cast. And for the record that 1st ’ship came in a strike shorten season and David Robison also had alot to do with it. In case you forgot his role was to defend the other team’s best post player such as K. G.. He was a former league MVP & 50 greatest player.
bigdog Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 8:13 pm
There isn’t a more dominating force in basketball than the Diesel in his prime. Thats who I would build my franchise around. And oh yea Dre if L.Deng does that againt a healthy Wade than you might have an arguement. But he didn’t and you don’t.
bigdog Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 8:22 pm
Also Dre when the Bulls have some hardware to show( post - Jordan) holla @ me until then miss me with Louie and friends
Dre Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 9:03 pm
If he is out their he is healthy enough play. You talk about KB and LA getting busted by the Pistons in 04 at least they won a game, the Heat couldn’t even do that.
Deng and Ben Gordon will have plenty opportunities to bust Wade up next season.
dave Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 9:27 pm
first of all LA sucks no matter what. the city, sports, and people. no one is actually from LA, people move there bc they are too stupid to know better. sounds like a kobe kind of place.
kobe and the lakers could not beat the pistons like the cavs did. if anyone watched that series they would not be saying that any of these players are better then lebron. kobe who? exactly no one cares, hes a ball hog and doesnt make anyone around him better… once there was jordan, now there is lebron… end of story.
D-Shine Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
Duncan is the second best player behind Kobe who is far superior to the LeBron and Dwayne Wade. Neither of them can shoot or play D. Top five players in the world in order: 1)Kobe Bryant, 2)Tim Duncan, 3)Kevin Garnett, 4)Shaq, 5)Jason Kidd
kowtz Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 10:41 pm
It’s Daniel “boobie” Gibson brah…
“boobie” was his childhood nickname…
I don’t think contributors and writers are dumb enough to write something they are not sure off, so although I know you’re intentions were good, try to give some self respect, and let go of some know-it-all ego…
ayt?
peace… ;D
blue kahuna Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 10:46 pm
Lebron is better than Kobe as an overall player period.
Ahmad Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 11:32 pm
Kobe Vs. Lebron a great matchup. In my opinion they are the best in the NBA today then comes D-Wade followed by all the rest.
Kobe to me is a bit better than Lebron. Kobe’s killer instinct is something no one in the NBA has it today. Kobe has 3 rings regardless of playing on which team. Don’t forget Jordan had Scottie, Tim Duncan has Parker and Gino. Lebron’s team is better than the lakers, and don’t forget that the Eastern conference was dominated by the West (it’s apparent in the NBA’s finals where the spurs sweeped the Cavs).
I want to say that we as NBA fans have to be supportive of both players, forget jealousy and everything else, we have the best two basketball players in the whole world. Don’t all of you agree? let’s enjoy their historical matchups!
Larry Edmond Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 11:35 pm
First of all Lebron is not in the same class as Kobe I do agree that he has nasty skills and probably could dunk on anyone in the league however it’s not always about dunking on people LeBron does not have that killing instinct that Kobe has. people forget Kobe unbelievable shooting night when he hit all of those 3’s in one game or when he went for 62 in 3 quarters against Dallas or when he went crazy in quarter # 3 against the Jazz with out a miss not to mention 3 rings a 81 point game and the fact that he could score 50 points at will. the thing that Kobe has on both Lebron and Jordan is that he does not have to stay under the basket in order to get his points. Kobe is one of the purist assassin in that ever played- Lebron still has to catch up to Mc Grady and Carter before he could see Kobe.
Roberto Said,
July 29, 2007 @ 11:49 pm
U want an answer is Allen Iverson the best player rigth now…
nut Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 12:15 am
Lebron definitely is a freak but Kobe is the best player in league. Its not a matter of liking him but any objective person has to come to this conclusion. what makes Kobe better than d-wade or lebron or mcgrady is this guy excels at every facet of the game from O to D. He shoots lights out from everywhere on the floor, handles like a guard, finishes strong and is not just willing aka the matrix to guard anybody but able to. Last argument is if Kobe and Bron was on the same team Bron would take a backseat. “the cream always rises to the top”
william limon Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 12:20 am
1. Jesus is God
2. kobe is the best
see ya in heaven…. For now,i will enjoy watching kobe do his thing.
Kobe Bryant Mixtape…youtube.com…
miljan23…version…got to get that money man!
tank Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 12:22 am
The fact that you even had the audacity to write an article mentioning Lebron “i can’t knock down a jumper” to the greatest offensive basketball player ever in Kobe is complete joke. You mind has clearly been warped by ESPN continually referring to lebron as god in effort to anoint him the next big thing. Any intelligent basketball observer knows that lebron’s game has not expanded and is yet to develop in 4 years in the league. He relies solely on strength and athleticism and is yet to show any killer instincts or mental fortitude. Dismiss the fact that his team advanced to the finals…that is irrelevant considering its a NBDL league compared to the loaded west.
Kobe is best basketball player to ever play the game but will be less accomplished than MJ from an MVP standpint ect..becasue the media loves to hate kobe and year end awards are simply a popularity contest. Furthermore , kobe’s lakers rank near the bottom of the league defensively while the cavs were second best in the league. Kobe is so great that if you surround him with defensive minded players he is great enough to carry his team deep particularly in the lowly east.
LASuperstar Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 1:02 am
LeBron better than Kobe???? LLOOOOOOLLL, uhhh I haven’t laughed like that since I was a little girl, thank you. Anyways, first off, putting LeBron in the same discussion as Kobe as being “The Best,” is simply ridiculous. LeBron is nowhere near Kobe’s level and I’m not hating on LeBron I freakin love this guy, he’s just an incredible player, but there’s common sense. LeBron hasn’t done a damn thing, all he’s done is take a team in the WIDE OPEN and WEAK Eastern Conference into the finals, where the best record in the East is probably equivalent to the 6th or 7th seed in the West, give me a break. Put the Cavaliers in the Western Conference, they wouldn’t even make it to the playoffs and it pretty much explains it as how they got swept by the Spurs. Kobe is the most consistent and skilled player in the NBA, period. He scores, he’s clutch, he plays defense I mean this poor guy has to be freakin SUPERMAN just get some wins for his team. Kobe’s got 3 NBA rings, but everybody is saying he couldn’t do it without Shaq, well guess what, Shaq couldn’t get those 3 rings without Kobe, Shaq got one and he’s so blessed to go to a team with a young talent like Dwayne Wade and a roster full of NBA veterans. Let’s not forget everyone, Kobe is only 28 years old, he’s already got 3 NBA titles, his name is in the record books with Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan. LeBron hasn’t done a damn thing yet. At 22, Kobe was winning his 2nd NBA title, LeBron NONE, he might or might not get a ring ever in his career, great players like Karl Malone and Charles Barkley never won a ring. So I’m pretty much finished here, to all you Kobe haters out there keep hating and keep drinking those ice cold HATERADES, they’re good for you. Peace.
kowtz Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 2:07 am
“boobie” is gibson’s childhood nickname…
peace… ;D
unfathomable Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 2:47 am
LOL.. kobe is beter than LBJ ? 1 on 1 exactly! Just change the “TEAM GAME” (BASKETBALL) to singles. So it would be unnecessary to debate whos better. You know why Kobe’s teammates dont stay for a longer time in L.A? Its His attitude. HE WANTS TO PLAY ALONE! PASSING IS NOT IN HIS VOCABULARY.
Bob Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 3:59 am
Um, I guess the WEAKER east conference doesn’t mean anything. sorry seth, your a moron cuz u didn’t factor that simple concept in? I mean, Lakers would have walked to the finals at least (only contender is detroit) if they were in the east. Cavs don’t stand a chance in the west.
mike Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 4:55 am
lebron sucked against the spurs..kobe totally destroyed the spurs in the playoffs during their champioship run
jasonta Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 5:32 am
1 duncan
2 kobe
3 lebron
thisarticleishorrilbe Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 7:17 am
“…and LeBron with his Jordanesque playoff games.” ONE game….ONE game against detroit and every sports writer is on LeBrons jock. Has anyone seen Kobe over the years doing whatever it takes without a team? Some people really take Bryant for granted.
SethNeeds2Re-evaluate Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 7:26 am
Seth,
So what percentage of Lebron getting the edge by going to the Finals includes him playing Washington (minus Arenas and Butler) and the Nets (vs. this year’s G-State, Utah, Phoenix or SA) in the 2nd round?
bigdog Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 7:27 am
Wade was out there because he’s a “G” not because he was healthy enough to play. The Heat didn’t get swept by the Mavs in the ’ship while eventhough the Lakers got one in ‘04 againts the Pistons they were never in that series. Deng nor Ben Gordon well ever be on Wade’s level nor will they get to the ’ship. So again Dre miss me.
bigdog Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 7:34 am
If you are widely considered the best player on the PLANET now and forever there is no way you don’t have a ring during the post Shaq era in L.A. No matter the conference no matter the teammates. Not just no ring but at least make it to the next round! Especially if you are up 3 - 1 at home and you can’t close it out! There is no way you put M.J. or even Wade in that situation and they don’t close it out! PERIOD.
Dre Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 7:54 am
If he was out there he is healthy enough to play.
Like I said for the Lakers man it come down to defense those dudes could easily get to the second round if they played better defense. They can score, hit threes, run the break, draw fouls but they got killed on the pick n roll by the Suns.
Regarding MJ that guy won 6 titles but no one talks about the first 7 years he did not win anything. No one talks about the Bulls losing in 95. No one talks about how much he stunk with the Wizards. It seems like people have a selective memory when it comes to that guy, I am sure he blew a few series in between 1984 and 1990 that people chose to ignore. Plus his shoes are getting ugly.
With Jordan people ignore the bad with Kobe they ignore the good. All people talk about is him getting out of the first round, man please, the dude has already three rings and still has a bunch of years left.
joe bukol Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 8:19 am
what a stupid article. lebron james is this generation’s shawn kemp (all hype, no heart). and to compare him to kobe? just because he made the finals? tsk tsk tsk. wade vs. kobe is much better. tsk tsk tsk
space Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 8:21 am
apples and oranges.
both the cavs and lakers would’ve done beetter in the playoffs had they switched players. kobe and lebron are SO different stylistically that i have trouble validating the argument.
bigdog Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 8:48 am
Has Kobe won any MVPs? Defensive player of the year? NO. M.J. did this and much more during those 1st 7years. He also had a playoff record 63 pts againts the Celtics in the Garden. And he got out of the 1st round during the time when the east was the strongest conference. You wouldn’t ever mistake the Suns for the Larry Bird led Celtics would you? And when he was with the Wiz he was past his prime and still ( @ the age of 40) was balling (check the stats). I don’t recall Jordan asking to be traded cause he couldn’t win with a team. Nor did i recall him trying to get rid of a fellow superstar teammate. Or dogging his other teammate to fans in a shopping mall. And the kicks are Gangsta.
bigdog Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 9:00 am
He stunk with the Wiz?! He scored 40 or more 3 times as a 40 year old, 30 or more 9 times and 20 or more 42 times. @ any age there are alot of players who would love to “stink”. And i’m willing to bet you have a pair of Jordans. I’m not going to even bring up his NCAA ’ship or MVP in that game. Let’s also not mention the gold medals in ‘83 or the Dream Team. M.J. or Kobe? lol. Are you guys on this page kidding me?!
Robert Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 9:02 am
Please, Lebron has no jumpshot, no post up game, not a lock down defender and add to the fact that he’s a bad free throw shooter. How can you say he’s better than Kobe. Did you watch the state farm game, Kobe won the game for the blue. I could go on and on proving that Lebron is still ways behind Kobe.
Robert Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 9:06 am
Please, Lebron has no jumpshot, no post up game, not a lock down defender and add to the fact that he’s a bad free throw shooter. How can you say he’s better than Kobe. Did you watch the state farm game, Kobe won the game for the blue. I could go on and on proving that Lebron is still ways behind Kobe. Please bigdog, Andrew Bynum a superstar?
manmade Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 9:32 am
woulda, coulda, shoulda…Kobe didn’t, but Lebron did. (take their crappy teams to the finals)
I’ll admit that Kobe is better offensively, but as far as all-around game, Lebron should be considered the best in the game. D-wade ain’t bad either, but he has Shaq. You take any star in the league and have them toss up 50 shots and you’ll get some high scoring games too. That’s not what a team sport is all about.
Dre Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 9:43 am
I recall Jordan bitchin saying he would only play for Phil Jackson and telling the team to keep Pippen or he would retire. People talk about Kobe thinks he runs the Lakers, Jordan is on the same level by by making his demands.
Kobe did not get rid of Shaq, Shaq got rid of Shaq because he did not want to take less money. I could honestly understand his dislike for Shaq, I mean BBall is their job. Kobe puts in work in the offseason, Shaq comes to camps out of shape and misses his usual 30 games each year. That is like a normal person working with lazy employees or guys that always call in. Kobe wanted it more so it is easy to see why they were not on the same page.
I recall Jordan punching out Steve Kerr because Kerr threw that D on him in practice and I am pretty sure he had other teammates he disliked.
Like I said people have a selective memory with MJ. They only remember the good. With Kobe they remember the bad. Your post shows it. You could at least give the dude some props for something.
I have some Jordans, retros, I am talking about all the new stuff, the 20 whatever he is on now, they stink.
Max Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 10:09 am
Ridiculous argument for taking LeBron over Kobe. Seriously, the Cavs in the West wouldn’t get out of the 1st round. Kobe could lead the Lakers through Washington, New Jersey, and Detroit. Please, Washington and New Jersey, what an easy run through the 1st and 2nd rounds.
big curt Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 10:18 am
U guys r forgetting, one vital key in this argument. Who has been this good at this age (Lebron)? Answer, nobody, pure domination anyone u put in front of him. You all must admit in the mist of the shut down rumors the media lashed at Lebron. In a way he still controled and some what dominated the flow of every game in the spurs series. He passed and showed confidence in lackluster teammates vigourusly. A key demintion in Lebrons game is his ability to dominate many diffrent ways. Passing, scoring, key rebounds, his defense consist of playing the passing lanes with unmatched speed, and width. For his age,his height, and his ability, there is know doubt at the end of day Lebron will be the best ever.
william limon Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 10:25 am
Hey bigdog! tired of hating the best…. man all you do is hate… Its funny man, the only reason they hate on kobe is because they know he is the best. You can pick MJ, you can go with kobe’s new toy lebron!
or you can go with i got speed but no game wade! But you know who to hate, might be because you know who is the best. Man! kobe’s game is good it has the whole world pist off… but at least we know why!
He has done things that jordan of course wade and lebron will NEVER do! SO really! it’s OK… keep hating the best…keep loving the rest…
william limon Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 10:39 am
81 points-2nd all time
50 or more like crazy-kobe and wilt
3 point record for single game-wicked
40 points or more ten straight games- more then once!
62 in three- kobe owns the mavs before wade, same season!
10 fifty plus games in 07
Gets a CRAPPY laker team to the playoffs in the talented west!
55 points against jordan, and he didn’t try to diss, he just would not miss! KEEp hating the best….keep loving the rest….
ty2k7 Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 10:50 am
lebron is by far better than kobe. kobe is way more polished than lebron but lebron dominates anybody guarding him. have you ever heard of a lebron because he doesnt let hasbens like ruben paterson dominate him on the defensive end
ty2k7 Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 11:53 am
meant to say lebron stopper
bigdog Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
Since Shaq left: Kobe has no rings, no playoff wins. no hate just facts. If Dwade only has speed and no skills the rest of the NBA must be stuck in mud, huh. And last time I checked during the Heat ’ship run Dwade was mentioned in the same breath as the Big O, Magic, Bird and Jordan in several accomplishment. Again since 2004 Kobe has no rings, no playoff wins…. but he’s the best, right.
bigdog Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 12:22 pm
I’m from the crib(305) so you know i rep Dwade and the Heat all day.
Matt Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 12:45 pm
Did a 14 yr old write this article??? Make some intelligent points rather than, these two guys are awesome cause they are nasty. Its called a substantiated argument, look it up.
Michael Boff Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
And wade WITHOUT Shaq went past the first round….He had Odom, just like Kobe does. So what has Kobe been up to?
Wade is better than both of them. His killer instinct is on level with Kobe(Lebron doens’t have one), his mid range jumper is good, he gets to the hole better than ANYONE in the league. Kobe has got the three over him, but Wade makes his team better than Kobe makes his.
Wade all the way.
karan Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 1:49 pm
i agree with most of the recent comments
wade = best player in the league… wade > kobe or lebron
grog. Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 3:37 pm
This article is stupid - the author didn’t even really offer an opinion on which of the two was better (besides a shaky endorsement of lebron because of his superior teamates) or justify why the discussion should focus on the two of them (other than it apparently being obvious).
That being said, Kobe is the best player in the world. I don’t buy the Wade argument either (he went past the first round without Shaq in the EAST, he can’t shoot and he benefits from superstar calls) but I listen to those supporting Duncan - I just think theyre wrong.
Tosin Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
Okay, lets just take a step back and take these palyers for who they are and what they can do…
LeBron - oh my goodness, watching him play ball is an honour, honestly, we seem to almost always forget that, all things aside this guy is a Kid, yet, he completely dominates when he’s on the floor, teams have to commit two/three guys to keep him from the basket, i agree, his short range jumper (and his long range ones too) need a ton of work, but he’s growing and he can only get better…
…without wanting to get into too much dabbling…
…then there is Kobe Bryant, Kobe OH MY GOODNESS BRYANT!! anyone in the world that plays ball would tell you that scoring 25/30 talkless 50 OR 81 points in a game is not only an amazing feat, it’s un-believeable, to do it regularly, like Kobe does, is almost an insult to everyone one else in the leaugue…
…do we all forget so easy that just about everyone in the NBA is a superstar in their own right (coming form college/high school), yet Kobe Bryant makes just about every single one of them look like those guys you meet in the park who just help you break a sweat…i am not a fan of Kobe (not big on the persona he carries with him), but its un-deniable that this guy is a GENIUS, comparing LeBron to him, i think is just un-fair, they are just not comparable…
…to throw my own 2 cents into this, keep your eyes on Kevin Durrant, that kid is going to shock US ALL!!!
Uh-jay Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
Yo your article is misguided. Since when is Bron bron a good defender? Since when does bronny have the will to win. He chooses the secondary role when it matters. And “jordanesue” games in the playoffs? He had one..against the pistions( a good team ofcourse) It was that sorry supporting cast that won that series. And that supporting cast cant help lebron make 10 foot jumpers when hes whide open. Your article is lost dude..reavaluate and reconsider your pick. Besides D-wade is much more driven that bron…no one can doubt that.
hassan Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 5:46 pm
kobe is on a whole other planet than laBron. kobe is a competitor…as for laBron who wants to befriend everyone. kobe can shoot…laBron can’t…kobe plays “D” …laBron doesnt. the cavs by far was the worst team ever to make the finals. how can u be “King James” and have the lowest ratings in the nba finals? laBron as soooo much he needs to do to even be mentioned in this conversation. we should be comparing kobe and wade. all laBron is great at is running the out floor for a nice dunk. sorry laBron…go study kobe..or how about go work out with kobe instead of trying to be the richest man in the world.
Yelito Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 5:50 pm
DRE hits the spot, people tends to forget a lot of stuff about Jordan, like how gets gifts from the league aka the refs, or that fake first retirement ( he only got out of the limelight so he’s gambling could be cover up, reason why his dad got whack) and his lack of respects towards his team and opponents. Im not a hater, I enjoy the MJ era but cool down people. By the way, his kicks from #3 to #11 are awesome, then they became just lame.
Stacey Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
Kobe is the best player in the NBA…PERIOD. Please dont give me stats about a guy who lead an Eastern conference team to the finals..big Whoop. I can only imagine if Kobe played in the East. And didnt the Cavs get swept? And werent the lowest ratings in NBA playoff final history during that series? I understand if you dont like Kobe personally, but that seems to be the only ammo anyone has. Almost the same as the Barry Bonds issue…no evidence whatsoever, media hates him, so all they can talk about is what A-Rod is going to end up with. Hope he stays healthy, cuz who else you gonna run to?
bigdog Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 6:51 pm
the last time i checked those 81 pts againts the Raptors (as impressive as the feat was) was a regular season game and it counted as one win. It didn’t get them pass the 1st round nor to the ’ship. Kobe has many impressive INDIVUAL stats but the one he doesn’t have is a ist round win since 2004. For those who have forgotten about a lot of stuff about M.J. go look it up and tell me he isn’t the best. Goggle, youtube, rent a video, whatever. See who Kobe try so hard to be. And since he’s so superior to Wade and such a defensive stopper name me one head up match up that he dominated Wade. Don’t bother i got you, you can’t. Wade get superstar calls cause he is one.
bigdog Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
Pull me up a stat or highlight that shows Kobe hitting 50+ pts, making an amazing game winning move or a major defensive stop enroute to winning an NBA ’ship, conference ’ship or a playoff series since ‘04 and then you can support your arguements that he is undoubtably the best player in the world ever. I’m sure yall can… can’t you?
william limon Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 7:16 pm
wade is a flake ..kobe is BETTER..honestly, deep down…you know who is better.. i see you… its all right…do what you LOVE to do HATe
Yelito Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 7:47 pm
I think Wade is in the same discussion with Kobe and Lebron, but he lacks any defense, he is an extremely gifted athlete, but he dont have the fundamentals that guys like the Black Mamba, King James or even Melo have. But hey, he can sure beat the crap of Dallas at will.
Seth Ferranti Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 8:44 pm
eddie is not the britest nba mind he speaks not on facts but on pure emotion
tank Said,
July 30, 2007 @ 9:43 pm
Honestly though, this article is embarrassing and utterly atrocious that anyone can even put lebrons basketball abilities in the same sentence as kobe.
LBj will never score
62 in 3q against a finals Dallas team By the way kobe 62 Dallas 61 at end of the 3rd.
81 in 42 min against toronto
5 straight of 50 plus.. u kidding me already.
9 straight of 40 in o3′
most threes in a game tied with 12
dropping 65 at porland (anyone who has league pass knows he was just dirty in that game)
Most prolific scorer the game has ever seen ..and yes that includes MJ the man everyone blows.
Nik Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 1:24 am
uhhhh maybe if everyone makes the excuse “oh kobe had shaq”….”wade had shaq”…ever thought maybe shaq is the best…winning wise of course…clearly the best skilled players in the league are kobe and duncan. Duncan has the fundamentals down and picks his spots whil kobe jst straight dominates. Lebron is a long way off.
ali Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 1:33 am
fool its not about one on one…its about 5 on 5….fuck kobe fucklebron….its all about steve nash….making his team bettter who cares about clutch close games….
dustin Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 1:57 am
if the lakers were on the eastern confrence they would have made the finals to. lebron and co wouldnt have made it out of the first round either
bigdog Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 7:00 am
let me get this straight Kobe is a prolific scorer. The best ever not close. M.J., Wilt, Russell, Magic, Bird, Doc all could score but they did so many other things to help their teams win ( rebound, defend, assists.) Again telling me how many points he scored in any regular season game means he’s a prolific scorer not baller or winner (w/o Shaq.)Will Limon it not hate its facts. As much as you guys pull on Kobe nuts he hasn’t won a league MVP, Defensive player of the year, gold medal, NCAA ’ship and you can add no playoff win since ‘04. So if the facts are a sign of hate than so be it. And as for Wade not having fundamentals if thats true what does it say about the League?
bigdog Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 7:16 am
Carmelo and ‘bron are not on Wade level as it showed in the World games DWade is unstoppable on any level anywhere in the world and it doesn’t take him a million shots to get his points. This statment about Wade not playing “D” is so not true for the record his carrer averages are 1.7 steals per game ( KB-1.5) and 0.9 blocks per game ( KB-0.6). And as for his superior offense Kobe average for his career is 24.6 and Wade’s 23.8 wow what a huge difference. Kobe has been in the game longer than any of these guys so as of right now he’s done more check back when these guys reach their prime and see if you think Kobe is so superior.
bigdog Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 7:20 am
By the way Yelito what fundamentals does Wade not have? And what you are saying that Wade is @ the top of most stats without fundamentals. If thats the case when he does get some “fundamentals” the League should be afraid, very afraid.
Larry Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 8:06 am
If you read all of the comments that has been Posted you could clearly see that Kobe has won this discussion who is the best out of the two but what i find funny is after Kobe has blown Lebron away/ people are already looking for a replacement to compare him to. ( MJ )& ( wade) the proof is in the pudding.
Percy James Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 9:59 am
Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA. Lebron James may be in the discussion if he ever plays defense. Kobe is all defensive first team every year in addition to being in the top five in scoring. Lebron is a gifted athelete who has weaknesses in his offensive game. He needs to improve his outside shooting, especially his midrange shot. Let’s not forget a player by the name of Dwayne Wade, who when injury free is as good as anyone! We as fans of the NBA should not be so caught up in the Nike,Lebron hype that we don’t see that a clever marketing stratagy makes one a great player. Even the gifted have to work hard to gain true greatness.
ASA Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 10:41 am
As a fan, I like LeBron much more than Kobe, but Kobe is currentlly the more complete player. Maybe LeBron has the ability to be a great defender, but he isn’t, and never has been. Kobe, on the other hand, has shown that he can shut down his man, although not to the extent that Michael did. MJ was the greatest combination of offense and defense ever seen, with the possible exception of Wilt.
Dre Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 10:51 am
Bigdog, Kobe has been in the League since 96 not since 04.
william limon Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 10:53 am
If you are talking about facts hotdog sorry! huh bigdog… then you are hating again… kobe has not have an mj impact in the nba because its been a diferent situation with kb then jordan, jordan had all the help he could get, kobe has none. I dont care who you are you are not going to win anything by yourself. In the kobe-shaq era, kobe did special things that deserved respect… but you know shaq was jelous and wanted the glory… come on bigdog you are going to tell me he does not play superb “D” or has never desrved the MVP… thats what i thought… everyone knows kobe is the MVP of the world… he doesn’t need the trophy… As for our friend wade he is good not great..
You have to know where there skill comes from to know a player….
Wade (lebron) is a phisical ability player… speed…etc…And then you have kobe…no one in this world is on his level…kobe has the same phisical ability as wade… but is his natural born skills is what makes him far far superior… Everyone kows it allready… Best shot…best range…best clutch…best killer instinct….best defense…best fadeaway…best crossover….best midrange shot….best in game dunker…. Mr 50 or more….Mr 81…Mr everyone wishes they could be me….Kobe Clutch Bryant….Hey you know lebron and wade are on kobe’s fan list…. you know all they do is whatch sporcenter to see what there master did…Its so funny….wade even tries to have kobe’s swager… you know what i am talking about, busting a you can’t mess with me walk like KOBE… its damm funny…next time he’ll probably do the hand sweep of the shoulder…BE your self please..you can’t be kobe
RiseUp Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 11:02 am
Wasn’t many of Wade’s big games courtesy of refs and even the one known ref involved in fixing. I believe a 40 point game when you go to the line 24 times is diminished if there are numerous ridiculous calls.
Not that I don’t like Wade. He is top 5 with Duncan, LeBron, Kobe, and ? (Dirk???)
Kobe at 22 was nothing near the level of Lebron. We’ll have to see how LeBron develops and where he is at when he is 28. Me personally if I have a decent team, ready to win, with a few scorers give me LeBron. He will be unselfish and do what it takes to win while being positive for chemistry, like Tim Duncan. If you need to fill the basket and the seats give me Kobe. NBA is about winning though.
Nolan Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 11:47 am
Check the facts BigDOg and the Jordan is wiothout fault lovers …Mj did got torcghed for 50 teice in reguation Gil’s 60 came in OT ny stack in philly and Ladradfors mith (who?!) when he was in his “prime” …thing about MJ and kobe when someone embarassesses them they come back with a vengeance … Gil got worked in the rematch in Wash and MJ KILLED thses two foos taht had teh audacity to score 50 on him …that’s why they are the two best SG/wing plyers ever and Wade, LBJ are second best …but like someone said yall dont remember the bad with MJ, the gambling, ego, fight with kerr, the isolation of Kukoc the banishing of Oakley & horace grant in paticular …Oh and the biggest crime forcing USA to not inculde Isiah on teh Dream team anyone watching ball in 92 knows he got robbed …
But that is what a great teammate he is …also know that he is getting a divorce he is an adulterer as well … (just like kobe) I never was a huge Mj fan but i respected his gansta respect Kobe’s …you dont have to like him
Dan Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 12:16 pm
Its just fine to compare Kobe and Lebron as two of the greatest in the sport today, but to mention them in the same sentence as Micheal Jordan is ridiculous! First lets talk about Kobe. He has played in 80 or more games only 4 times in his 12 year career. Although by todays standards Kobe has a decent shooting percentage, Jordan,(in a full season), did not shoot under 46 percent until his first season with the Wizards. Also, take a look at Kobe’s Playoff shooting %, it hovers around 43%! Yes Kobe scored 81 points in a game, but it was a regular season game. Championships are won in the playoffs, just as legends are defined. As for Lebron, the jury is still out, he is still very young. But lebron in my opinion will be a better all around player than Kobe could ever hope to be.
space Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 12:33 pm
sigh….
what do bigdog big curt & michael boff all have in common?
THEY are all right.
kobe
is the more complete player. offensively and defensively. period. he has the YEARS of experience that also help him get there. his attitude adds to that. lebron just finished his 4th[?] NBA season? give him a break. how on earth is there a fair comparison, muchless a decent argument? on the flipside kobe has SO MUCH negative media and press to go with that SHAQfree championCHiP on his shoulder. his attitude also kills him. always has and MIGHT always continue to do so.
it always upsets me to see the word LEAD and KOBE in the same sentence.
lebron
years younger than kobe in terms of experience and basketball knowledge, yet still was able to force his way to the NBA finals with a suspect team. the east is weaker but he seems comfortable to be a marketing giant, succeed in basketball despite never having a veteran allstar on his team. Imagine growing into the player he is
with NO solid coach [do NOT count brown or silas, its embarrasing],
with NO allstar player [do NOT count ilgauskas or hughes, its embarrasing]
with NO referee favors [actually lebron gets -negative calls, not cool NBA]
–and no controvery to this point???
the NBA needs to congratulate his progress.
Jordan
people make fools of themselves when they naysay on MJ.
how many people compared in his prime michael jordan to young championshipless kobe. kobe’s single game spiked accomplishments [say thank you to the new no-contact rules kobe] are exceptional but go do your reasearch on jordan’s accomplishments before you start talking. bonds, gretzky, and maybe even joe montana would trade careers with jordan. he had a dream career, from highschool to the wizards. and he was dangerous there at 40. he simply had no team around him. i wn’t do stats on jordan. i simply won’t because its just too much of a landslide in his favor. people talking now are too focused on what happened in the last 15 minutes instead of the big picture.
wade
extremely talented all the way around. the middle ground between kobe and lebron if there is any. his defense goes underrated because he is not a jordan-type, kobe-type in your face ball hawk defender. he does however coast, ghost and read reminiscient of MJ. his blocks and steal numbers are very good. he is a top-level scorer who doesn’t have difficulty playing team ball. his current team actually is not good for his overall production numbers. his assist numbers could actually be higher with a few new players.
carmelo
a seriously underrated scorer. his defense is not horrendous either. he averaged almost 30 a game with allen iverson on his team. he can score with the best of them but plays on a team with a bad philosophy. he was the after thought in this entire discussion but wasn’t last year’s scoring leader ONLY because KOBE went hawk the last few weeks to take it back. on the other end of the spectrum carmelo was still working to make room for iverson and was still adjusting his game and looking to score less. if he works hard on the defense [has a better team around him and wins a ring] he can actually has the potential to surpass wade and lebron.
space Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
like i said before.
kobe to lebron is apples to oranges. toyotas to chryslers. paper to plastic. they’re good. they work. gamechangers. but its still the same bag because NEITHER one have a ring on their own yet. thank you. goodnight.
Dan Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 12:58 pm
Like I said, its ok to compare Kobe, Lebron, Wade, and ‘Melo, with each other. But MJ is on a level far above any of those mentioned. To me if any of the four players mentioned above have a chance to be compared with MJ when their careers end it would be Lebron.
Dre Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
“people talking now are too focused on what happened in the last 15 minutes instead of the big picture.”
You say that people are only focusing on the last portion of Jordan’s career, that is what you are doing with KB.
You say Kobe and Bron don’t have a rings on their own. You know who else doesn’t either, Jordan, Shaq, Wade, and Pippen, none of those guys won a ring on their own.
Word.
Derrty NT Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
Kobe is a better scorer, but i think Lebron is very compete player ( assist, rebound) more than Kobe. Kobe as “shoot first” mentallity.
Michael Boff Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 3:46 pm
Can we please stop the MJ vs Kobe nonsense. Kobe CANNOT lick the dust from Jordan’s sneakers. I could name five players in the history of the game better than Kobe, all of which are still a long ways off from Jordan. Jordan can’t be touched. Not because of hype and media, but because of what you saw when he played. Kobe is so far behind Jordan it isn’t even an argue.
Michael Boff Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 3:47 pm
ment
Bloghead Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
Kobe is in the West Conf.,…..nuff said about making it out of the 1st round.
william limon Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 7:17 pm
Hey. bOFF… kobe can’t do what?
You make me sick… The last word was.. kobe has not only sniffed jordan’s dust.. The Mamba had some venom for him too… theres several reasons why i think kobe has the up’s on jordan…but the main one is that kobe bryant’s shot is one of the most finest shot in history.
Kobe can hit from all places, and has incredible range, and is the best player ever in making tough shots… but when he gets in his zone, kobe becomes almost supernatural… he can sink a ” no where to go ”
fadeaway 3 pointer from the corner with a bunch of guys hanging from his bones… he can shoot, dunk, or smart hi way back into a game….
THAT’S SICK…and that’s Kobe Bryant…And since i am done with this
matter…. Hatters check out “Kobe The Assasin” on youtube.com
william limon Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 7:17 pm
Check out kobe 55 pts versus jordan
william limon Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 7:18 pm
You
william limon Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 7:18 pm
Tube
Arthur Rimmer Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 8:01 pm
I dont understand how the author of this story says that Lebron is better than Kobe because he made it to the finals. What kind of mess is that? He was in a terrible Eastern Conference. If Kobe and his Lakers was in the East, they would have made it to the Eastern Finals and to the championship as well. Even with those losers he has on his team. Lebron will never be as good as Kobe…NEVER! He cant shoot like Kobe, he can’t play great of defense as Kobe and he will never have that killer instinct like Kobe. Kobe is the man and will probably be the man for the next few years to come. Lebron is, who he is, the second best player in the league. Kobe is the best and only Kobe Bryant. He will never be Mike Jordan because he is not trying to be Mike Jordan, he wants to be the one and only Kobe Bryant.
Michael Boff Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 8:11 pm
If we were going to talk stats for a moment just a few would be, since you guys keep telling me what a “prolific scorer” Kobe, he has got quite a few scoring titles to go before he catches Jordan, who had SEVEN IN A ROW. Kobe can’t touch that. Can’t touch the finals mvps, or the mvps, or defensive player of the year awards. Or making his team better. You only talk about his shot and ability to score. It is so much more than that. Not only was Jordan better offensively, he was better in every other aspect as well. His shooting percentage was better, and so was his decision making. Kobe will never touch Jordan. There isn’t one single stat or argument you can give me that would justify any sort of argument that Kobe is better than Jordan. Isn’t even close.
Michael Boff Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 8:14 pm
And William, you probably never watched Jordan play. You are probably some kid who has only ever seen the highlight of him hitting the shot on the jazz.Anyone who has SEEN Jordan play, knows.
Alton Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 9:03 pm
Kobe abd Lebron are very good players in a water down league. To even mention them in the same breathe as Jordan in my opinoion is crazy. Jordan put fear in players hearts every time he touched the ball. In the post Jordan era only Shaq and Tim have dominated the game and have the rings to prove it.
do Said,
July 31, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
if allen iverson had 1 or two rings he would probably be the best player even though he shoots his ass off he plays with more heart than anybody in the nba. i think melo and a.i. will win a championship this year with boston going to the finals allen iverson will not go down like charles barkely because just liek kobe and lebron he too can take a team to the finals or a playoffs series on his own like he did on 2001.
bigdog Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 12:09 am
Testify, M.Boff, Testify.
Robin Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 12:11 am
Kobe is the best player in the league, no doubt. I dont like admitting it because of his attitude, but he is the best overall and has the most talented. The question is who comes after; and it is definitley not Lebron. He is still young and not on Kobe’s level yet. Kobe played the Suns in the first round, and Lebron played a Wizard team without Arenas or Butler. Kobe constantly plays against Western Conference powerhouses during the season, such as the Spurs, Mavs,Suns, Jazz,Rockets, Nuggets,etc. Being in the East, Lebron schedule consists of playing against a Detroit team where the players dont like the coach, a beat-up Miami team, a Chicago team that only shoots jump shots, and a young Raptors team. Lebron may be better someday, but right now Kobe’s mentality and overall talent puts him ahead. He still needs to become a fierce competitor/leader and develop his jump shot, which both will come along as he gains experience. In my opinion, these are today’s top players:
1.Kobe
2.KG/Duncan (KG finally has talent around him on the Celtics;will make them contenders in the East/Duncan is the best since Jordan besides Shaq, and still winning rings)
3. Nash (back to back mvp, turned Suns franchise around, makes everyone better-who’s heard about Boris Diaw when he played for the Hawks)
4. Wade -better leader/game more mature than Lebron-took Miami to the Eastern Conf. Finals in 05′ and a ring in 06′
5. Dirk - one of the most versitale players in the NBA; MVP
6. Lebron- has the potential to be the best, but not there yet
joker Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 1:24 am
you put the cavs in the west, and they won’t get out of the 1st round either…put lakers in the east and they will make it to the finals also. the only thing lebron has on kobe is age, i’m sure by the time lebron turns 28, he will be better than kobe is at 28. but for right now kobe is the best.
enrique Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 1:43 am
There is no doubt KB24 is the best player in the nba now.
LBJ is getting there but what about D-WADE, ha has turned into something else….and with 1 championship already WADE can very well pass king James.
OVERWADED Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 1:59 am
Lebron sure looked like Jordan in the NBA Finals didn’t he????
He had 1 great game in the entire playoffs. He played 2 teams worthy of being in the lottery. The only legit team they beat were the Pistons, and they looked pretty bad themselves. At this point in his career, everytime I hear Lebron compared to being as good of a player as Jordan, it makes me sick. Lebron has that POTENTIAL, but as of now that’s what it is. Until he proves otherwise, he’s just another “next Jordan” to me, and how many of those have we had in the last decade?
I did hear the mention of a few other players. Let me just mention one of the; Duncan, who has 4 titles in the brutal Western Conference, enough said.
Oh, and it looks like this debate got some of D-Wade’s fans panties in a bunch. This is all I have to say about Wade. He owns 3 NBA Records:
NBA record, most free throws made in a NBA Finals game: 21
NBA record, most free throws made in a six-game NBA Finals series: 75
NBA record, most free throws attempted in a six-game NBA Finals series: 97
Think about that for a little while before you drawn any conclusions with this guy.
j son Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 3:14 am
All I have to say is that Kobe is better than Lebron but when Lebron gets to Kobes age I believe he will have a ring while Kobe won’t win another one unless he starts ring chasing like Gary and Zo…D-wade should be right there in this disscusion as well because he does have a ring this earily in his career
darnel Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 3:42 am
Definitely it’s KOBE. Coaches, team managers knows it. Wants proof? watch the US national team when they will play and you can witness that their coach will have more trust on Kobe from the start until the end of the game in every game they will play.
Toby Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 4:51 am
Piss poor article, really man you are bad. You don’t get paid to write this stuff do you? I sure hope nobody actually would pay for this.
Tim in DC Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 6:55 am
How can you even begin to form an argument against DUNCAN? Limon, get your head out of Kobe’s ass. What really tells the story with him is on Team USA he STILL hogs the ball. Really Kobe? Can’t find any decent players to pass to? The man is physically unable to give the ball up, and is too easy to gameplan around. Duncan can beat you himself, or set his teammates up. He can score 30 if he needs to, but usually he’ll settle for 20 and get everyone else involved. And I love how defense hasn’t entered into anyone’s discussion.
biggame james Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 12:41 pm
Lebron! Lebron who… Get real…Kobe is by far the best all around player on the planet….. U can’t be serious with this discussion. ASk everybody in the damn league and they’ll tell u who is the best…Be 4 real….
biggame james Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
none of you guys probably can ball in real life…………
biggame james Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
yo alfred don’t ever bring up carter in the same sentence as Kobe… cocaine is a terrible drug!!!!!!!!!!!
biggame james Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 12:55 pm
Percy James good call….
william limon Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 1:19 pm
Sorry to ruin your party fellows but a basketball fan like me would be stupid not to have seen jordan play. And recall that i never said jordan wasn’t the best ever, hey i seen him take it from magic and my lakers!
But you guys act like the Mamba never came to this world!
The guy will be the closest thing to jordan ever! Kobe has everything jordan has and more, plus he has a better shot. Jordan played years in the nba before he became an OK shooter. Kobe is a natural shooter, thats why he is so good, its natural to him. Not to take anything from Jordan, he was the best, but kobe’s skill puts him right there with him.
Let me explain… Jordan was the perfect basketball player… He is the face of basketball, Jordan is a perfect “10″ Kobe is the perfect basketball player of the new time, and his throne is here to stay.
But kobe is different from Jordan. The only one thing that Jordan has over Kobe is The mind! Jordan was a mastermind, He controlled the game with his head. Kobe has that ability but he is just not ON his team the whole game like Jordan, for that reason alone Kobe is a “9″
My beloved Kobe nation… dont get on me for this one…i am not finished… KObe is a “9″ because he is not the mental monster…
But his skills smoke Jordan to the rooftop… What i am trying to say is that when KOBE is at his best he makes a jump to an “11″… It’s true!
When he is in his zone, He become the greatest EVER….
Jordan is the greatest, but you guys talk about kobe like he is nothing.
When he might be greater then the greatest….
bigdog Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 1:54 pm
If the refs are going to call foul when you drive to the hole wouldn’t you be a fool not to take advantage of it? That makes Wade a smart ballplayer. He’s hit too many clutch shots, gotten too many steals, too many blocks (including one nasty one on Kobe) in key moments for you guys to hate on him. And if you’re going to mention panties you might want to mention Kobe. You know as in accused in taken some from a chick. Or maybe as in acting like a bitch in his snitching on Shaq and lets not forget about trying to get traded out of L.A.. “Kobe nation”? That’s part of the problem now it should be “Laker nation” but he’s to busy try to bigger than the game as a result… 1st round exits.
bigdog Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 2:08 pm
And oh yes Big game James i do play ball, coach ball and ref it as well. If you aren’t around 35 yrs old i really doubt you know your ball history. Or actually seen some of the greats players in their prime. By a show of hands who actually saw the members of the ‘92 Dream team play in their prime, the “Bad Boys”, Dr.J,’Nique and Jordan when he hit 63 on the Celts in the Garden? How many of yall know about Benard King or Moses just to name a few. Alot of you guys are no more than Johnny come lately. The NBA would be so different if they kept hand checking in the game your boy KB0 wouldn’t be offensively good as he is cause he cries when he don’t get calls now.
OVERWADED Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 2:26 pm
Look at bigdog; talking like a thug, defending his boy. Just to remind you, Wade is the same guy who was sobbing tears like a hoe last year when he hurt his poor lil shoulder.
The fact of the matter is, at least when Kobe shoots 20 free throws, he scores 60 points. You can say the same thing for Wade.
I can’t believe anyone would even try to make an argument for Wade.
It’s all good, we’ll soon find out what D-Wade is made of. Shaq and the rest of the NBA Legends on the Heat are on the way out. We’ll see how great D-Wade is when Shaq isn’t there.
The sad part is, nobody would even care about D-Wade, besides Miami fans if Shaq didn’t go to Miami. He’d be just another Chris Paul at this point in his career.
But you’re right about one thing, it’s not Wade’s fault. David Stern has turned the league into a bunch of pampered babies. If half of these guys had to play the game when it was actually physical, they wouldn’t last.
Go back and watch a game with Jordan playing the Knicks or Pistons. Hand checking was aloud, and a lot more than that. I never liked Jordan, but he earned everything, and there aren’t many “stars” now a day that can say the same thing.
OVERWADED Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 2:37 pm
Bigdog, I somewhat retract what I previously stated. However, you’re kind of contradicting yourself. You say Kobe wouldn’t be the same if hand checking was still aloud. Well, sure, it would affect every player’s game. But Kobe has the ability to hit a shot from anywhere on the floor. He doesn’t rely on the officials to get his points. When Kobe is on, it’s often because his jumper is falling, and he’s raining 3’s. Wade doesn’t even have the ability to make a 3. What would D-Wade’s game be if hand checking were still aloud?
In all seriousness, I know Wade has a lot of talent. But it’s hard for me to enjoy watching him. I’ve never seen a guy make a play for the foul, more than the shot. And I know all great players do that sometimes, but Wade does it more often that not. Nobody wants to watch a guy go to the free throw line after falling from shooting a fade away jumper. Nobody wants to watch a guy shoot 20 free throws in a single game.
Basketball fans want to see players make great plays; and drawing a foul isn’t a great play.
But I do respect where you’re coming from. it sounds like you’d rather watch the game for what it used to be, rather than what it’s become.
Deshaun Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 3:58 pm
The comparision should be between Steve Nash and Tim Duncan
Nash is a back to back MVP and should have won it again dis year…he made the Suns into title contenders the past 3 years since he came. The suns should be winning rings but fastbreak basketball will never be able to win against traditional defensive teams, which is why they cant be the spurs. Nash can do it all (except his so-so defense) and makes everyone around him better.
Duncan (along with the Diesel) has been the best since MJ, and is doing his thing consistently year after year, including winning rings. He dominates defensively and on offense has the post moves and passing skills to spread the ball and make everyone better. He is also the best PF to ever play da game.
All in all, Nash and Duncan are truly the most valuable players that you can build franchises around; both win games and make everyone around them better. Kobe dosen’t know what he’s doing or what he wants. When they tell him to pass, he will take 1 shot the whole half. If they tell him to shoot, he’ll have 60 points and only 2 assists. He is complaining that he dosen’t have enough talent on his team, while he himself was the one that drove the best center of all time away from the team -Kobe was getting tired of being the sidekick while Shaq racked up 3 FINALS MVPS. He is talented but his attitude ruins it . And Lebron still isn’t close to being the best player- he is still young and has the potential to be the best, but is not yet. If anything, Wade is ahead of Lebron right now. He has the leadership and winner’s mentality that Lebron dosen’t have.
Also, I noticed Kobe’s numbers on the Lakers (24) and team USA (10)
are both one up on Jordan (23 and 9.) Kobe. you are not Jordan and havent surpassed him and you will never. You copy everything he does from his game to sticking out your tounge. Jordan used to try to do everything by his himself. like against the pistons numerous times in the playoffs. (like KObe trying to beat the pistons in the finals by himself) However, he realized it takes 5 to win, and thats something KObe will never understand.
Deshaun Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 4:03 pm
Lebron still cant even shoot the ball -his game isn’t fully developed. But he just finished his 4th season in the NBA and hasnt reached his prime. When he gains experience he probably will be the best player
Devon Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 4:11 pm
Kobe is the best hands down…lebron can not shoot as good as kobe at all u r a fool if u even think that it is a competition
jeff Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 4:31 pm
East is so weak
tiloutakesover Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 4:48 pm
lebron vs. kobe? kill urself!!! kobe the best hands down but dwade got him next year,dwade was the best player this year before he got hurt and would of been MVP. stop the BS about lebron so good so young,okay Carmelo just 6 months older than him and doing the same thing in a much stronger western conference. lebron is a beast physically but as far as basketball skill he aint got none,just a big dude who is so physically that he can fly to the hoop.for real though dwade got it next year and till he retire but hands down its kobe dont even bring up lebron who completely flopped in the finals
OVERWADED Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 6:09 pm
Well said Deshaun.
I totally agree with you on Nash and Duncan.
The number thing with Kobe is really funny. When he changed his number, I thought that was why he chose 24. But I never realized he did the same thing with his Team USA number. A little too obvious to be a coincidence…
bigdog Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 9:52 pm
if you are a Heat fan you don’t mind Wade shooting free throws the whole game if need be. When he’s doing that it mean two things he’s getting to the rim and he’s getting his opponets in foul trouble. If Wade doesn’t have a jumper why are guys fouling him when he gives a head fake and goes up? Drawing a foul is a great play especially if it gets you to the line for a game winning or tying point.You can’t say DWade isn’t a exciting player so stop it. How often have you watched a game where Kobe has more attempts than made shots? There are alot of players that would put up big numbers if they shot the ball all the time.
bigdog Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 10:04 pm
Crying cause your in pain is one thing but crying all the time because you are a pain is totally different. Latest thing in Lakerland is everyone is afraid things are going to get worse cause they fear Kobe reaction to Garnett’s trade. Please, Kobe man up and take the challenge that you basically made yourself. The thing is even if he didn’t run Shaq out of town why did everyone else decide to leave too? The Mailman, D fish, GP, D. George that can’t be coincidence, could it. And as far as Nash he plays with an all star team so miss me with the MVP thing. He’s very good but the most valuable… i think any star in the league can do the same thing he can like A.I. or Chancey for example.
OVERWADED Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
Delusional…
How good was Phoenix before Nash arrived? They were no contender, that’s for sure. Nash should be a 3 time MVP right now.
A.I. is a scoring machine, but he doesn’t make anyone better.
Billups just a good as Nash? Stop smoking crack… Billups is a solid player, but he is no Nash.
If you want to compare anyone to Nash, go back a few years to John Stockton; one of the all time greats.
Trust me, nobody is trying, or even thinking they are fouling D-Wade while he is shooting fade away jumpers. I pretty much call that shenanigans.
We’ll see how much everyone likes Wade and Miami once all the NBA Legends on the team finally retire and they’re fighting for the scraps of the Eastern Conference (pending that Wade doesn’t jump ship first).
Dan Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 12:32 pm
Kobe Bryant’s career playoff shooting % is very very average. I think it stands around 43%. So instead of becoming a better plater in the playoffs like most bonafied superstars do, he actually becomes a less efficient scorer who only shoots more to make up for it! Imagine what kind of things Jordan would have done with a player like shaq on his team, he certainly would have averaged double digit assists.
bigdog Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
if Nash is so great why did the Mavs go to the ’ship after he left and why have they won more games with the guards they have now. Also John Stockon played “D” unlike Nash. I also don’t recall Stockon getting worn down ever year come playoff time. And correct me if i’m wrong but i don’t recall seeing Nash in the ’ship since he been in Phoniex and Stockon there a couple of times. I think he benefits from the players and system he’s in. The last time i checked both A.I. and Billups have made the trip to the ’ship with Chancey winning one. I’ve been a Heat fan for 12 years now so i’ll be a hit fan regardless of Wade & the “Legends”.
bigdog Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
And when did Wade become a strictly a jump shooter and that the only way he gets to the line? Most of you Wade hater claim he doesn’t have a jump shot. And since everyone insist on youtubing people and tell me how often do you see Wade finishing @ the rim after you you tube him. Wade is one of the most unstoppable forces in the game when he goes to the rack ask Jermaine O’neal, Garnett, Ducan and many others that are on posters as a result. You can hate on Wade but try to play him for someone who just settle for jumpers (he’s not Dirk).
OVERWADED Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 3:11 pm
Well, I’m glad you’re a loyal fan. I can respect that. I’ve been a Magic fan since 89, and that won’t ever change. Enjoy the coming the years in Miami.
Maybe our teams will meet in the playoffs. It’s about time we get an instate rivalry going.
By the way, thank you for Stan Van Gundy.
Both Billups and A.I. made it to the Finals in the East. If the Suns were in the East, they’d have made it there 3 straight seasons no contest. But the Spurs are out West, and as long as they are healthy, and not to old, the rest of the league is going to have a tough time winning.
Dirk is a hoe, and the worst MVP in league history. He ran away from the ball the entire series against the Warriors. He was SCARED, just flat-out scared. I cannot respect that.
Back to Nash, take a look at the Suns when Nash is out for a few games, they are pretty bad. The Suns go as Nash goes, period.
As for Dallas, you should go back to Nash’s last season, and take a look at that roster; it’s totally different than the one that went to the Finals. Then add in the development of their rookies, the 2 point guards that replaced Nash, and you can see why Dallas is still a solid team. But honestly who cares… Until they get some “balls”, they’re going to continue to struggle.
scott Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 3:40 pm
“For me, though, I’ll go with LeBron because he just led a similar Cavs team to the Finals while Kobe’s Lakers can’t get out of the first round.”
That’s the weakest argument I’ve seen in a long time. You’re saying Lebron is better than Kobe not because of skill, but because his team went to the finals? The East is a joke (see Cavs in finals). Any Western Coinference playoff team would have taken the championship if they played the Cavs. I thought this was about Kobe vs Lebron anyway, not Cavs vs Lakers.
WillY limon Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 5:10 pm
KOBE IS THE MASTER..It’s like he is the basketball JEDI
HE is the only player that can do it all… Only Jordan is on Kobe’s Level..
“Kobe Has The Best Shot Ever”
“Kobe Is The Most Skilled Player EVER”
“Jordan is the 2nd most skilled ever”
“Jordan is the smartest ever”
Michael Boff Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 5:20 pm
Wade can shoot. This misconception that all he can do is drive the lane is ridiculous. His mid-range is deadly, and half the time, when he gets the foul, he finishes at the same time for the and one. Go back and watch the 06 semifinals series against the nets, game 2, and tell me he can’t shoot the three. Just because he doesn’t take it, doesn’t mean anything. Why would he take a shot where there is more chance of missing, when he could get to the hole just as easy, and score or get the foul shots? That is what sets him apart from idiots like Lebron who take all these stupid fade aways, and like Gilbert who will jack up 3’s till the end of time. Wade plays SMART, knowing when to pass, and when to take over. That is what sets him apart from Kobe and Lebron. And the foul thing is no different from Kobe. If they want it, they can get it, it is a privelage that the refs give superstars. I’m not saying it is right, but don’t single Wade out.
OVERWADED Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 6:15 pm
What’s the saying; every dog has his day?
One game huh, WOW… By chance did you watch last summer FIBA games? He chucked brick after brick (from the shorter international 3 point line I might add) to help Team USA win bronze, once again. You can add Lebron-ze to that list too.
Oh by the way, your whole theory on “just because he doesn’t take it, doesn’t mean anything” is completely wrong.
The reason he doesn’t take it, it because he sucks at shooting 3’s. If you need proof, look it up, he’s a career .249% from behind the 3 point line. And don’t say he didn’t attempt any either; he’s a blazing 63-253!
You’re right with one comment, some “superstars” get privileges. And that is one of the major problems with the NBA. It’s also the same reason these same so-called “superstars” struggle to beat the TEAMS they play against internationally; because in those games, there isn’t NBA officials there to bail them out on every play.
Today’s NBA is played by a bunch of pampered babies. They don’t have to earn a thing. So to make something clear; I’m not just “hating” on just Wade here, the list goes on…
The NBA needs to address the officiating in many areas. One example applies here. A player facing the basket can’t be touched. If you touch him at all, the official can blow the whistle if he chooses to. He will, depending on the player; which is total crap. Now on the flip side, the big men of the league that play on the block are aloud to be pounded on continuously without a foul being called.
OVERWADED Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 6:17 pm
And last years Finals looked like a #1 seed VS. #8 seed. The Cavs had no chance in hell. The Spurs were on “cruise control” the entire series and still won with ease.
THE GREAT ONE Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 6:38 pm
Come on no disrespect to KING JAMES but he ’s not close to the former employee # 8 who has now changed to employee 24 … LEBRON is great and i look forward to many years of greatness but THE K-O-B-E is the right now .. I watched MIKE from the beggining to the end and the closest we have to his AIRNESS is KOBE BEAN BRYANT hate him or love him he KOBE is the best we got right now.. Wait till he OLYMPIC performance he’s a winner despite what those BUSS brothers think or do … And watch he’ll retire a LAKER why not …..
T'Mike Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 7:50 pm
Everyone’s comments were worth while, but to sum up everyone’s comments you can’t say D-Wade is better than Lebron or you can’t say that Kobe is better than Lebron! At his position, he is better than both Kobe and D-Wade! The kid has done nothing but get better every year and I do mean kid! At Lebron’s age, Kobe or D-Wade could not touch this young man and if you don’t think power is a part of basketball you don’t know the game! For the one’s that think the East is a joke, go back and take a look over the past few years and see who won the All-Star game. Just face it, Lebron is beyond his years right now and to say that Kobe or D-Wade was any better than Lebron at this age is CRAZY!!
Quittia Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 9:26 pm
R u serious there is no comparing, Kobe is the best in the world. Come on when is Lebron going to accomplish any thing. The only reason why Lebron get any credit b/c he is on every comerical and that is it. Man Lebron can take that same dunk he do every time and his corny self back home
Quittia Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 9:36 pm
lebron will never ever reach the platform kobe has reach. many say that he’s better b/c he went to the playoffs and to the finals look at his team if kobe had a team like lebron has they would have beaten the spurs and lebron ok he can dunk look how big he is you’ll break your wrist trying to block he’s dunks when kobe dunk on steve nash 2005 playoffs they should have atomatically gave him mvp and how could kobe with he’s team smush, lamar , luke win those games if supposedly the news media like to raise up oh steve nash this shawn marion that if they so good why do they struggle against the lakers b/c kobe . if kevin garnett would went to the lakers champion ship every year
Gus Said,
August 2, 2007 @ 10:42 pm
Well, I love King James and dislike Kobe. But I’m also an honest person. I’ve been a hardcore NBA fan for as long as I can remember, from what I’ve seen, honestly, Kobe Bryant is the ONLY player worth mentioning in MJ comparison talks. He has the midrange game that Jordan didn’t have, and the rest of his skills are, in my opinion, on par with Jordan’s. If you put Kobe in a one on one situation with LeBron, come on, Kobe’s relentless defense along with his unlimited offensive arsenal will overcome James’ streaky/awkward shooting. James is the better passer of the two. That’s it. I’m not going to go against LeBron too much though because he’s still much too young, he still has the time to better his skills over the coming years, so till then, Kobe will be the one carrying the torch.
NBA Fan Said,
August 3, 2007 @ 12:30 am
Kobe destroys the Lakers and now wants out. I can’t believe Lakers fan are still putting with his $hit. He may never had said that he demanded Shaq to be traded but, trust me, that what’s his intention was. Now he has his own team and can’t take them out of the first round of the playoffs, and Lakers’ fan blame his supporting casts.
Wake up Kobe lovers! There’s a reason why nobody on the Lakers rosters respect him. He’s a pretentious and selfish human beings who pretends to be a great team player. I will take Lebron over Kobe anyday. Let me ask you one simple question. Do you think Cleveland will trade Lebron for Kobe? I don’t think any GM in the NBA would. Let me ask you another question. Do you think the Lakers would trade Kobe for Lebron. I think the Lakers would do it without a thought!
Dre Said,
August 3, 2007 @ 9:42 am
T Mike, Wade versus Lebron at 22 Wade is better. Kobe versus Lebron at 22 Kobe is better. I like Lebron but their are better guys out there. I would take Melo over Lebron in a second too.
I don’t know what it is that keeps him low on my list, the ugly jerseys, the ugly shoes, maybe the fact that he does the same one handed dunk everytime. I don’t know what it is but he still a solid player.
Dre Said,
August 3, 2007 @ 9:50 am
NBA Fan, the Lakers would not trade Kobe for Lebron. Plus who cares if he wanted Shaq traded or not, the Lakers had already went down two straight years in the playoffs WITH Shaq, not to mention times they went out in 97,98,99 WITH Shaq. Having Shaq does not guarantee a title.
Also it is up to the GM to build a team. You can’t blame Kobe that Mitch traded for, signed, and drafted the wrong guys.
OVERWADED Said,
August 3, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
I don’t like any of them.
But, Kobe is the best of them all. I don’t know how that can be questioned. He has more titles. Oh I know, D-Wade has 1, but he wouldn’t have got it if Shaq wasn’t in town either. Obviously that goes for both of them. But Kobe’s offensive game is far more complete than any other players. And really, he can do it all… And even though he has ego problems, he’s always competitive.
I can’t say the same thing for Lebron. He’s taken nights off before. I’ve watched games where you can tell he isn’t playing as hard as he could. The media called him out on it last season. Until he does something to seperate himself from the rest, he’s just another T-Mac/Carter; and that’s not a bad thing, it just means he shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentense as Jordan at this point in his career.
The media, the NBA, David Stern needs to STOP CREATING STARS. Let players step up and become stars. Lebron was the “choosen one” before he ever played a game! D-Wade had a great season before Shaq came to town, but it wasn’t until Shaq came to town that he was called a “superstar”. But this will never change, because in the end, it’s about one thing; money.
Like I said, I don’t like any them, but Kobe is the best of them all, and as of TODAY, they only one that can mentioned in the same breath as Jordan, even though he’s still not at his level.
Why would the Cavs not trade Lebron for Kobe, or anyone for that matter? Mainly; youth and potential… Lebron is younger than Kobe, and for that reason alone is more valuable.
Lebron has the “potential” to be as good as he wants to be. But it’s up to him. What Jordan, Magic, Bird, Isiah, and company all had that almost every player today doesn’t is killer instinct. They wanted to win more than anything, and the player mentality just isn’t the same now a day. But there are a few guys that show more than a few signs. Duncan, KG, Kobe, Nash… You can tell by watching a guy play how much he really cares. Or just ask the Dallas Mavs of last season how some of their players already had their vacations planned before the Warriors even beat them.
In todays NBA, usuaully the scrubs of the league play the hardest, because they don’t have the natural talent; think of a guy like Daryl Armstrong. If all the “stars” of the league had half of his heart, the NBA would be in great shape right now.
ballathrilla Said,
August 3, 2007 @ 5:22 pm
As Stephen A. Smith stated “The East is Junior Varsity while the West is Varsity.” Lebron is in the JV and Kobe is in the Varsity, LeBron only made it to the finals because he was in a Junior Varsity Conference, hence forth that Kobe couldn’t get out of the first round in the Varsity Conference. Kobe is still far most better than LeBron no debate. Kobe needs a good defensive presence and a Scottie Pippen like player, that very well could be Odom but he’s not aggressive and assertive enough to do so. As for the debate of DWade i’ve read and who consider him better than LeBron, i absolutely agree. DWade’s midrange shot is what killed Dallas having him average 40 a game in the finals as LeBron ran the court helplessly watching his team fail to have any victories in the Finals. But Dwade is not better than Kobe no matter what everyone may say. Kobe is consistent in his NBA games and so is Dwayne, but Kobe extends his game to the 3 line and his free throw percentage is far superior compared to Dwade. But Miami has proven they could possibly win some games even without Wade but LA would suffer without Kobe. This is a nice article as this article should have turned out to be Kobe vs DWade as they have far more in common.
Michael Boff Said,
August 4, 2007 @ 10:27 am
Kobe and Wade have earned superstar status. They are both amazing players, can take over games, and are unstoppable when they want to be. I don’t feel they were “given” this status. Wade put a team on his back and won a championship singlehandedly, having a post season performance that Kobe or Lebron is yet to touch. Lebron shouldn’t be considered on this same level, because he lacks consistency to perform night in and night out.
melo15 Said,
August 4, 2007 @ 2:51 pm
Lebron the best YEAH right.. . .if hes so great why does his team have a better record without him in the past 3 years? i don;t like neither but Kobe scored 81 points wHEN his team needed it. nevermind the 62 against the DALLAs Dfence everybody was boasting about. oh yea that was only in 3 quarters. Kobe is the man even i hate to admit it. Lebron hasn’t really proved himself in the clutch… he scored wut like 48 against detroit n last 24 points of the game to win it. . BUTso did DANIEL GIBSON- ROOKIE FROM TEXAS. that just showed the mediocre detroit defense. Lebron has talent no doubt bout it but Kobe? Kobe? KOBEEEE is been where Lebron is been and done that. I dont’ even think Lebron is better than Gilbert Arenas, Dwayne Wade or Carmelo…If carmelo was in the East n didnt have to face san antonio first round three years in a row.. . he would be in the finals. the first time Lebron has played San antonio in the post season he got swept and embarssed by the “old” team. You picked Lebron??? thats insane! Kobe has bailed the lakers out atleast 50 times making the gamewinning shot and that was with shaq too. and Lebron is a terrible defender. theyre both incredible players true. . but kobe is better than lebron. and lebron is tied at second with 7 other players.
OVERWADED Said,
August 5, 2007 @ 10:21 am
It’s funny… If there is any controversy within a playoff series, it only stands out in 1 game.
Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals was a great example of this. The Kings were about to knock off Shaq, Kobe, and the Lakers, until the officiating went haywire. The Lakers players were made untouchable by the refs, they were given 27 free throws in the 4th quarter alone. At one point, Mike Bibby actually jumped out of Kobe’s way and still got called for a foul. The Lakers went on to win by 4 points.
That was 1 game, and to this day people still talk about it being “fixed”.
Now for those of you who “believe” in D-Wade, and how he supposedly “put a team on his back and won a championship single-handedly”, maybe you should go back and re-watch some of those games. This series alone had 3 controversial games all by itself. Mark Cuban and Dallas fans were not the only people in the world thinking something was wrong here. In Games 3, 5, and 6 Wade was given 18, 25, and 21 free throw attempts in three crucial victories for the Miami Heat. In those 3 games, the Heat defeated the Mavericks by margins of 2 points, 1 point, and 3 points. It’s pretty clear that Wade’s RECORD SETTING 64 FT attempts were kind of important in those games.
All I’m saying is I enjoy watching players make great plays, not being bailed out time after time by the officials.
Michael Boff Said,
August 6, 2007 @ 12:58 pm
You are just one of these people who always has a complaint, and unless it is your team winning, the officiating is unfair. It has been the same thing since sports started. Always whining about the refs, and the calls. People like you could never accept the fact that teams and players you don’t like can win without the help of the refs. I’m sure if it was YOUR team though, they would have won it on their own. And I did watch the Finals games you are talking about, and what I saw was a Dallas Team terrified of blowing a lead and choking under pressure, namely Dirk and Jason Terry. But I don’t go around blaming the refs for the outcome of every game that doesn’t go to my liking.
OVERWADED Said,
August 7, 2007 @ 1:39 am
My team wasn’t even in the playoffs that year. Honestly, I don’t like Dallas or Miami. I watched that series from an NBA fans perspective. I had nothing against Wade, until that series happened.
It’s all about deserve… I don’t like seeing players bailed out. Wade falls more than any player I’ve ever seen, and it’s laughable at times. He falls so much even the commentator’s makes jokes about it.
In those 3 games, he almost shot as many free throws as he did field goals. So he was getting fouled on about 50% of the shots he took; if anyone can clarify this for me that would be greatly appreciated.
Bob Mcgeeho Said,
August 7, 2007 @ 9:39 pm
wow, for anyone to even try and make an argument that wade didnt completely dominate through sheer talent and skill is laughable. And “your team” must be some team like the magic hornets, and then i guess it is probably more fun to bag on other players than watch those terrible games.
Alec Said,
August 8, 2007 @ 12:55 am
The Kobe / LBJ Debate shouldn’t even occur, in my opinion.
Kobe won’t win the MVP awards due to writer bias (and the NBA’s scheme to keep anointing another new young superstar), but there has been little doubt that the man who has set the net on fire and made more jaw-dropping plays in the past two years than anyone else in the past decade is Kobe Bryant. Nobody has made 12 3 pointers in a game, 81 points, 62 points in 3 quarters, and averaged 35 points a game since MJ. If ANYONE else in the league did those things (read: Arenas, Duncan, LBJ and the chump Flash), Stern would personally anoint him the second coming.
LBJ is the Jevon Kearse of the NBA. His conference finals performance was dominant, his toolset amazing, but no refined dominance, no war against humanity that Kobe seems to bring.
Not that any of these are reasons that Kobe is without a doubt the number one player and LBJ is trash, but strictly speaking, until LBJ puts up statistics that make him the most dominate player in the NBA, then we can say he’s better than Kobe. Furthermore, until he becomes the jaw-dropper that the NBA is built off of (read: Dr. J, Magic, Kareem, the Logo, Bird), LBJ will be a second fiddle. He is amazingly talented and a prodigy. But right now? Kobe will dominate the league until he gets a title. I promise.
niko Said,
August 14, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
I think LaBron will get a ring before Kobe gets another one. In fact, I don’t think Kobe will ever get another one. Don’t get me wrong, Kobe is perhaps the greatest player year in and year out in the last 7 or 8 years. But he doesn’t really make his teammates better. He just excels in spite of them.
LaBron is gonna need some help to get his but not too much.
Man, I get tired of people whining about D_Wade getting to the line too much. Have you watched his game? I can remember when the heat lost the first two to Dallas and EVERYBODY was writing them off. Wade said right then, “I ain’t going out like this!” Then he got out his cape and did the thing. Meanwhile that nut case, Cuban started ranting & raving about bad calls while the nazi fell asleep and let them go down the tubes.
Its just funny how people remember things. Wade got his and desearved it. Now I want to see LaBron do the same.
baller Said,
August 15, 2007 @ 5:00 pm
Are you crazy to me before you compare L-bron to coby you have to conpare D-wade to coby because as of right now coby and D-wade are equal, and not L-bron.
ryan Said,
August 20, 2007 @ 6:04 pm
people, lay off LBJ, seriously, he is 22 f***ing yrs old….his defense does need some work, as does his mid range game, but he is not a finished product….and to compare him to D-Wade, who is a hell of a player, is not fair because LBJ does not have Shaq….and to all those who say he will never score 60 or 80 or whatever, your’re right, because that is not his game. he is about finding his teammates and getting them involved because he understands that without them he goes nowhere(hence the emergence of Daniel Gibson, Sasha Paviloc, and Anderson Vareajo)….also, for those of you who say he is not clutch, LBJ has the best field goal % in the last 2 minutes of games. Check it!
dropdimes18 Said,
August 22, 2007 @ 4:14 pm
If the Cavs wouldve gone against the Suns in the first round, they wouldnt have gotten to the finals, the Spurs swept the Cavs and the Suns almost beat the Spurs. Do the math
Percy James Said,
August 28, 2007 @ 2:52 pm
Kobe is the best player in the NBA. Carmello Anthony is probably the next best. Dwayne Wade is in the top five. Lebron James is a great athlete who has probably peaked as a basketball player. Cleveland did nothing to improve their team this off season.They will not sneak into the finals again. It was a fluke! I hear a lot of people say ” makes other players better ” I remind everyone Scotty Pippen was one of the fifty greatest players in NBA history ! The Bulls did not win before he got there! Lebron and Cleveland won’t win anything until they add some pieces. A great player who Lebron can compliment.
nick Said,
September 10, 2007 @ 1:03 pm
how is dwade not in this convo. seth is a moron. lebron is way too hyped. hes good don’t get me wrong. but hyped.
at least d wade has a ring.
kobe, wade, melo.