Kobe Bryant: 29 years old
3 Championships
2 All-Star MVPs
81 Point game
2 Scoring Titles
Countless "youngest player ever to" accomplishments
Career Averages: 24.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.5 APG, 1.5 stls, 0.6 Blks, 0.45% fg
LeBron James: 22 years old
Rookie of the Year
1 All-Stars MVP
Single-Handedly took team to Finals
11 Wins - 1 Loss (when LBJ records triple double)
Only Player since MJ & Oscar to record 30,6,6 in one season
Fifth Player in NBA history to average 27,7,7 in one season
Countless "youngest player to" records (broke every of Kobe's youngest to along the way)
Career Averages: 26.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.8 steals, 0.7 blks, 0.463 fg%
Head to Head Comparison:
1) Offense - Advantage Kobe
2) Defense - Advantage Kobe
3) Statistics - Advantage LeBron
4) Playmaking - Advantage LeBron
5) Passing - Advantage LeBron
6) Outside Game - Advantage Kobe
7) Inside Game - Advantage LeBron
8) Rebounding - Advantage LeBron
9) Teamate Help - no advantage
10) Clutch - Advantage Kobe (by slight margin)
11) Leadership - Advantage LeBron
12) Likability - Advantage LeBron
13) Marketability - Advantage LeBron
14) Killer Instinct - Advantage Kobe
15) Teamwork - Advantage LeBron
This is as difficult as it has ever been in comparing two very elite players. One, Kobe, is at the top of his game and is in the last year of his prime; the other, LeBron, is only 4 years into the league and already established himself as potentially one of the greatest players of all time, but we know he'll keep on improving. This is more diffiult than comparing any other NBA players in years. Kobe vs Jordan, Jordan was a clear cut winner. Jordan vs Nique, Jordan was a clear cut winner, Tmac versus Kobe, Kobe was a clear cut winner. Kobe versus Iverson, tough one, but Kobe wins. Now, Kobe versus LeBron is different because LeBron surpassed both, Tmac, Carter, Iverson & basically the entire league in only his third year. As a matter of fact, LeBron's third season earned him the 2nd most votes for MVP, while Kobe only had the 5th most votes. After spending an entire summer thinking about this, I have finally come to a conclusion. LeBron James and Kobe are tied as the two best players in the league. Because of that tie, this is why LeBron James is better.
They both have bad teamates, bad GMs, and no true sidekicks. However, Kobe Bryant has 7 years advantage on LeBron James. He has Phil Jackson as his headcoach, the greatest basketball mind in NBA history (besides Dean Smith), while LeBron has egghead, and offensively challenged, Mike Brown as his "coach". As indvidual team leaders, LeBron has taken his team to the NBA finals, while Kobe the team leader, without Shaq, won only about .49% of the Lakers' games, a losing record. In this regard, because of how close they are in talents, accomplishments, statististics, and marketability, LeBron James wins the comparison because he does it in 4 years, while it took Kobe 9 and one year away from his prime. Additionally, Kobe has the higher potential for marketing since the L.A. market is way bigger than that of the city of Cleveland. With that in mind, Kobe couldn't capitalize on his advantages and claim his throne; instead, a young King James came by and took it.
9 comments:
I've said the same things the past few months. Kobe is overrated.
I agree. Kobe did not capitalize.
They will both be hall of famers. No point in comparing them.
Kobe is a little whining bitch. He'll never win again without Shaq.
he doesnt get grief because he has already gotten past the first round
LOL. wow...... Kobe is a CLEAR cut winner. No comparison. You say Lebron has bad teammates? Give Kobe a seasoned big man like Z, a defensive guard like Hughes, a rebounding force like Gooden (not to mention scorer as well), and Kobe would go far. He has a degenerate Bynum, who came out of high school and gets foul out, or in foul trouble, almost EVERY game, a Would-Be-Great-Has-Been like Kwame Brown, and really no other consisted scoring option. All of you guys go by stats, i actually WATCH the games. You can clearly see how incredibly SORRY the other players are..... stupid turnovers, missing layups, committing dumb fouls. i'm surprised Kobe barely lashed out now..... i would have snapped way back. and that whole crap about Shaq being the reason he won? oh yeah..... Shaq's lil superstar was out in the playoffs, and he got SWEPT by the Bulls... that's even with having Walker, Posey, Williams, Mourning, etc, big name players on his team. Shaq is a big clumsy giant, with no skills, just sheer size and power. He can't lead any team... he needs a player like Wade.. or a superior one, like Kobe, to win ANYTHING.
Categories #3 and #4 need to be revised. With "career stats" alone, you cannot compare the two because Kobe in his early years clearly didn't receive as much playing time as Lebron did. If you want a more "accurate" representation of the stats you should proportion out each statistical category according to minutes played. Secondly, please take into account the West is BY FAR more difficult to compete in than the East since Jordan left. As far as play making is concerned, that's too similar to passing (kinda like Nash and Magic) so you can take #4 away. And just to make a note, Kobe doesn't "slightly" beat out Lebron in the clutch. Do I need to remind you of not one but TWO clutch shots from Kobe in the playoffs against Phoenix???
And to prove my point about the West being better, how about you compare Lebron's cumulative stats from rounds 1-3 to his final's stats.
Vs. Spurs
35% Shooting, 7 RPG, 6.8 APG, 5.75 Turnovers per game, 22 PPG.
Cumulative 1-3 Rounds
43.4% Shooting, 8.31 RPG, 8.69 APG, 2.69 Turnovers per game, 25.8 PPG.
As you can see all of his categories were better vs. Eastern teams. Thus, his numbers are INFLATED. Makes you wonder how much extraordinary Kobe would be if he started his career in the East doesn't it???
Case Proven.
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/lebron_james/game_by_game_stats.html
Don't forget to mention Kobe's stats vs. the West in the playoffs this past season:
2007 Playoffs vs. Phoenix 1st Round
46.2% Shooting, 5.2 RPG, 4.4 APG, 4.4 Turnovers Per Game, 32.8 PPG.
Kobe's shooting and turnover ratio is better by far. Scores 10 more points per game too. If anything, I'll give Lebron the edge in passing. As for Rebounds, he's bigger and plays the 3 position while Kobe plays the 2 guard. Lebron is supposed to get more rebounds. Overall, Kobe is second to none in the NBA.
To the one above me, Kobe played against a no defense Phoenix team in the first round, while LeBron played the Spurs, the best defensive team in the league, in the finals.
Kobe's stats are actually worse playing against Eastern teams than Western teams. Last year, his average against the central division was only 23ppg. Point made.
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