Kobe or Lebron: You Decide
2009 May 25
Kobe Bryant or Lebron James
The basketball nation has gone deep into conversation about this very topic. It has been a long time since we’ve been able to have a lively and close debate about the NBA elite. Everyone remembers Bird vs. Magic, Russell vs. Chamberlin, Jordon vs. well….Retirement (hahaha). This new debate lives up to that kind of billing even though, we can only hope and pray that it will last at least another 5 years or so.
With the NBA Playoffs in full swing, the big question is who do you want? Kobe or Lebron? Please vote on my poll below and then leave comment explaining why you believe in your decision. Show me some passion.
P.S. I will amend and/or delete comments that have profanity.
Happy Memorial Day
Lebron alll daaay..Lebron has improved alot since last years final…..he makes everyone look good and he is not SELFISH…….ugggh, Kobe is often a one man show, all he cares about is winning. Lebron likes to win also of course, but Kobe doesnt care what he has to do or whose toes he needs to step on…Lebron likes to get his teammates involved.
Kobe, but not because of anything other than the fact that Lebron needs to take his proverbial ‘bumps’ before success. One point I’d like to bring up about Kobe, something I read on some sports-column somewhere..
This ‘Kobe/Lebron’ debate is a bit silly, considering Kobe has 13 seasons of wear-and-tear on his knees, while Lebron is younger than us! And so the point in the column was made about how Kobe’s career will unfortunately be cast in 3 stages, and that we’ve never really truly appreciated Kobe’s worth. Stage 1: High-flying high-schooler, ‘fro and all, wins a bunch of championships on this amazing team that combined gritty journeymen arguably the best coach in the world with inarguably the most dominant big-man of our time. But all we remember from that time was “..is he trying to be the next MJ? He talks like MJ in the interviews, he chews his gum like MJ, he shoots like MJ, he dunks like MJ..hmm…”. The next stage of his career was when the winning stopped and the drama started. The Colorado criminal case, the in-house fighing in the locker-room, the Jerry Buss/Shaq split. And even though the Lakers imploded, Kobe was still as consistent as ever. But again, we didn’t allow ourselves to appreciate him even then. The third stage, he’s now cast in this un-winnable debate about who’s better, him or Lebron. And again, now as an old man who needs ice-packs during games, we’ll never fully appreciate Kobe’s consistency as being on top of the game for so long.
Lebron – He is carrying that team. It’s amazing how they lost by 8 when NOBODY could make a shot. He needs help. 1 all star vs 3. He has solid role players but needs that special player. Besides Kobe has Pau and Bynum – yes he is big and centers like that don’t come around.
Kobe is a great individual player and is a more skilled shooter but Lebron takes his team up there. Switch Lebron and Kobe on opposite teams and see where it leads to. Gaurantee you Kobe wouldn’t bring the Cavs as far as Lebron has.
Knicks – you guys better do all you can to get him – and bring one other player (Wade/Bosh). Look what he did with Cleveland and look what he can do with the Knicks!!
All I can say is GO KOBE!
The Logo, Jerry West said it right the first time. Lebron James is a better player than Kobe. Regardless of what Lebron has done recently, Kobe is still the best closer in the game.
Lebron is a combination of Magic and Michael. He’s big, strong, durable, very fast, mobile. And he’s a great defensive player, he’s intelligent (just makes all the right plays all the time).
Only recently has Kobe evolved into a team player. And that is only due to a freebie trade from the Memphis Grizzlies for Pau Gasol. What Kobe has, that Lebron will take some time to acquire is that ability to close a game. He doesn’t have that same selfish killer instinct to score that Kobe does.
There is no doubt in my mind Lebron will win several championships, God willing he suffers some crazy injury that many future MJ’s have gone through (e.g. Grant Hill, Vince Carter).
Lebron definitely. Kobe is the SECOND greatest player. Take away the championships with Shaq, Kobe really doesn’t have anything more than Lebron.
And honestly, Lebron does it at BOTH ends of the floor, and I’d really like to see someone prove that Kobe is a better defender than Lebron (ala see the blocked lay-up vs the magic).
At the end of it all though, Lebron’s strength is just too much. There hasn’t been a player in the history of the game that has the combination of strength and skill that Lebron has.
@ Sul:
I’m with you all the way. I’m not saying we never appreciated Kobe. Kobe I think is better than MJ from a certain perspective. E.g. MJ NEVER faced the kind of scrutiny that Kobe does…Lebron in some sense is hugely protected by the media (the same way MJ was for a very long time).
But the issue I see is it took Kobe 13 years to get where is he, where as Lebron is already there! This guy is playing with teammates who are nowhere nearly as talented as Kobe is. Lebron just brings everyone he plays with at a higher level (not so much for Kobe). Look what he accomplished w/o Pau? Nothing notable. Granted that he plays in a much tougher conference than Lebron, but if you compare the wins for the Cavs versus the western conference teams and the Lakers with those same western conference teams, Lebron really does come out on top.
Let me know what you think…this is always going to be an interesting debate.
Let me ask you fellas this question. Who would be your all-time starting 5? I think I heard some guys on TNT propose similar question.
Mine?
Center – Bill Russell
F – Wilt C!
F – Tim Duncan
2G – MJ
G – Magic
All Time Starting 5 for me is:
Bill Russell (Kareem Abdul Jabbar or Shaquille O’neal)
Tim Duncan (Wilt Chamberlain or Hakeem Olajuwon)
Larry Bird (Julius Erving or Elgin Baylor)
Michael Jordan (Jerry West or Oscar Robertson)
Magic Johnson (Isaiah Thomas or John Stockton)
I had trouble coming up with this one because I had so many that I could substitute except Jordan. The key for me is a combination of great scoring, defense, and versatility to make the best possible team.
I still think I got it wrong, but that’s the fun of it all, isn’t it?
Kobe all day…Because he has the killer instinct and the will to win that is unmatched by all but maybe D-WADE. Lets be realistic, Lebron and the Cav’s should be down 3 and getting swept tonight, but he did hit a half nice, half luck shot that might keep his team in the series.
All year Lebron has played great and everyone has said he has the supporting cast to win it all. Now all of sudden the Cavs are facing adversity and Lebron is getting no help.
PLEASE…Lebron is back to his old self of dribble dribble dribble while everyone stands around, waits to see what he’s going to do, then by the time he gets the ball to his shooters they are cold. Kobe is a proven winner and I dont feel the need to justify why I would take him over the King. We will all “witness” tonight if this question can even be debated tommorow.
I don’t know either.
Not a basketball fan.
But hope you had a happy memorial day too!!!
“Jordon vs. well….Retirement (hahaha)” LOL good one!
I have to go with Lebron.
KOBE!!
Hehe!! Estaban, today is the best day to say that…isn’t it?
Yep!!
Aurie, I concur with the sentiments/comments voiced by UNCLE re Kobe and Lebron.
Uncle is certainly a connoisseur when it comes to NBA analysis.
KB24 ALL DAY BRO!!