Geezus! I'm starting to read and hear stuff about Kobe maybe being as good as or better than Jordan??? OMG! Jordan was better and it's not even close. Kobe won three of his titles with Shaq and one of his titles with Pau Gasol. Jordan never played with an offensive presence in the post. Never. Jordan basically WAS the presence in the post. Maybe Kobe will get 6 titles (I highly doubt it) but even if he does, it still doesn't make him better than Jordan. I'm not even sure Kobe is the greatest LAKER of all time (meet Magic and Kareem), let alone the best ever in the league. Thoughts?
He's right behind MJ in my opinion, an assassin when it comes to making clutch shots. For me to put him ahead of MJ he would have to win at least 7 titles, so that means this year plus two more. (which will not be easy with LeBron as a potential contender with Cavs/Bulls/Miami)
He needs to beat Boston at least once to be considered as maybe the best Laker of all-time. That said, Jerry West is the one that actually owns all the Laker records I think, but I could be wrong.
I completely agree with both thoughts. Kobe is no MJ. He isn't even as good as Magic was. He's damn good but folks are just forgetting how absurdly awesome MJ was. Besides which, the rules in the NBA today give Kobe an advantage that MJ and Magic didn't have. You know how many points MJ would have averaged if defenders couldn't put a hand on him on the perimeter? A whole team developed a defensive scheme just to try and stop MJ (The Detroit Pistons Jordan Rules). There may come a day when a player shows up who is an equal to MJ. But they aren't in the NBA right now.
Kobe has scored more points as a Laker than any Laker ever. He does have that on his side. But Magic won 5 titles in 9 trips to the Finals. In his first trip to the finals, his ROOKIE YEAR, with Kareem sidelined for Game 6, Magic started at center and played all 5 posessions to win his first NBA championship. His ROOKIE YEAR! Kobe spent his rookie year hoisting airballs in the playoffs. Magic's statline was 42 pts, 15 rebs, 7 assts, and 3 steals. Can you imagine shit like that hapening today?
Magic was better at getting along with teammates and sharing the limelight with all-stars. Kobe wants to be better than anybody on the court including his own team and he wants to be the one shooting. Kobe wants to be #24 "one uping" MJ's #23 Magic could dominate a game without scoring the ball, Kobe isn't even close. You take Magic off the showtime teams with Kobe in his place and they don't win as many titles. You put a young Magic on today's Lakers with Pau/Odom/Artest/Bynum.... that team would be even better and we're probably talking about a three-peat.
Bullshit. Shaq won Kobe's first three rings and Pau won the last one. When Shaq left the team, Kobe couldn't even get the Lakers into the playoffs. And then he had two first round and outs. And only once they got Pau did he win a playoff series again. And even then, he LOST in the Finals. Jordan never lost in the Finals. And Jordan never had a guy to throw it into the post. No Shaq, no Pau, nobody. None. If Kobe wins two more championships (which he won't), that won't make him better than Jordan anymore than Horry's 7 rings makes him better than Jordan. Kobe's a great player, no doubt, but sometimes when the pressure is really on (see Game 7 vs Phoenix in 2006 or Game 6 vs Boston in 2008), he COMPLETELY WILTS. Vanishes. Jordan never did that.
Nope. Two more rings gives Kobe 6. Horry has 7. And by the way, Horry earned them with bigtime shots that won playoff series. Horry has only 1 ring if he never played with Horry and that's a fact.
Those old Celtic titles are so overrated, it's less of an accomplishment then winning a conference in today's NBA. So what if they dominated, there were EIGHT freaking teams.
