like mike, or even better I know this article's kind of old, but I stumbled upon it and I thought I'd share it. It was in SI, by Rick Reilly. I think it answers a lot of Kobe's doubters and critics. Like Mike, or Even Better- by Rick Reilly <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Basketball fans can be dumber than a box of anvils. "Where will we ever find another Michael Jordan?" they wail. If they'd only stop whining, they'd see someone right under their noses who could win up better than Jordan. I know, I know, I'm on crack. I'm a twit. I sleep with farm animals. But just listen for a second. At 24 ,Kobe Bryant has 3 rings. At that age, Jordan had 0. At 24, Kobe had better all-around court sense, a better J and, unthinkably, even more madly creative mid-air Gumbyness than Jordan did. At 24, Kobe is hitting 38.5% of his treys; Jordan was shooting 18%. Over the last 4 weeks Kobe was on a mind-warping, pupil-popping, scorched-earth tear during which he scored 35 or more points in 13 straight games. Jordan hadn't done that at 24. Come to think of it, he still hasn't done that. "He's the best player in teh gmae right now," Utah guard Mark Jackson said last week, after Kobe went for 40 points to help the Shaqless Lakers beat teh Jazz. "He's playing basketball that's as good as I've seen in my career." Of course, Jackson's only been in the league for 16 years. So why can't America embrace Kobe and his ozone-piercing potential? Why can't they realize that falling in love with Kobe doesn't mean breaking up with Jordan? I mean, what's not to love? Here's a young man who speaks fluent Italian, it married and has a child, and never shows up in the back of a squad car. Here's a pro who workd out eight hours a day in the off-season, who one summer wouldn't go home until he'd made 1,000 jumpers a day. Here's a young god who's runway handsome, GQ cool and Eagle Scout nice. In Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals in San Antonio last May, he blew up for 12 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Spurs. He was seconds from going live with NBC when saw a small boy crying over the loss. He left the interviewer, went over and hiugged the kid. Yet all anybody wants to do is line him up against Jordan and make sure he loses. Kobe's getting sick of it, and I don't blame him. "People want to compare me with Michael in his prime," he says, "and that's unfair. I don't think I'm in my prime yet. I think a player's prime is, like, 26 to 30. I'm only 24. But thats all they want to talk about. They're not saying, 'Kobe worked really hard at getting better at this'. Or, 'This is what I appreciate about Kobe.' It's always what I do in relation to Michael. Like, they say my competitiveness came from watching Michael. It never crossed their minds that I've been like this since I was five." Savor this kid. Wallow in his starshine. Be stupefied, mind-boggled, brain-bemt. He's writing his legend right under our noses. Beats his man left-hand dribble, skies baseline and flushes over Yao Ming? Catches a long outlet, goes behind his back to lose a Denver Nugget and 360 slams? Driving the baseline, takes off outside the paint, loses Latrell Sprewell in midair and reverse dunks on the far side of the rim? And that's just in the last three weeks. You want to argue? Bring it. Jordan never had a Shaq. True, and Kobe never had a Hall of Fame swingman like Scottie Pippen. Or a rebound-munching forward as Dennis Rodman was in his prime. You think he wouldn't be handy to have around? Why, yes, Dennis, I would like to shoot again, thanks! Jordan won 10 scoring titles. Kobe's got zilch. I watched Kobe scored 56 in 3 quarters against Memphis last season- the man could win a scoring title wearing Muppet slippers. But many nights he has to put his ego in a jar to keep Shaq-Fu happy and well-fed with points. Plus, Kobe has the burden of handling the rock an awful lot- more than Jordan. "I'm not saying it's harder," says Kobe, "but it consumes a lot more energy, having those little guards crawling on you all the time. It's definitely more running." Kobe doesn't D-up like Jordan. True, but he's learning. He's increased his steals from 1.48 a game last season to 2.24 this season. He's averaging a career-best 7.0 rebounds, too. Jordan only beat that once. He's got the Bally's body at 24 that Jordan didn't build until he was 30. I don't see 6 rings on Kobe's fingers. Let's say Kobe retires when Jordan will, at 40. That means he'd play 23 seasons. You think Kobe can't get 4 more rings in the next 16 seasons? "Seven rings, eight rings, nine rings," Kobe says, "I don't care. I just want to win. Every year." Yeah, well, the world will never love Kobe as much as Jordan. True, but maybe that's because Michael came first. If the order had been reversed, would Kobe have the IMAX movies, the jingles and the shoes? Would Michael be the one wearing Kobe's throwback at the All-Star Game? They said nobody would punk Ruth's numbers. Then came Aaron. They said nobody would go lower than Nicklaus. Then came Tiger. Just roll the possibility around on your tongue for a second: Kobe Bryant could end up the greatest player in NBA history. "Ooh," says Kobe, "you just gave me goose bumps." The feeling is mutual.</div>
"At 24 ,Kobe Bryant has 3 rings. At that age, Jordan had 0" two words...Shaq Attack "At 24, Kobe had better all-around court sense, a better J and, unthinkably, even more madly creative mid-air Gumbyness than Jordan did." at that time...Jordan didn't need a J...he can always dunk on anybody for a higher percentage... "At 24, Kobe is hitting 38.5% of his treys; Jordan was shooting 18%." at 24, Kobe is a 6+ year veteran....he should be hitting those threes... "Over the last 4 weeks Kobe was on a mind-warping, pupil-popping, scorched-earth tear during which he scored 35 or more points in 13 straight games." good point... "Here's a young man who speaks fluent Italian, it married and has a child, and never shows up in the back of a squad car" you're right...this article is old... "Beats his man left-hand dribble, skies baseline and flushes over Yao Ming?" all-star game...slam dunk competition..dunk from the free throw line with loads of heavy gold necklaces on his neck... "Catches a long outlet, goes behind his back to lose a Denver Nugget and 360 slams?" against the lakers...was about to flush it down with the right hand...changes his mind in midair...shifts it to his left hand for a very pretty lay in... "Jordan never had a Shaq." Shaq will always attract the double team...and sometimes...Kobe gets free...Shaq clears up so much space on the lane... "Jordan won 10 scoring titles. Kobe's got zilch." nuff said "Plus, Kobe has the burden of handling the rock an awful lot- more than Jordan. "I'm not saying it's harder," says Kobe, "but it consumes a lot more energy, having those little guards crawling on you all the time. It's definitely more running."" Jordan never complained about being guarded well...in fact, Jordan will be one of those "little guards" who'll crawl over the main man on the defensive end...that is in addition to "more running" that he's doing on offense... "Kobe doesn't D-up like Jordan. True, but he's learning. He's got the Bally's body at 24 that Jordan didn't build until he was 30." Kobe started when he was 18...learn fast so we can compare him to Jordan... "I don't see 6 rings on Kobe's fingers. Let's say Kobe retires when Jordan will, at 40." i don't see him playing till 40...he'll definitely win more than 6 rings...with every superstar wanting to play with the Lakers...after Malone and Glove...who'll it be next time? KG? J-Kidd? T-Mac?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting kobeonfire:</div><div class="quote_post"> Here's a young man who speaks fluent Italian, it married and has a child, and never shows up in the back of a squad car.</div> Pretty old article right?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting :</div><div class="quote_post">At 24 ,Kobe Bryant has 3 rings. At that age, Jordan had 0. At 24</div>Reilley's point about Kobe Bryant being twenty-four with three rings is weak. Michael Jordan was only a second year player when he was twenty-four years old because he chose to play college basketball unlike Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant came to an illustrious Lakers team that already had a playoff worthy lineup, unlike the Bulls did when Jordan came to them in 1984. And in the late eighties when the Bulls were makings their first attempts at a title the rest of the league was more competitive than it currently is. There were the Showtime Lakers, the Bad Boy Pistons, and Bird?s Celtics all trying to co-exist. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Kobe had better all-around court sense</div> Saying that at twenty-four Kobe Bryant has a better court sense than Michael Jordan did at the same age is bordering on ludicrous. How can Reilley measure something like that without very closely monitoring their games like I know he didn?t do? <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Here's a young man who speaks fluent Italian</div> I wonder if Reilley is aware that Bryant lived in Italy for a portion of his life and thus had to learn the language. Don't ever think that Kobe Bryant would learn a language in his spare time if he didn't have to. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> You want to argue? Bring it. Jordan never had a Shaq. True, and Kobe never had a Hall of Fame swingman like Scottie Pippen. Or a rebound-munching forward as Dennis Rodman was in his prime. You think he wouldn't be handy to have around?</div>Scottie Pippen joined the Bulls in 1987. This was three years after Michael Jordan joined. But honestly, a lot of people say that it was Jordan who made Pippen the phenomenal player that he was and not the other way around. In Kobe Bryant?s case he has more of a partnership with Shaq and neither one really makes the other one better. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I watched Kobe scored 56 in 3 quarters against Memphis last season- the man could win a scoring title wearing Muppet slippers.</div>That is one game. Jordan has lit it up for more than sixty points before. Reilley acts like Bryant lights it up every night for fifty. And do you not think that if the Grizzlies were around to toy with in Jordan?s prime he would have put on an even better show? <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">But many nights he has to put his ego in a jar to keep Shaq-Fu happy and well-fed with points.</div>Does Kobe keep Shaq well fed with points or does Shaq keep himself well fed with points? <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't see 6 rings on Kobe's fingers. Let's say Kobe retires when Jordan will, at 40. That means he'd play 23 seasons. You think Kobe can't get 4 more rings in the next 16 seasons? </div> Twenty-three seasons!?!?! Whoa, do the math, Reilley. Michael Jordan played only fifteen total seasons. That means that Bryant has eight more seasons to win six rings. In these eight seasons Shaq will retire, Phil Jackson will retire, Gary Payton will retire, Karl Malone will retire, and Kobe Bryant will be left with a has-been Lakers team or he will be playing for some Eastern Conference loser that had enough cap room to sign him as a Free Agent. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah, well, the world will never love Kobe as much as Jordan. True, but maybe that's because Michael came first. If the order had been reversed, would Kobe have the IMAX movies, the jingles and the shoes? Would Michael be the one wearing Kobe's throwback at the All-Star Game?</div>Columnists like Reilley have no respect for the NBA?s past. The NBA has seen a lot more phenominal players than Kobe Bryant. If Kobe Bryant came before Jordan then you?d be hearing that Chamberlain, Bird, and Johnson are the best players ever not Kobe Bryant. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Just roll the possibility around on your tongue for a second: Kobe Bryant could end up the greatest player in NBA history.</div>Let's take it one step at a time. First Bryant needs to prove he is better than some of the current greats like Jason Kidd.
Just shows that Reilly can argue both sides of the argument. I'm 100% positive that he can come up with just as good an article on why MJ was better at the same age. Reilly knows the NBA history. He also knows how to make people read his articles. A subject like this does that.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting sunsfan1357:</div><div class="quote_post">Just shows that Reilly can argue both sides of the argument. I'm 100% positive that he can come up with just as good an article on why MJ was better at the same age. Reilly knows the NBA history. He also knows how to make people read his articles. A subject like this does that.</div>The question is not whether or not Reilley can argue both points or an arguement. The question is whether or not Reilley honestly believes that Bryant will be better than Jordan. Regaurdless of how many people he got to read this article he didn't say what he honestly believed which is a journalistic sin in my opinion. If he wasn't assigned the side of Kobe Bryant he shouldn't be proving that he can argue both sides of an arguement. He is not in college anymore.
Well he's not just going to write a whole article on it then at the end come out and say, "Just kidding MJ is better." I don't see anything wrong with it. Rick Reilly is too smart to actually think that. From the tone of the article you can get the feeling that he doesn't really believe it. Just from the first paragraph I can kinda tell he isn't really totally serious about it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting sunsfan1357:</div><div class="quote_post">Just from the first paragraph I can kinda tell he isn't really totally serious about it.</div>I believe he took this seriously. Most of his articles have some elementary humor like his first paragraph did, but that doesn't mean he doesn't take his articles seriously. Would you write an article about something you didn't believe in and then support your statements with facts you thought were bull?
I have before. Personally I like to see how well I can write something from a point of view different from mine. It makes things a little interesting for me. Either way it's no big deal as we all know the article isn't speaking the truth.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting magicfrankie:</div><div class="quote_post"> Originally Posted by kobeonfire Here's a young man who speaks fluent Italian, it married and has a child, and never shows up in the back of a squad car. Pretty old article right?</div> lol... ouch
People like Mark Stein and Rick Reilly are smart, they know when its time to write something that will get everybody talking, so that way they know the name and will look out for future articles. Smart.
Is MJ the best ever? It is something that's going to be talked about for a long time and no one will ever be quite satisfied. He's become a legend. People talk about Ali and Tyson in their primes and who would beat who. It's going to be the same with Mr. Jordan and every star from here to eternity. I think it was a good article. not at all conclusive but well written.
MJ would whoop Kobe when he was in his prime........ and first of all he lead that team when he was a rookie to one of the best team, Scottie Pippen wasnt any help to me hes a lazy chicken crap, how many NBA hall of famers would even get himself a techinical foul during a NBA game with the score tied and with 30 seconds left on the clock
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheHitman:</div><div class="quote_post">MJ would whoop Kobe when he was in his prime........ and first of all he lead that team when he was a rookie to one of the best team, Scottie Pippen wasnt any help to me hes a lazy chicken crap, how many NBA hall of famers would even get himself a techinical foul during a NBA game with the score tied and with 30 seconds left on the clock</div> uh,what?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting The Black Widow:</div><div class="quote_post">uh,what?</div> Thats exactly what i was thinking....
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Let's take it one step at a time. First Bryant needs to prove he is better than some of the current greats like Jason Kidd.</div> Jason Kidd? I hope you're not serious. He's a great player, but come on. He doesn't even compare to Kobe. Jason Kidd hasn't won a championship, hasn't won anything besides an Eastern Conference title. He's a great passer, I'll give him that, but he's got no shot or anything else besides leadership. I know that's important too, but no way he compares to Kobe.
