The difference:Kobe vs. MJ

Whats the difference between these two? and I dont mean the rape case or jordans 6 rings to kobe's 3 or stats..I mean skill wise? To me Kobe has a better handle then jordanand everything else is just similar. They both have that same hunger and drive to be the best so whats so diffeent about these two

 

Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooo
MJ is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.
Why does Kobe copy all of MJ's hand gestures if he doesn't want to be like him?
If you want to be someone else you'll never reach your own potential.
I'm out like the sun in the summer

 

If ever there was a player in the modern game that can be legitimately compared to MJ, its Kobe. To simplify the comparison on sheer skill, lets consider MJ at his prime and Kobe at his.

It so happens that MJ peaked twice in his career (pre-retirement, and post-retirement), but I'll stick with the first peak.

Kobe clearly has the better outside jumper, but given the offensive scheme run by the Bulls Jordan didn't need to develop it until late in his career. The Lakers, on the other hand, largely play an inside-out offense so it was a necessity for Kobe to have 3-point range.

As far as ability to drive and create going towards the basket, Kobe has shown flashes of the brilliance that MJ had, but this was something Jordan did virtually every game and almost at will. Again, we can say that given the respective offensive sets they play under, Jordan was forced to develop this aspect of his game more than Kobe, but in my opinion its clear that Jordan has the edge in quickness/strength/brilliance when going towards the basket. Kobe is very good, perhaps the best in the game today at this, but it still doesn't match Jordan at his prime.

Defensively, Jordan has the edge by a wide-margin. Again, Kobe is a very good defender at his position given his long arms and quickness, but he doesn't bring that intensity every night like Jordan did. And this basically sums up the difference between the two players. You're right, skill-wise its almost a wash. But what made Jordan so unique is that he combined these amazing skills with an intensity and competitive fire that has never been matched. And he did it consistently. With Kobe, its a bit more on and off.

 

I think the vast difference is Kobe's leadership. Kobe is a great player but take Shaq out of the equation and they fall flat on their face. Where as Jordan,without another legit star,was leading his team into the play-offs against teams such as Detroit,Boston,New York and Atlanta back in the day. Granted Mike was always knocked out of the play-offs due to the lack of talent,he always had a fair amount of success when he was 'all alone',without another star.

Look at Kobe last year when Shaq was gone,the Lakers fell on their face. Now switch it up and look at the Bulls when Pip was out for a few games,Jordan kept 'em runnin'.

Anyways,thats the major difference in my mind. You take Shaq out of the Lakeshow(last years team) and Pip out of Chi-town and you have two very similar teams. One superstar with a group of role players.

 

The difference is that MJ was the best player on his team, while Kobe is 2nd best.

 

I think the thing that seperates Kobe & MJ, are 2 things.

1) The Maturity in their games while winning a championships. MJ had to mature & realize that he cant put the show in front of the success of the team inorder to win championships. He learned that from the losses suffered to the Pistons year after year etc. MJ put up great # whether the team won or loss. But he learned that he had to alter some of his personal performance inorder for players like Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant etc to grow so they can become a championship team.

Kobe Bryant has yet to learn how to alter his game for the better of the team imo. He has never had to learn this inorder to win championships, because of the man in the middle but you can still see signs that he hasnt learned this like when he has those games where doesnt play inside out ball with shaq etc. Kobe overall game has to mature alot more before he can be compared to some one like MJ. MJ became the smartest player in the league inorder to win chips. Iam not really sure I can say the same about Kobe, sometimes he makes winning for the lakers mucher harder than it has to be imo.

MJ's mid range post game. Once MJ develope that mid-range post game it became the most unstoppable move in the NBA in the 90's. It made to where you couldnt contain MJ because if you could stop his other arsenial of moves he aways had that post fadeway to count on. MJ post game was the shaq of the triangle offense of the Bulls, except Shaq post game uses power & MJ's post game used finesse. But it was used in the same way, it was used to create double teams. And start the Bulls offense. Kobe doesnt have that post moves or mid-range shot to fall back on. I mean he has a solid post game but it isnt close to being in the class of MJ's. Pound for Pound MJ & The Dream had the best footwork ever out of the post up position.

 

i wouldn't even say kobe is the second best. MJ is the best ever, maybe in a couple years we can compare him to LeBron but as of this point MJ would hav torn any player in todays game apart.

 

The biggest difference I've noticed between Kobe and MJ, as far as skills go, is strength and body control (which are probably related)...MJ just had remarkable body control when he elevated for his shots...nothing ever looked off-balance for MJ...it was almost mechanical.....kobe, in the other hand, doesnt control his body as well, and often has to contort it to get the shot off. When he pulls up for his jumpshots or shotos the fadeaway, his hips fly out, his leg sticks up...it just doesn't look as square as when MJ did it..Mj also absorbed contact better with his drives to the basket...

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting ReRun:</div><div class="quote_post">i wouldn't even say kobe is the second best. MJ is the best ever, maybe in a couple years we can compare him to LeBron but as of this point MJ would hav torn any player in todays game apart.</div>
Sorry, but no. Kobe matches up very well with MJ. I just hate it, because The Kobester came after His Airness... If Kobe would've been first, I know without a shadow opf a doubt, people would say Kobe is the best. IMHO that is the case. Also, Kobe is a better outside shooter, has a better crossover, and is way better with his left. Only thing MJ ever did with his left was that memorable lay-up against the Lakers. I give him credit... Nice shot, but Kobe is getting to the point where he can be better... Too bad Kobe wasn't first, but soon enough he'll prove himself. I don't remember MJ drilling a buzzer beater with one of the premier defenders in the league, I might add, all over him while falling. Then coming back in the 2OT and drilling a fadde-away three with another guy right in his face, while down by 2 and winning the game!!...

 

Well the guys above me basically said everything i wanted to say.Well Kobe has the benefit of the outside shot, and MJ did not, but like Durvasa said, he did not need it as much as Kobe did until later in his career. MJ also played a very consistent great defensive game, Kobe at times just seems to turn it on when he want to play D and Jordan would just pick the players every time he had the chance and elevate up high for a block as kobe would at times not use as much energy and just puts a hand in the offense's face. In terms of pure skill, both are just about even, but at times you wonder if Kobe went to college to develop his game for 2 or 3 years would he have been better?

 

No. He woultn've of gone through the hardships that have made him Kobe. Besides, the Lakers would most likely not have him right now... and they would have 3 less rings!

 

theres no way, i cant believ you are saying kobe bryant is better than Michael Jordan. that is the most BS ive heard all day.

 

I'm not saying that. I'm saying he could with time.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting PrimeTime:</div><div class="quote_post">Sorry, but no. Kobe matches up very well with MJ. I just hate it, because The Kobester came after His Airness... If Kobe would've been first, I know without a shadow opf a doubt, people would say Kobe is the best. IMHO that is the case. Also, Kobe is a better outside shooter, has a better crossover, and is way better with his left. Only thing MJ ever did with his left was that memorable lay-up against the Lakers. I give him credit... Nice shot, but Kobe is getting to the point where he can be better... Too bad Kobe wasn't first, but soon enough he'll prove himself. I don't remember MJ drilling a buzzer beater with one of the premier defenders in the league, I might add, all over him while falling. Then coming back in the 2OT and drilling a fadde-away three with another guy right in his face, while down by 2 and winning the game!!...</div>
This is what you said. You practically are saying that Kobe is better than MJ already.

Have you not seen MJ win any games doing the impossible? You insult him by saying that the only thing he did in his career was that lay-up against the Lakers. Horrible.

Kobe is not MJ yet. He may never be. He may surpass him. One thing that Mike has on Kobe is an unguardable move (the fadeaway), Vast knowledge of the game, and last but not least he's 10 times more mature than he is (I know that Kobe is only 24, but it's true).

 

That's not what I said! I said the only great thing with his left hand! <font color="RED"><strike>YOU MORON!</strike></font> Read the whole damn thing before you post! I know right now MJ is better, but soon, Kobe could be better.

<font color="RED"><font size="1">Personal attacks & insults are NOT allowed at JBB. If you can't say anything nice then don't say it at all. Please refer to the guidelines in regards to this. ~ Dre</font></font>

 

Fundamentals, Jordan just has better fundamentals than Kobe. You can tell from the way the Jordan makes it look so easy while Kobe, at times, seems to have to struggle to get the same shot. I've always thought that FG shooting% was a good barometer when comparing these two guys. Mike shot better than 50% in the early parts of his career while Kobe averages about 45%. Why? Cuz Mike takes better shots. I think it really all goes back to fundamentals. Mike could drive anytime he wanted but he didn't really need to do it if he could get easy points with a back cut or curl for an open jumper. Sometimes I think Kobe relies too much on his athleticism to get him through and ends up taking tough shots.

 

MJ shot around 50% from the field his whole career just about. What is Kobe's high, like 46.5% or something? MJ was a little faster and jumped higher and had a better shot selection. But Kobe's outside shooting is better. But they do mirror eachother alot it's just that MJ was more athletic in his prime then Kobe. They kinda sound alike too. Kobe is comparible to Jordan, but MJ is the greatest.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting PrimeTime:</div><div class="quote_post">That's not what I said! I said the only great thing with his left hand! YOU MORON! Read the whole damn thing before you post! I know right now MJ is better, but soon, Kobe could be better.</div>Resorting to personal attacks to get your point across? I guess Kobe isn't the only one lacking maturity.

This is what you said:
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting PrimeTime:</div><div class="quote_post">Sorry, but no. Kobe matches up very well with MJ. I just hate it, because The Kobester came after His Airness... If Kobe would've been first, I know without a shadow opf a doubt, people would say Kobe is the best. IMHO that is the case. Also, Kobe is a better outside shooter, has a better crossover, and is way better with his left. Only thing MJ ever did with his left was that memorable lay-up against the Lakers. I give him credit... </div>You are basically saying that because Jorday came before Kobe that he would have been regarded as the best. Is that not right? You are also saying that Kobe is a better outside shooter, better cross-over (When was this important in a players fundementals??) and is better with his left. First of all Jordan can't shoot threes like Kobe but when did outside shooting not involve mid-range jumpers? Jordans jumper is way better than Kobe's no doubt.

Second of all you bring up the fact that Kobe has a better cross-over. When has this ever became important in a players game? We are not playing And1 basketball here.

Lastly you bring up the fact that Jordan has a worse left than Kobe. How the hell would you know this? You bring up this one highlight that is produced over and over everywhere and say that this is MJ's only decend left handed layup? Have you not seen this MJ play one game? MJ was just as good with his left as he was with his right. This statement is totally false in every sense of the word.

You say that MJ is better than Kobe only on the basis that he came before him. I say you are wrong. Then you change your story to say that Kobe can be better? Maybe you should read your own posts.