http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...ug=jy-nuggetslakers052009&prov=yhoo&type=lgns Heard it from sports center... All i can say is that i agree with how Shaq talked about it... He said that: LBJ is a video game cheat code LOL and that Kobe could care less (me too) who the best player is... all he wants is to win the rings coz' he's been there and done almost everything LeBron has (except for the triple - doubles LOL)... Kobe: Maybe West is just trying to ignite a fire under Kobe's ass to guarantee that the championship comes back to LA, who knows...
This topic has been discussed numerous times already. I think the bottomline is this. LeBron James best all-around player Kobe Bryant best closer
I disagree with that assessment, Shape. A lot of people still argue Kobe being a better defender. I wouldn't say LeBron is better all around player. I do think he is right there with Kobe and it is neck and neck, but I don't think he has surpassed him yet.
No doubt, Kobe is hands down a better defender than LeBron. I should have clarified best all-around offensive player. LeBron's physical gifts allow him to dominate a game in ways Kobe can't. I think people are too caught up in comparing these two though.
Couldn't. If James storms through the Magic, which I suspect he will, KB24 is in a world of trouble in the finals.
Good for him but he hasn't stormed Orlando this season. Let the Cavs deal with their current opponent first they haven't played anyone yet.
The Lebron vs. Kobe debate is so worn out to me. Im honestly just sick of it. I used to get into these arguements with friends but none of matters to me anymore. Its all about who wins in the end. If Kobe plays like shit through the rest of the playoffs, Lebron averages a QUADRUPLE- DOUBLE, and the Lakers some how win it all inspite of Kobe, that would be just fine with me. I also think that it eats at Kobe a bit to hear some say that Lebron is has passed him up, but I think for the most part he is mature enough now to see past all of it. Winning a title is much more important than any individual accolades at this point to Kobe.
In that case, I tend to agree. I think with LeBron's size, it is easier for him to get to the hole and score. I'll still take Kobe's perimeter game over LeBron's, but I'd much rather have Kobe scoring inside. I'm sick of the LeBron-Kobe debate. They are different players. To me, LeBron doesn't have that will to win and desire to kill attitude that Kobe has. Kobe is a straight up assassin and will put a bullet in your fucking brain to make sure your dead. I don't see that in LeBron.
Why is Kobe in a world of trouble? In the two games (granted, it is only 2 games) this year we've played Cleveland, we've locked down LeBron pretty well.
Lebron James is clearly the best basketball player, and it's a pretty wide margin right now. He just posesses physical gifts that allow him to dominate in a way that other players cannot. The only other player who could match Lebron in dominance that is in the NBA right now is Dwight Howard. (I guess you could make a case for Greg Oden because of his body, but he's clearly not very good at basketball, so at his peak, is highly unlikely to be a dominant player.)
Kobe had pretty good numbers against good teams this year, while LeBron takes a noticeable dip. Ultimately people need to wait until the end of the post-season, especially people like Jerry. But I hope the detractors keep talking though, I don't mind the extra motivation.
It allows Lebron to physically dominate like no other can including Dwight Howard. I would argue that Kobe can dominate just as well if not better than James but from a mental aspect. No one in the league has a record/resume of domination that can compare with Kobe's.
God, you're annoying. I can't wait until the Lakers stick it to the Cavs in 6 and shove that fucked up, flawed formula straight up your ass.
There is not an objective measure that says Kobe is better than Lebron. PPG: LBJ - 28.4 > KB24 - 26.8 APG: LBJ - 7.2 > KB24 - 4.9 RPG: LBJ - 7.6 > KB24 - 5.2 SPG: LBJ - 1.7 > KB24 - 1.5 BPG: LBJ - 1.1 > KB24 - 0.5 FG%: LBJ - 48.9 > KB24 - 46.7 3PT%: KB24 - 35.1 > LBJ - 34.4 FT%: KB24 - 85.6 > LBJ - 78.0 eFG%: LBJ - 53.0 > KB24 - 50.2 TS%: LBJ - 59.1 > KB24 - 56.1 O-Rtg: LBJ - 122 > KB24 - 115 D-Rtg: LBJ - 99 > KB24 - 105 OWS: LBJ - 13.3 > KB24 - 8.9 DWS: LBJ - 6.3 > KB24 - 4.2 WS: LBJ - 19.6 > KB24 - 13.1 Clutch Stats PTS/48: KB24 - 56.7 > LBJ - 55.9 AST/48: LBJ - 12.6 > KB24 - 5.7 REB/48: LBJ - 14.3 > KB24 - 8.4 STL/48: LBJ - 3.5 > KB24 - 1.0 BLK/48: LBJ - 1.7 > KB24 - 0.0 FG%: LBJ - 55.6 > KB24 - 45.7 3PT%: LBJ - 42.1 > KB24 - 40.0 FT%: KB24 - 92 > LBJ - 85 eFG%: LBJ - 61.1 > KB24 - 50.9 TS%: LBJ - 69.3 > KB24 - 60.2 Game Winning Shots (Since 03-04) Made: LBJ - 17 > KB24 - 14 Success: LBJ - 34% > KB24 - 25% Please tell me how you come to the conclusion that Kobe is better than Lebron? Lebron is clearly better than Kobe overall and also in the clutch. Lebron is the best player in the league and it's by a wide margin, and it's not really all that debateable.
This isn't a discussion about regular season MVP. http://www.82games.com/0809/COM1S11.HTM 956 minutes, 28.6, 5.7, 5.0, 2.8 turnovers, 55.56 TS%, +153, +6 average, still a better defender and plays off the ball more than LeBron. That's more than enough categories to have a discussion. 776 minutes, 27.9, 8.6, 7.4, 3.3 turnovers per game, 54.37 TS%, +100, +5 average, defends a position less offensively potent. This has also been a trend the last few years, not just this one. Kobe has just as good, if not better stats against good teams, your comparison is pointless. The East has some terrible teams so what would you say is the more relevant stat? http://www.82games.com/0809/CSORT11.HTM Clutch stats shows Kobe is extremely dominant anyway and that he's played more minutes, combined with his superior stats against good teams it is more than a valid argument. His clutch "hands rating" is phenomenal, as is his rebounding for his position. Kobe is a better on ball defender, LeBron's teammates are not flashy offensively but they are superior defensively than LA.
all lebron supporters are stat junkies, they love that he's got the best statiscal game in the league, well so did Big O, but you dont hear anybody talking about how great he was, i mean he averaged a triple-double, yet most would conclude that kobe is better than him, despite the fact that big o was a better statistical player. I think stats shouldnt play such a large role in deciding which player is better, I also think that this argument is ridiculous, and thats not just because im a lakers fan. i like lebron alot, i like kobe alot more, because he is on the lakers, i dont think the argument for who is a better player is worth while discussing because it isnt tennis or swimming, its basketball, a game that is made up of a team playing against another team, i think a more worthwhile argument is which is the best team ever, i would say the bulls when they set the record for most wins, or the lakers team that won 33 games in a row. that is a better argument than who is better individually, because these players are given the chance to be great by the structure of their team, their teammates, their coach. its an immature argument and i am totally surpirised jerry west brought it up.
LeBron may put up better stats, but that's because of his physical gifts. Kobe is still the better shooter and is far superior defender. People who think that LeBron has caught Kobe in the defensive category get caught up in all of his flashy steals and blocks, which are the reasons why he finished 2nd in DPOY voting this year. If you watch him actually play man defense, he's not that great at it, despite how incredible his physical tools are. I'll give it to him (LeBron) that he might be a better all around offensive player, but Kobe is still the better overall scorer and is a FAR superior defender, which in my thoughts, make him the better overall player, but that's just me. But hey, feel free to give a shit about stats. I care about winning. I don't care if Kobe plays poorly, as long as we're winning, that's what matters. Let LeBron score 49 points in a loss, because it's still a loss.
Individually... for me... LeBron is almost better... Look at it this way... how good do you think LeBron will be when he hits 28 - 30 (Kobe's age)yrs old? thats how we should compare the guys. Based on what they accomplished during the "Full Length" of their careers. However, what i can't understand is why everyone even goes on with this debate when LeBron hasn't even won anything yet? Sure LeBron is almost unstoppable and unguardable but so is Kobe, LeBron just looks more dominant coz' of his size. I just hope that Kobe proves those critics wrong this year... If LBJ manages to win it all then i don't know how la - la land would feel... especially KB.
The Magic pulled it out last night but it didn't look like the regular season had any bearing on how he played. 49 points on 67% shooting is about as good as it gets. My thought was the Lakers would get run over by the Cavs if the Cavs made the finals in 12 games, compared to the Lakers in 18 or so.
They definately wont "run over" the Lakers in the Finals if they meet. The Cavs are now a combined 3-7 against the Lakers, Magic, & Celtics. They dont play well against the top teams.
