This is answered with one question One game to win it all who are you taking Kobe or Lebron? Kobe . You are taking Kobe . Same goes for The GOAT . One game to win it all who are you taking ? Jordan . You're taking Jordan.
And 11 is even better. So Russel is the GOAT? Looking at championship is important when comparing great players. But it is not everything. Kobe does not have 5 championships when he was the clear best player. He only has 2. Kobe was a great player. But Lebron is much better. That being said Jordan was better than Lebron.
LeBron didn't mess up. If Durant doesn't walk to GS the Cavs likely repeat and are the favorite to win the title this year. The team hebhelped assemble has enough talent to beat every team but the one that won 73 games and added the 2nd best player on Earth.
I don't care if I have one game, a dozen games, or one quarter, I'm taking Lebron over Kobe. You take the more talented, better basketball player every time over they hype machine chucker. Honestly it's an insult to guys like MJ and Lebron to put someone like Kobe in this type of conversation with them.
This conversation is so stupid. LeBrons the greatest to ever play. The sooner everyone admits that the better
Naw, real facts. All the data that actually tracks these things. You are aware that they have data to track these things, right?
In ten years the comparison between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James will not be in questioned. LeBron James is just the vastly superior player.
I would have loved to see Lebron and Shaq together. They would have beasted in the 80s and 90s when the league was more physical and left soft.
Lebron > Prime/healthy TMac > Kobe (overall, I'd take Kobe over Tracy in a heartbeat, but at the zenith of their powers...)
Wait huh? Lamar Odom was a role player who's never been to al Stats wise, yes. But they play different positions and primarily in 2 different types of eras. This new era is more fast paced with less defense and more fastbreak points. Also, Kobe stuck it out with the Lakers his whole career. Had he chose a shortcut and formed a superteam with prime Tmac & Vince Carter, in the EAST, he'd have 6-7 rings by now lol. Bottom line Lebron's career will always have a superteam astericks next to it. He chose a shortcut and hurt his legacy
And I said Lebron is better, right? Jordan is the better player vs Russell, but Russell got the rings, same as Horry got the Rings. Kobe is great, no doubt, Lebron is better. But when we are talking rings.... the subject changes.
No James is just the better player period. You mention defense, but James was a vastly superior defender and could defend more spots on the floor than Bryant. You talk about Kobe sticking it out with the Lakers, he had incredible teammates around him and didn't have to play in the era where the Warriors were a monster. Also, players have wanted to play with James; not many players really wanted to play with Kobe. There really isn't a comparison.
Role players don't give you 15/9/4 with very good defense. Two different eras? LeBron entered the league in 03. Kobe recently retired. What are you talking about? And when does your owner refusing to trade you count as "stuck it out"?
Absolutely he is. Lebron is unquestionably the greatest SF to ever play the game and he's got an argument for being in the conversation for greatest player ever overall. I would probably still give it to MJ, but there's absolutely a case to be made for Lebron too.
And Horry has more rings than both, right? What the hell does that mean? Kobe played with Shaq...Shaq was the dominant force. There was never a team that Lebron James ever played on where he wasn't CLEARLY the best player on his roster by a wide margin. Lebron is arguably the best player who has ever played the game. He's an exceptional talent. Kobe is a gunner and a killer. He's amazing. But if you're telling me I have my choice to put on the Houston Rockets a prime Lebron or a prime Kobe...I'm taking prime Lebron every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
MJ never won a playoff series, much less a ring, without another HOFer on his roster. MJ was amazing. Among the greatest to ever play the game, for sure. In the discussion for greatest ever, for sure. But the fact that so many people see that as unquestionable...that he's the greatest ever and no one is close...that makes him overrated in my view. And I don't say that to insult him or take anything away from him at all. He's a product...SO marketable. That drove so much of the narrative and still does. I saw Lebron take a Cavs team to the Finals that had NO BUSINESS being there but for him. I never saw MJ do that. I'm not saying he was incapable of doing that...but I never saw it happen. Please don't take that as me saying that Lebron is better than MJ...but I'm also not saying that I'm not saying that. I'm torn. They're both amazing.
