this article just http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/070326&sportCat=nba Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan. Not more successful. Hasn't had a bigger economic impact. Hasn't won more MVPs. Hasn't won more titles. But he's a better player. Kobe can do everything Michael did, and even a few things Michael couldn't do. Kobe is just as good a defender. His killer instinct is just as pronounced. He can shoot, finish and explode. And just like Jordan, the more he's pissed off, the more unstoppable he is. At the very least, Kobe's scoring spree over the last week should put to rest any lingering doubts that he's the best player in the NBA. Yes, better than Steve Nash, who is the best point guard, but not the lethal force that Kobe is. Yes, better than Dwyane Wade, who is certainly closer to the Kobe-Jordan level than LeBron James, but D-Wade's game is not as polished as Kobe's. Kobe's streak of four straight 50-points-plus games is something none of those players can do, and it's something that hasn't been done since Wilt Chamberlain, who had an NBA-record seven straight 50-point games. Truthfully, Kobe should have tacked another 50 on Golden State on Sunday night. Of course, the idea that Kobe is better than Jordan -- or even the best player in this league -- is as repugnant to some folks as a rectal exam. Even though Kobe has proven himself under pressure countless times, he gets the A-Rod treatment. Kobe can't please anyone. And it doesn't help that most people suffer from revisionist history when it comes to Jordan, forgetting that he was just as poor a teammate and a ball hog and that he ran off coach Doug Collins like Kobe ran off Phil Jackson the first time. In fact, you could argue that Jordan was even worse. Far as we know, Kobe hasn't jacked up any of his teammates the way Jordan punched out Steve Kerr and Will Perdue at practice. Kobe will never be forgiven for Shaq's departure, but you're delusional if you think Jordan wouldn't have had any ego issues playing alongside a player with Shaq's star power. The best-player argument shouldn't be determined by personal dislike. But if you want to take it there, fine. Jordan was hardly the ideal husband, but only the tabloids were brave enough to venture into his personal life. And what about those gambling issues? If Jordan's life had been covered like Kobe's, we would have an entirely different opinion of His Airness. Besides a different level of media scrutiny, there was definitely a difference in the level of competition during Jordan's heyday compared to now. Yesterday's NBA player certainly was more fundamentally sound, but there's no question that today's player is bigger, stronger and faster. When Jordan played, he was a singular force that could not be equaled. Jordan was guarded by the likes of John Starks and Joe Dumars, who were fine players but weren't nearly as skilled or physically imposing as LeBron, D-Wade, Tracy McGrady or even Vince Carter. The NBA is tougher now. Kobe, like Michael, is surrounded with mediocre to below-average talent, and Phoenix, Dallas and San Antonio are all better than the Utah, Portland and the Charles Barkley-led Phoenix team that Michael met in the NBA Finals. Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson and Patrick Ewing will be among the best centers ever, but none of them affected the league the way Shaq and Tim Duncan have. There are two two-time MVPs in Kobe's own conference (Duncan, Nash), which is a problem Jordan never faced during his championship runs. Seven-footers weren't launching 3s back then. Magic Johnson and the Lakers were on a downward spiral, and the Pistons were on their last legs. It was Michael and everyone else. That's not the case for Kobe. The shame of it is that Kobe might finish his career without a MVP, even though his ability can be compared only to that of Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. All this time we've been looking for a player who is better than Jordan, but most of us can't get beyond whether we like or dislike Kobe as a person to recognize his contributions to the game. Ultimately the MVP award will go to either Nash or Dirk Nowitzki, who are deserving this season, but neither are as good as Kobe. Dallas and Phoenix are strong enough to make the playoffs without their stars. The Lakers, however, are a lottery team without Kobe. Now that's a valuable player.
That was one of the worst articles I have ever heard about sports takes. Kobe better than Jordan. "Hakeem Olajuwon...among the best centers ever, but (hasn't) affected the league the way....Tim Duncan (has)." Just absolutely ludicrous positions to try to defend. Kobe should at least lead his team out of the 1st round before being mentioned in the same breadth of Wade (next best guard since Jordan), let alone, Jordan (hands down best non-big ever). Kids these days form their opinions from too many video games without actually watching the full court aciton.
I read that, and I just had to send her an email. Here's what I said. And I didn't even get into the ludicrous comment about Hakeem because there was so much other crap in there. ------------------- I hope you realize when you say something as controversial as "Kobe is better than Michael", you better be able to back it up with some substantial information. I respect that you emphasized the "player" part and left out the global and economical impact Jordan had, because that will never be touched. And I'll give you the fact that MVP's can be overrated, and those shouldn't be a determining factor on how great a player really is. Hell, Steve Nash has more MVP's than Hakeem Olajuwon, Julius Erving, Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and the list of infinitely better players goes on. So I gave the article a read because I thought you were going to break each player's game and SHOW me how Kobe is better than Michael. I was excited. Personally, I think Michael and Kobe's game similar in some aspects and I thought I was going to see an attempt to prove Kobe's greatest on the floor. Personally, I think Michael is still a far superior player but I would have respected an analytical attempt to prove otherwise. Instead you delved off into other aspects like their personal lives that have no relevance to their performance on the floor. I know it gets held over Kobe's head and affects some people's judgment of him as a player. I get it. But after you told us it had no relevance, you STILL wasted time telling us about how Michael wasn't a perfect person. Okay, so you proved Michael and Kobe aren't the greatest people in the world, but how is Kobe a BETTER player than Michael? Kobe plays against better athletes now? Okay, I'll give you that. But Michael played against better basketball players. I think you are forgetting Joe Dumars was a better perimeter defender than anyone in today's game except maybe Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest, and that's a BIG maybe. Today's players don't understand the game and aren't as complete basketball players as they were even 10 years ago. They maybe able to jump out of the gym and run faster than the 6'4 SG's of yesteryear's, but they don't play the game better. Hell shooting guards can't even SHOOT any more, or guard. There are exceptions to that rule like McGrady, Wade, and James, but for the most part the players today aren't better than they were back in Jordan's era. And I think you are severely underrating how good some of those Detroit, New York, Utah, Portland, and Houston teams were in the 90's. Just as good, if not better than Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Detroit, and Miami today. In the end, I was looking for some type of breakdown of both players and how Kobe is superior. Instead I was told that Kobe should be an MVP and that his team is a lottery team without him. But I hate to tell you, A LOT of the teams across the league are the exact same way. Maybe not Phoenix, Dallas, or San Antonio, but the rest of the league is the same. I still think Kobe deserves an MVP, but I thought you were going to tell me how he's better than Michael?
Well said Hakeem06. She seems to be so dumbfounded with his scoring abilities that you should've reminded her that Kobe's streak of 50+ points games is in our present era where NO hand checking allowed. If she thinks that what Kobe did is something special (I'm not hating on him because it is special), then just imagined what Jordan would've done had that rule been enforced during his career. He'd be scoring a ridiculous amount of points and there'd be no such thing as the Bad Boys Piston's "Jordan Rules." I saw her on an ESPN show one time and my first impression of her was that she has a very low basketball IQ. I wonder how long it'll be until she's fired.
Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson and Patrick Ewing will be among the best centers ever, but none of them affected the league the way Shaq and Tim Duncan have. There are two two-time MVPs in Kobe's own conference (Duncan, Nash), which is a problem Jordan never faced during his championship runs. Seven-footers weren't launching 3s back then. Magic Johnson and the Lakers were on a downward spiral, and the Pistons were on their last legs. It was Michael and everyone else. That's not the case for Kobe. WTF is this crap?
I was just about to post about this too.. LOL Jemele Hill Right..... she sounds like she's been reading newspapers/encyclopedias, and almanacs for her information (rather than watching GAMES).. she DOES NOT know basketball and probably never played a day in her life either. ps. any 5th grader can write a report using encyclopedias/wikipedia come up with something like this.. This article is garbage.
I wonder what Kobe can do with a top 50 greatest player(pippen), and a great supporting cast. not hating on Jordan, but just saying, even when the bulls didn't have Jordan, they still made the playoffs and were good.
How dare him mention the DREAM!!!!! Doesn't that man know that we owned the Bulls in the 90's? Hell even Jordan said himself that he was glad that they never faced the Houston Rockets in the finals because they had no answer ( Damn NO ANSWER ) for Hakeem............... Jordan > Kobe And WTF is he talking about players better today than back then?? Hello you can't even touch a guy in the perimeter in todays game like they did back then...
90s basketball was the best. in fact, 90s hip hop music was the best too. Even the hated Utah Jazz would destroy of these teams today. With NO HANDCHECKING, Stockton and Malone would have a billion pick and roll points. Oh that Dream comment .. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CmLR_VgbqAA"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CmLR_VgbqAA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> You PUT that 1994 Rockets team here today with today's rule, it would be a massacre, 80 wins. NBA title. Otis Thrope would only need 1 hand to rebound against any 'power forward' these days.
