Stephen A. Smith calls James Harden the heir apparent to Kobe Bryant

Play some better defense, have more competitive spirit and he may have a point.

 

I knew this would turn into Lebron vs Kobe somehow

 

kobethagreat

so would you agree that Harden had the least overall "help" compared to every other superstar?

 

55 wins by himself

same deflections per game as Westbrook and Rondo more than Lebron, Anthony Davis, Durant
same loose balls recorvered per game as Lebron, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green more than Durant and Klay
same charges drawn as Lebron, Anthony Davis more than Steph Curry, Butler, George double that of Durant, Kawhi, Westbrook, Klay
more 2pt shots contested than Lebron, Kawhi, Curry, George, Westbrook, Butler
more 3pt shots contested than Lebron, Durant, Kawhi, Curry, Westbrook
more overall shots contested than Lebron, Kawhi, Curry, Westbrook, Butler
same defensive reb % as Lebron slight lower than Durant better than Kawhi, George, Butler, Klay, Curry
and lastly, similar defensive rating as Lebron, Avery Bradley, Ariza, slight lower than George

 

Gotta have the hardware before thinking he's better than Kobe. Harden is one helluva player but he's not a top 5 all time great yet. Kobe on the other hand is stumping with the big dogs.

Career highlights and awards

• 5× NBA champion (2000–2002, 2009, 2010)
• 2× NBA Finals MVP (2009, 2010)
• NBA Most Valuable Player (2008)
• 18× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000–2016)
• 4× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011)
• 11× All-NBA First Team (2002–2004, 2006–2013)
• 2× All-NBA Second Team (2000, 2001)
• 2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2005)
• 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003, 2004, 2006–2011)
• 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2001, 2002, 2012)
• 2× NBA scoring champion (2006, 2007)
• NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1997)
• NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997)
• Naismith Prep Player of the Year (1996)

 

man you know NBA voting is absolute garbage when Kobe is a 9x NBA All defensive first team

biggest joke of NBA history.

 

Those All-Defense first team selections are as fraudulent as Jeter's gold gloves

 

Wow, guys are in here resurrecting a 15 year old debate! What's next, Kobe vs mcgrady?

 

He can thank having the best front line in the NBA for those 5 championships. He couldn't even make the playoffs without them. You don't think Harden could win some rings with those teammates?

Shaq, Horace Grant, Rob "big balls" Horry
Gasol, Bynum, Odom.

 

These chumps...

Harden is the heir apparent to Michael Jordan

Take that for data!!!

 

Yeah lets compare hardens 2017 team which he carried by himself and kobes worst team that he carried by himself

 

Once he got into the playoffs were it counts the most wtf happened?

Heir apparent to Jordan hell no. MJ played defense and he most definitely shined when it counted the most. And that's in the PLAYOFFS

 

There is nothing to argue about. Harden up to now is the better player! Using the "chip" argument will open up a can of worms! In the 1960's there was a player called "Sam Jones" a guard that won 10 championships! Does this make him better than MJ?? You should look up the +/- on Kobe career and Hardens, you"ll see the light.
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LOL you act like Harden was holding back the rockets from having a ring. Harden is the sole reason we're even talking about a ring and not tanking and the draft.

Harden is a championship calibre player. Role players and 7 man rotation coach ain't. If 2015 GSW had him instead of Steph and 2017 GSW had him instead of Durant they'll still be champions.

who could have single handedly carried the rockets farther last year anyway?

 

Harden can’t be placed above guys like Kobe or Wade until he has some hardware, and I bet that many will never put him above Kobe in all-time ranking unless he gets at least 3 rings as the guy

Harden with these numbers and 2 or 3 rings will go from an all-time great regular season player to an all-time great player, period

the statlines are ridiculous, he just needs some jewelry

his numbers are easily better than Kobe’s, but without a couple of rings nobody is even trying to hear that debate

 

I definitely agree. Rockets fans know wasup. Harden has a solid argument for being one of the 2 or 3 best offensive players in NBA history. He is putting up statlines that only guys like jordan and wilt have done before.

The chip argument can be very dumb. Robert horry > michael jordan lol.

Prime steve nash was obviously wayy better than prime tony parker but people just bring up tonys rings.

I completely agree, you are preaching to the choir. The jury that needs to be convinced is the nba world outside of houston.

I just think the basketball world outside of houston homers won’t respect hardens greatness until he wins a ring. As dumb as it is, thats the way it goes.

 

And he is the main reason why we lost in the playoffs every year he's been here.

We all knows the dude is a beast in the regular season. But in order to solidify his greatness, he has to step it up in the playoffs period.

You can defend him until the moon turns blue but if he continues to choke up in big time games in the playoffs, his legacy will be tainted.

Didn't we go through this with Tracy McGrady. The Cant get out of the first round tag. Wasn't he one helluva player in his prime.

 

Absolutely. IMO, all he has to do is win 2 championships with this current squad to be greater than Lebron AND Kobe. James is talented enough to be the best EVER. His only flaw is his effort in the playoffs, which has always been questionable

 

Offensively He's a beast and this ain't new.

Yes he's been better than ever this season but ever since his first year in houston he's been doing stuff only MJ, Lebron and Wilt have ever done. Some stuff he's doing nobody has ever done.

He's special just needs some big Rings and he'll jump into the top 15 convo with ease among real knowledgeable basketball ppl.