Kobe versus Lebron

Lebron or Kobe, Kobe or Lebron

Tons of people have had heated discussions about Kobe and Lebron over last couple weeks as the NBA tries to hype and market a dream marketing final. The two top selling and most popular nba players, the two reigning MVPs, the two leaders of the summer Olympic gold medal team going head to head for the championship but more than that the individual title of the World’s best basketball player. I am here to clarify all issues and settle this debate once and for all. Before I start you should know I am a die heart laker fan who loves Kobe but I am also a huge lebron fan.

First lets clear up what the hell World’s best basketball player means. Does that mean most dominant, most well-rounded, best one-on one player, best team player? What we want is some overall combination of everything I mentioned. We want to give an individual title in a team sport so we must value both individual skill as well as what the player brings to the team in terms of intangibles and improving the overall quality of the team.

Kobe Bryant is the most skilled basketball player in the game and has mastered every single shot possible in basketball. He has no weaknesses and drives equally to his left and to his right. He has a strong post game, mid-range, and has an above average 3 point shooting percentage. He has mastered every single shot and has no clear weakness in his offensive game. On defense he is an excellent free safety, great at ball denial and a perennial pick for first team all defense. His game is pretty and fluid and it has been perfected through repetition and tons of practice.

Lebron James is an animal, a beast, a freak of nature. His body type has never been seen in the nba. His football linebacker body is perfect for an NBA Power Forward. However, his speed and explosiveness match the quickest guards in the game. If you were to create the ideal player in NBA LIVE 99 strength, 99 speed, 99 explosiveness you get King James. Somehow he got all that strength and size without losing any speed. Lebron is a one of a kind physically blessed athlete. The league has never seen a player with his physical attributes. Lebron does not have a consistent jumpshot, and lacks a perfected mid-range and post up game. However, his physical attributes cover any weaknesses and make him the most dominant player in the game. His size and speed make him a tremendous defensive player as well.

Practice makes perfect but god given attributes trump practice. Teams have seen Kobe like players before. No one matches Kobe’s skill and there are still no clear ways to defend him but you know what to expect and there are athletes that can make him less effective. Kobe’s repertoire also includes many jumpshots in addition to drives which give him an average field goal percentage of 47-48%. On the other hand Lebron shoots above 50% and is in a league of his own. No matter who is guarding him there is already a physical mismatch. In Kobe’s case the mismatch is just skill wise.

In addition to Lebron being more efficient he also has a very likeable and contagious personality that makes him a great teammate. The knock that was always on Jordan was that he was a horrible teammate, Kobe gets this a lot as well. Jordan and Kobe both understand the power of teammates but also knew that when it comes down to it they would make the plays necessary to win and no one in the world could stop them. Lebron is more similar to Magic and does not have that same competitive one on one edge that Kobe and Jordan were born with. Lebron’s numbers show that he controls pretty much every part of the box score while Kobe’s numbers are not as balanced.

As the debate goes on even the biggest Kobe Bryant fan must concede that Lebron is more well-rounded and more dominant. Lebron is a rare specimen that the league has never seen. He has the perfect build for basketball and the passion and contagious personality last seen by Magic Johnson. Everybody loves him. He has already been named King and 3-4 years from now we will start arguing he is the greatest player of all time. However, to be considered great longevity and health are essential. Players are judged on entire careers and not on individual seasons.

These last few points make it clear that if I wanted to start a team today I take Lebron because of his age, physical attributes, and contagious personality. However, the crown for better career cannot be given until King James provides more statistics. If he continues to improve as he has done the past few seasons, then we all truly will be witnesses. King James the possibilities are infinite.

Before we end the debate we must also give Kobe credit where he deserves it. Kobe is the games best closer and if I need a basket I still pick him over Lebron because he is familiar with every spot on the court and can shoot a high percentage shot from anywhere. Furthermore Kobe is a better scorer and Lebron will never score 81 in a game. But basketball is not about only one possession it is about the entire game and all of the teammates who play on the court the entire game. When we consider all these factors Lebron does more to a game than Kobe does. The King is the new MVP and could be there for a long time to come. Kobe’s prime is coming to an end and unfortunately the media robbed him of two mvp’s. I am a die heart (I like die heart better than diehard ) laker fan but with the new nba rules the King is going to dominate this league for a long time.