Kobe Bryant vs Michael Jordan (1 Viewer)

[dtc]

Michael Jordan is God.

Kobe Bryant is not.

 

[Complex Kid]

it would have been interesting to see what Pippen would have done guarding Lebron.

The Pippen in me want's to say he would do to him what he did to Magic once he was switched onto him in the 1991 NBA Finals. But LeBron is a better shooter and better athlete than Magic was at that time. I'd think he could slow LeBron down but I don't think he would wreak as much havoc as he did to Magic.

Speaking of Magic why are we comparing Kobe to arguably the best player in all of basketball history when Kobe is probably not even the best player in his franchises history? (Grant it that's kind of like the current NFL playoff situation where the Saints are a possible 13-3 wild card team, but STILL!! )

 

[Paul]

it would have been interesting to see what Pippen would have done guarding Lebron.

Wingspan city - would have been interesting for sure.
Makes me sad - those were the days when the NBA was terrific, IMO.

 

[livefromDC]

As far as leading teams to championships, I would like to disqualify 2 of Kobe's championships since although he was on the team, it was Shaq's team. In Jordan, you have a guard that led his team to 6 championships. It's long been known that if you have a dominant center in the NBA, you will win championships. Having a dominant guard only guaranteed you a trip to the playoffs. Jordan led the Bulls to 6 championships without a real center presence. Kobe's not doing that.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

slowchild's avatar begs a more interesting question - if Pistol played in place of kobe (if Pistol had Shaq/Gasol, etc) does he have the same # of rings?

 

[boutrous]

As far as leading teams to championships, I would like to disqualify 2 of Kobe's championships since although he was on the team, it was Shaq's team. In Jordan, you have a guard that led his team to 6 championships. It's long been known that if you have a dominant center in the NBA, you will win championships. Having a dominant guard only guaranteed you a trip to the playoffs. Jordan led the Bulls to 6 championships without a real center presence. Kobe's not doing that.

Championships or not, Jordan was just better all around. At the time, Drexler was my favortie basketball player and as good as he was, Jordan was just that much better and I hated him for it (just like I hated Joe Montana for beating us so much). I remember one game in the finals against the Jazz (with Stockton and Malone) where he dropped something like 40 points in game 5 while suffering from food poisoning. He was sweating like crazy all game and at times looked like he could barely run, but he swished in a clutch 3-pointer to take the final lead and turn the tide of the series. Anyone who watched Jordan collaspe into Pippen's arms at the end of that game because he had just given everything he had knew Jordan was the best player ever.

P.S. The game was even in Utah and Malone was the league MVP that year.

 

[Dave Worth]

Side note on a hypothetical:

Imagine a Jordan team playing a Lebron team in a seven game playoff series. Imagine Jordan guarding Lebron (although in reality it probably would have been Pippen). In this scenario, I would bet Jordan would dominate and humiliate Lebron. From what I've seen, Lebron is a physical freak with great skills, but soft. Jordan's defense and intensity would wear King James down to a Pauper over the course of a few games.

Same situation versus Kobe...Jordan gets the best, but Kobe holds his own to some degree. I don't like Kobe, but I recognize he's a great player with more of a killer instinct than I have ever seen from Lebron. I think Kobe goes down as a top 5 player when it's all said and done and the discussion will for a spot as high as number 2.

I got a chance to see him live this past week at a Grizzlies game. While he struggled overall with his shooting that game, he was clearly the best player I've ever seen live.

 

[VVextreme]

Michael Jordan without a doubt.

Kobe at least makes an interesting argument, but yet still a quick one.

He even had Shaq on his team, who is one of the greatest centers of all time... yet choked in a couple of the seasons. That's just wrong. I also don't recall Jordan having such chemistry problems with the rest of his team the way Kobe is well known for having.

And still haven't heard anyone mention that unlike Kobe... Jordan went to go play baseball for a couple of years just cause he was bored with the game, came back to basketball and rattled off another three championships.

And didn't Kobe go to the NBA straight out of highschool while Jordan went to college?

But oh well, the only person who is really qualified to answer this... hopefully he'll answer it one day when he retires soon.

And don't forget, what's really telling is Jordan had several seasons where he was practically an ancient moving slug factored into his career stats... Kobe is still playing at his peak.

And look how many MVP's Jordan has compared to Kobe. You want to be the best of all time? You better collect MVPs in your own time like they are giving them away at the local dollar store. Kobe is still a beast... Jordan's beast would just eat Kobe's beast for breakfast then go on to devour some other alltime allstars for brunch. Yup, that's his morning folks. End of story.

 

[Eviltaxi]

Kobe isn't even the best Laker of the last decade.

 

[moe1967]

Championships or not, Jordan was just better all around. At the time, Drexler was my favortie basketball player and as good as he was, Jordan was just that much better and I hated him for it (just like I hated Joe Montana for beating us so much). I remember one game in the finals against the Jazz (with Stockton and Malone) where he dropped something like 40 points in game 5 while suffering from food poisoning. He was sweating like crazy all game and at times looked like he could barely run, but he swished in a clutch 3-pointer to take the final lead and turn the tide of the series. Anyone who watched Jordan collaspe into Pippen's arms at the end of that game because he had just given everything he had knew Jordan was the best player ever.

P.S. The game was even in Utah and Malone was the league MVP that year.

I remember that as well.. His will and desire to win was nothing short of amazing. Michael Jordan is, without a doubt, the best player to ever step onto the court.

 

[44slayer]

There is no real comparison. Everything that Kobe does, Mike did better - and I think Kobe is as close as anyone will come to Jordan, but the gap between Jordan and Kobe is still very wide. When someone is at the top of their sport, people use the term "he/she is the Michael Jordan of (insert sport here)". The only other athletes who even remotely compare to Jordan are Ali and Tiger Woods. If not for retirements, Id be willing to bet the Bulls would have won 10 championships in a row. Im a Kobe fan, but lets not let time get in the way of how special it was to be able to have witnessed Jordan.

 

[Complex Kid]

I also don't recall Jordan having such chemistry problems with the rest of his team the way Kobe is well known for having.

Lets not just brush off Jordan's shortcomings here. Jordan was just as big of a **** to his teammates that Kobe is to his teammates. Early in his career he was constantly ripping on GM Jerry Krause and complaining about how he was not being surrounded by players that couldn't help him win and would throw them under the bus. Even during the first championship season he would abandon teammates after losses and leave them to answer questions from the media basically saying "It's not my fault we lost so ask the "Jordanaires" what happened and why they lost the game for me". Heck during the second three peat run he even punched Steve Kerr in practice once. Who the hell would ever want to punch Steve Kerr!?!?? (Utah Jazz fans excluded).

And still haven't heard anyone mention that unlike Kobe... Jordan went to go play baseball for a couple of years just cause he was bored with the game, came back to basketball and rattled off another three championships.

I wouldn't say bored more "burned out". I really don't know if Jordan would have been able to keep playing at the level he did because playing baseball kind of humbled him and re-lit a passion for basketball. Jordan was hinting as early as 1989 that if the Bulls would let him he would sit out half the season or more and come back just for the playoffs because he was burning himself out night after night.

When someone is at the top of their sport, people use the term "he/she is the Michael Jordan of (insert sport here)". The only other athletes who even remotely compare to Jordan are Ali and Tiger Woods.

 

[CCL36]

Its not even close...thankfully by the looks of the poll Saints fans know their basketball.

 

[BIG DAWG]

Thats like comparing Apples to Oranges. Its MJ23 all day long. You would have came out better by saying Larry Bird and MJ. Personally Bird and Dominique was my favorite players doing that era. Thats when Basketball was Basketball.

MJ,Bird,Magic,Dominique,Malone,Kareem,Pippen,R.Parish,McHale,Clyde the Glyde,Stockton,Isaiah Thomas,Lamber,Mullins,Dennis Johnson,Da Microwave,and the list just go on. Thise was the basketball days there. I was born at the right time.

Kobe and this era just a after thought to me.

 

[Goatman Saint]

Kobe is not even close to the best Laker player in history. Jordan by a landslide. As a sidenote, how many of you would love to see the Lakers or the Heat have to play the late 80s/early 90s Pistons with the old rules in effect?