Kobe Bryant vs Michael Jordan (1 Viewer)

[44slayer]

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).




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.

Touche.

 

[MajorLamont]

Really?

Really?

 

[Danchrism]

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

Malone won that MVP the same reason Barkley won it in '93 - people got sick of voting for Jordan. EVERYBODY knows Jordan was most valuable in both of those seasons.

Jordan's the best player in NBA history and a top-5 can pretty much ONLY include Bird, Magic, Kareem, and Russell. Duncan, Kobe, Hakeem, Logo, Wilt, Shaq, Oscar, Elgin, Doc, and Moses fall behind them in some order (I'll let y'all fight about that).

Kobe has done a reasonably acceptable Jordan impersonation over his career. In terms of playing style, swagger/braggadocio on the court, even physical build, he's pretty much right there.

People discounting Kobe for "only winning with another star" obviously forget that Jordan never won a title without Pippen. Smush Parker is not a star. Lamar Odom is not a star (though he could be if he cared more). Shaq is a star. Gasol is a star.

 

[Dave Worth]

Jordan's the best player in NBA history and a top-5 can pretty much ONLY include Bird, Magic, Kareem, and Russell. Duncan, Kobe, Hakeem, Logo, Wilt, Shaq, Oscar, Elgin, Doc, and Moses fall behind them in some order (I'll let y'all fight about that).

I +repped you for this quote. I wanted to argue (or at least debate in my head), but I can't. I could maybe change out Kareem for Wilt, but that's it and I can't argure either way.

 

[JimEverett]

I agree that in every attribute Jordan is just a little bit better than Kobe. But Kobe will go down as one of the greatest.
And consider - the book has been written on Jordan's NBA career. Kobe's is still continuing.
When Jordan won his 6th ring he was 4 years older than Kobe is right now. And my money is on Kobe getting his 6th this summer.

 

[boutrous]

Malone won that MVP the same reason Barkley won it in '93 - people got sick of voting for Jordan. EVERYBODY knows Jordan was most valuable in both of those seasons.

Jordan's the best player in NBA history and a top-5 can pretty much ONLY include Bird, Magic, Kareem, and Russell. Duncan, Kobe, Hakeem, Logo, Wilt, Shaq, Oscar, Elgin, Doc, and Moses fall behind them in some order (I'll let y'all fight about that).

Kobe has done a reasonably acceptable Jordan impersonation over his career. In terms of playing style, swagger/braggadocio on the court, even physical build, he's pretty much right there.

People discounting Kobe for "only winning with another star" obviously forget that Jordan never won a title without Pippen. Smush Parker is not a star. Lamar Odom is not a star (though he could be if he cared more). Shaq is a star. Gasol is a star.

Yes I agree and probably should have mentioned that. The point was that Utah was having a very good year and the finals were tight up until that game.

I also agree with your top 5 list. Kobe is definately up there as far as players go, but to compare him or anyone for that matter to Jordan is just crazy talk.

 

[Zardnok]

Of the 5 people that voted for Kobe, two are related to him and the other three are just plain wrong.

 

[ktulu909]

Makes me want to go grab my Utah Vs Chicago finals VHS tapes out of the storage.Not that I have a machine to play them in.

 

[Danchrism]

I just found a VCR in great working condition. It's yours if you're serious.

I +repped you for this quote. I wanted to argue (or at least debate in my head), but I can't. I could maybe change out Kareem for Wilt, but that's it and I can't argure either way.

Nope. Wilt was a loser. Prolific scorer (aided slightly by what was essentially legal offensive goaltending), but all Wilt cared about was stats. Wilt did exactly that when his nose was pressed to the grindstone.

 

[porculator]

I used to think Jordan was overrated and Kobe didn't get enough credit, but then I realized I watched some of Jordan's games vs the defenses of the 80's and 90's. It was a lot different then. Then I saw this quote by Phil Jackson (who obviously has coached both) in 2007 referring to the changes in what defenses are allowed to do now.

"Michael would average 45 [points per game] with these rules."

 

[rechargeable]

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.

There are many eras where the previous always looks better right after its done, in comparison to the present one. I'll say the NBA athlete today is better than during the Jordan years, but Jordan >>>>>>>> Kobe. It's even obvious Kobe emulates his entire game, walk, speech, and demeanor after Jordan. He wants to be like his daddy...:apat:

 

[someone]

I'm not sure there will ever be another MJ. He owned the game. LeBron had the best chance, but he's already blown it.

 

[LafourcheSaint]

I know Jordan was the best ever, but my love for Stockton/Malone and the memories of the 1998 finals will not let me press that button.

 

[Danchrism]

I like how people go on and on wanting the old NBA, completely forgetting that during the late 70s (post-merger) until almost 1990, MANY players were using recreational drugs and may or may not have cared about the game as much as they did their next paycheck. It's easier to point out now because TV contracts and 24-hour sports news shows/sites have to fill their time some kind of way, but let's not pretend that that's a new problem

 

[rechargeable]

I like how people go on and on wanting the old NBA, completely forgetting that during the late 70s (post-merger) until almost 1990, MANY players were using recreational drugs and may or may not have cared about the game as much as they did their next paycheck. It's easier to point out now because TV contracts and 24-hour sports news shows/sites have to fill their time some kind of way, but let's not pretend that that's a new problem

Do you have any true evidence that "MANY" NBA players were using rec. drugs, or are you just extrapolating because of just a few? If it was the chic thing to do in the NBA, what stopped NFL, MLB, and NHL players from doing the same?