This turned out a lot longer than anticipated and in my head was much more coherent as it's basically a bunch of rambling to make a simple point, but it is what it is.
Been thinking about Lebron a little bit the last few days with training camps beginning and I recently watched "More Than a Game", a documentary following Lebron and his friends as they dealt with the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio. Very touching. Trials and tribulations? Are you kidding me? How can a documentary on the kid that's been treated like a King since his post-pubescent era have the same tagline as a documentary for "Darfur Now", a documentary following the people of Darfur as they deal with the trials and tribulations of genocide? Anyway, I've always considered Kobe better than Lebron but I think I've convinced myself that Lebron right now is better than Kobe ever was and has been for a few years now. Sorry Joey. Lebron led the Cavs to a league best 61 games last year to the Lakers 57 and to a league best the year before 66 wins to the Lakers 65. That alone is impressive but I realize you have to factor in an easier schedule for the Eastern conference team (should be noted that Lebron leads head-to-head series 6-2 over last 4 years which is one of our main criteria to convince ourselves that DWill is better than Chris Paul) and also the fact that the regular season record doesn't mean nearly as much as an NBA championship that Kobe brought to the Lakers the last two years and Lebron has never attained. This is where, I believe, the main argument FOR KOBE and AGAINST LEBRON originates. Kobe has 5 championship rings (2 Finals MVP's) to Lebrons zero. This is an understandable separation as the championships are a big part of what separates Jordan from everyone else. Now, think of the teams with whom Kobe has won his championships--- 2000, 2001, and 2002 he was playing with Shaquille O'Neal, who at the time was the most dominant player in the league. Shaq, not Kobe, was the better regular season performer (almost 30ppg and 14rbg in 1999-2000) and playoff performer (Shaq was the Finals MVP all three times). But what happened between 2002-2009? Kobe went six years without a championship which is very close to how long Lebron has gone without a championship. Kobe continued to be amazing and arguably the best in the game over those 6 years winning an MVP in 07-08 and arguably should have won another in 05-06 (Nash) when he averaged 35.4 ppg, but ZERO rings. Did Kobe get worse? No, he became a better player but his teammates changed. Lebron, similarly over his six ringless years has been amazing and arguably the best in the game winning MVP's in 2009 and 2010, but again, no rings. What finally convinced me, however, was a little role-reversal I played with myself in my head. Substitute Zydrunas Ilgauskas for Shaq in 2000, 2001, and 2002 and you can't convince me Kobe isn't ringless through his first 12 seasons. How differently would one's perspective of Kobe's greatness be had he gone his first 12 years without a title?
In all fairness to Kobe, he was no doubt the best player on his team (we can erase Game 7 of this years Finals because Ronald Artest was obviously the greatest player on the floor that game) for the other two championships he's won, but let's play a little role reversal again. Who was Kobe playing with the last two years? Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Adam Morrison and THE ZEN MASTER. Who was Lebron playing with? Mo Williams, Varijao and Mike Brown? Really? Put Lebron on the Lakers with Gasol, Bynum, Odom and Phil Jackson the last two years and can anyone tell me that Lebron and the Lakers don't win both those championships? Put D-Wade or Durant on the Lakers instead of Kobe and I still think the Lakers could arguably win both those championsips but they would not be as good as they are with Kobe. However, put Lebron on the Lakers instead of Kobe and I think they are a better team. If Lebron could lead Cleveland to 66 wins I would imagine the Bulls 72-win season would have been in Jeopardy had Lebron taken his talents to Hollywood and been with the Lakers and Phil Jackson the last two years.
And then there's Kobe with the Cavs. 66 and 61 win seasons like Lebron did? No way. I would imagine Kobe would have averaged 30+ points each year but I would bet on around a 50 win season with Kobe instead of Lebron.
I'm not saying Lebron and the Heat will put the Bulls record in Jeopardy this year as they are going to get the best from their opponents every night and I'm not sure how they will all mesh and most importantly they don't have a big guy, but I will say this: I like the Heat much more with Lebron than I would with Kobe and I feel like I can say that with any other team in the league. If you could add Lebron or Kobe (this includes the Kobe from any year of his career) to any team in the league, that team would be better with Lebron. Kobe has always had a Jordan-like obsession with winning that Lebron has never seemed to have and most likely never will. A refuse to lose eff you attitude, similar to what the 7th ward church ball team has had the last two years, and the "Fear Factor" as CJ calls it, make Kobe one of the greatest of all time. A Karl Malone-like body with the athleticism of the offspring of a demonic cobra and a 6 foot 8 inch jack rabbit put Lebron right up there with him.
Down by one, 10 seconds left, and I can have anyone in history on my team not named Michael Jordan or Jeff Hornacek, I'd take Kobe Bean Bryant.
But tell me I need the best player in the game, give me Bron-Bron.
Darren Hatch
