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Who is the better player: Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant? With all the reasoning by analysts and diehard fans, this heated debate will never have a legitimate answer until Kobe Bryant retires...

Jordan vs. Kobe: A Difference in Eras

by Ling Ge (Scribe)

79

6,235 reads

Sports

March 05, 2008


Who is the better player: Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant?

 

With all the reasoning by analysts and diehard fans, this heated debate will never have a legitimate answer until Kobe Bryant retires.  

 

Anyone can compare the numbers, records, or awards that both players have achieved, but very few people factor the differences between the Jordan era and the Kobe era.

 

Let’s take a look at several key factors that are omitted in this Jordan vs. Kobe debate.

 

 

Defensive Players

 

I'm surprised that players in the '80s and '90s receive little credit for their defensive skills compared to players after Jordan retired. Since Jordan entered the NBA in 1984, the league has produced many stellar first and second All-Defensive players featuring:

 

Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Cooper, Maurice Cheeks, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Joe Dumars, David Robinson, Dennis Rodman, Alvin Robertson, John Starks, Gary Payton, Dikembe Mutombo, Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle, and many others.

 

Since Jordan’s retirement in 1998, the Kobe’s generation has produced first and second All-Defensive players featuring:

 

Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Kidd, Ben Wallace, Ron Artest, Bruce Bowen, Scottie Pippen, Doug Christie, Andrei Kirlenko, Dwyane Wade, Marcus Camby, Larry Hughes, Tayshaun Prince, Gary Payton, Eric Snow, Theo Ratliff, PJ Brown, and several others. 

 

Based on this list alone, my conclusion is that defensive players Jordan’s era are more intimidating than players in Kobe’s era.

 

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79 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Dave H about 1 year ago

    You had me right up until here - "I believe Kobe Bryant is a more talented offensive player than Michael Jordan. Looking at both players’ game film, Kobe is a better ball handler and plays much more comfortably on the perimeter than Jordan.

    Kobe also has better shooting range and a wider variety of moves compared to Jordan, who prefers to use mid-range game and post game."

    That's just crazy talk a more talented offensive player? That is not only false it ludicrous! Kobe might have a slightly better handle but that's where it ends period. A wider variety of moves, come on that is the most ridiculous thing I have EVER heard, watch the tapes man! I am old enough and live in Chicago so I was able to see MJ and his never ending array of moves, his catalog is immense and by NO WAY I mean NO WAY does Kobe have a wider variety. If you think about it Kobe's moves are all taken from the Jordan handbook anyway, he's on about page 3 of 500.

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  2. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Dave is wrong

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  3. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Kobe had the advantage of studying Jordan's game and adding his own spin onto it. He's has more moves and dribbling skills than Jordan and a better outside shot. He has more moves off the dribble than Jordan did most definately. That doesn't put Jordan at a disadvantage though. Jordan was a bit quicker, had bigger hands, and was more explosive so he could play in the post more than Kobe. You can easily see this when watching tape of them. Jordan was dominant inside and as a result his FG% is higher than Kobe's.

    Kobe has to compensate by outsmarting people these days instead of using his athleticism, similar to what Jordan did from '96 to '98. He has the athleticism of a '93 Jordan to match with that.

    As a pure scorer, I believe Kobe is better. But overall, Jordan is the superior player. Kobe is close though...

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  4. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Kobe is a great player, but Jordan is the mold for most of these great players today. I believe if you put Kobe in his prime against Jordan in his prime, Jordan would win. Jordan is a smarter player and more physical. Kobe is close but you cant deny that Jordan is better. Maybe I will be proven wrong but only time will tell. Kobe's got a long way to go to prove it.

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  5. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    jordan is a mold for today's player, just as other players were a mold for jordan. jordan and kobe in their primes would be a draw i think. just like the author said, kobe is equally, if not more, talented as jordan, but in terms of greatness, jordan is better...so far

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  6. Dave H about 1 year ago

    Last but not least for those saying Kobe has more moves I just don't see it, please take a look here for a small glimpse of MJ's moves.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWvxijHNWB4

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  7. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    hahahahaaha. dave dave dave. you wanna bring up stats? let's analyze them (and by "analyze" i don't mean the simple and incredibly dumb side-by-side comparisons i'm sure you were planning on doing)...i DARE you to. awards? yep, jordan's got kobe there, i'm not saying anything against that. and OOOOOOOH, you posted a link to a video that showcases jordan's move! this MUST prove jordan has more moves than kobe! you still don't get the point that kobe and jordan are equally talented but that jordan is greater in terms of accomplishments. i'm sure everyone is really having a toot at reading your inane comments, just like matt homdis's article!

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  8. Dave H about 1 year ago

    No, I'm just trying to show something concrete all you are doing is talking and talking as usual. You would DARE to compare stats, cmon you are kidding here right? As a matter of fact I do get the point, they are both talented but there is a difference, MJ was more talented than Kobe simple and plain it seems that you are the one unable to grasp this simple concept. Jordan was greater in terms of accomplishments, moves, skills, leadership, I mean come on do you really believe the shit you are writing? Too much L.A. Sun for you. Put the drinks down talk to us when you are sober.

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  9. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    hey dave: something concrete? where's the concrete? i already proved everything you said is nothing but garbage. i just DARED you to compare stats. what? you can't? i thought so...the only reason why you think jordan has kobe on stats is cuz you don't know how to analyze numbers except to compare them side by side like a freaking preschooler. you're almost there dave! they are both talented, but the DIFFERENCE is that jordan is more ACCOMPLISHED than kobe.

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  10. Dave H about 1 year ago

    Hey anonymous: Where is your proof? You have basically stated your opinion. If you wanna go down that lane here are some stats for you, please take a look at FG%, steals, blocks points. Please tell me what there is to argue. Oh go ahead and do all your analyzing for us, please.

    YEAR TEAM G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
    84-85 CHI 82 82 38.3 .515 .173 .845 2.00 4.50 6.50 5.9 2.39 .84 3.55 3.50 28.2
    85-86 CHI 18 7 25.1 .457 .167 .840 1.30 2.30 3.60 2.9 2.06 1.17 2.50 2.60 22.7
    86-87 CHI 82 82 40.0 .482 .182 .857 2.00 3.20 5.20 4.6 2.88 1.52 3.32 2.90 37.1
    87-88 CHI 82 82 40.4 .535 .132 .841 1.70 3.80 5.50 5.9 3.16 1.60 3.07 3.30 35.0
    88-89 CHI 81 81 40.2 .538 .276 .850 1.80 6.20 8.00 8.0 2.89 .80 3.58 3.00 32.5
    89-90 CHI 82 82 39.0 .526 .376 .848 1.70 5.10 6.90 6.3 2.77 .66 3.01 2.90 33.6
    90-91 CHI 82 82 37.0 .539 .312 .851 1.40 4.60 6.00 5.5 2.72 1.01 2.46 2.80 31.5
    91-92 CHI 80 80 38.8 .519 .270 .832 1.10 5.30 6.40 6.1 2.28 .94 2.50 2.50 30.1
    92-93 CHI 78 78 39.3 .495 .352 .837 1.70 5.00 6.70 5.5 2.83 .78 2.65 2.40 32.6
    93-94 Retired
    94-95 CHI 17 17 39.3 .411 .500 .801 1.50 5.40 6.90 5.3 1.76 .76 2.06 2.80 26.9
    95-96 CHI 82 82 37.7 .495 .427 .834 1.80 4.80 6.60 4.3 2.20 .51 2.40 2.40 30.4
    96-97 CHI 82 82 37.9 .486 .374 .833 1.40 4.50 5.90 4.3 1.71 .54 2.02 1.90 29.6
    97-98 CHI 82 82 38.8 .465 .238 .784 1.60 4.20 5.80 3.5 1.72 .55 2.26 1.80 28.7
    98-99 Retired
    99-00 Retired
    00-01 Retired
    01-02 WAS 60 53 34.9 .416 .189 .790 .80 4.80 5.70 5.2 1.42 .43 2.70 2.00 22.9
    02-03 WAS 82 67 37.0 .445 .291 .821 .90 5.20 6.21 3.8 1.50 .48 2.11 2.10 20.0
    Career 1072 1039 38.3 .497 .327 .835 1.60 4.70 6.20 5.3 2.35 .83 2.73 2.60 30.1

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  11. Ling Ge about 1 year ago

    Before this argument goes on further, I just wanted to say that I believe Kobe is more talented overall offensively, which is really my and others' opinion. However, Jordan does have a better post game and equally good, if not better mid-range game than Kobe because that was what made Jordan unguardable. Kobe at times will rely on his jumpshot, and sometimes he will have off shooting nights.

    I didn't mention how stellar Jordan's defense was, but I think his and Kobe's defense are equally excellent.

    It's similar to saying Wilt Chamberlain was a more dominant player than Bill Russell, but Russell kept winning the games and championships. Peyton Manning is accumulating many impressive stats and records, but Tom Brady has more Super Bowl appearances and wins. Jordan has been the better leader and team player, which makes him better than Kobe presently.

    OK, let the argument continue.

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  12. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    dave dave dave. even after fair warning, you stubbornly do the stupid thing i advised you against doing.
    let's take a look at kobe's career under the same context as jordan's. (i'm not comparing season by season because that is too variable and doesn't provide any insight, so the best we can do is to compare their career stats)

    jordan went to 3 years of college, and since kobe came into the nba straight out of high school it's fair to ignore his first 3 seasons in this comparison. i don't want to go through some tedious calculations, but kobe's approximate average in this situation would be something close to

    28.5ppg, 5.5apg, 6.1rpg, 1.7spg, .6bpg, .46% FG, .34% 3FG, .85% FT

    plus, jordan was drafted by one of the worst teams in the nba that didn't even make the playoffs (hence their number 3 draft pick), but kobe was drafted to the lakers that was already a playoff contender (not to mention that the most dominant center of the time, shaq, was also his team mate). so what does this tell us? that as good as kobe was, his role on the team wasn't as the number one go to guy because it was shaq's team and the offense was designed to run through him, while the bulls on the other hand ran everything through jordan since day 1. kobe could have had jordan's situation if he stayed with the hornets, but he didn't. if he did, everything would have run through kobe and kobe would have been having amazing stats from the start of his career instead of a few years into his career. it's crazy what kobe did statistically while sharing the stage with shaq's dominant years and being second fiddle to him during his initial years in the nba.

    so let's go back to the stats above. those are pretty much more identical to jordan's stats than you thought they'd be huh? plus, jordan played more of a post-up/midrange game than kobe, so his literal fg% is better than kobe's who plays more of the perimeter game, even though he's just as capable of driving to the hoop like jordan. but if you look at the true fg%, kobe and jordan would have similar percentages. jordan did have a slightly better post-up game than kobe, though, but that's due to the fact that kobe had a dominant center so didn't need to develop a post-up game, while jordan didn't.

    on the other hand, just as spectacular as kobe has been in the playoffs, jordan has only a slight upper hand on kobe in this case, which is why i regard jordan as more legendary and great (note: not more talented) than kobe. again, dave, the point isn't to say jordan's worse than kobe (that's hogwash), but that kobe is equally, if not more, talented and skilled as jordan, but just not as accomplished as jordan.

    well dave, i told you not to touch the hot stove, but you did it any way and got burned. you're either some baby who doesn't know any better, or some retarded adult.

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    • Dave H about 1 year ago

      Wow you are reaching with all your qualifiers I mean analyzed stats. That shit you wrote is laughable " jordan did have a slightly better post-up game than kobe, though, but that's due to the fact that kobe had a dominant center so didn't need to develop a post-up game, while jordan didn't." I'm still laughing at that one! I mean really how much farther can you stretch, I thought he was equally skilled/talented, please, your argument is shite. I mean we can say that hey Mike's stats would have been better if he had not played in Washington etc but the fact is he did and that hurt his stats. Wake up man Kobe is a great player but he is not as good as Jordan I don't know how many times I can explain this to you. By the way here are Kobe's real stats

      .454 % from the field, 24.9 ppg, 1.5 steals, 4.6apg, 0.6 blocks, .839 FT%, 5.3 Rebounds

      Here are MJ's

      .497 % from the field, 30.1 ppg, 2.3 Steals, 5.3apg, 0.8 blocks, .835 FT%, 6.2 Rebounds

      By the way MJ's best from the field .539 Kobe's .469, Analyze that. I am an adult, not sure about your status with all the name calling. Go get some milk and cookies it's past your bedtime.

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  13. Paul Rea about 1 year ago

    They are different but both are great. Kobe's greatness in the game reach to the point as being compared to another great player, Jordan. The difference is that, Kobe is greatest this days and Jordan is the greatest on his days, its a matter of time. No argument needed and we should be thankful that we have a great player Like Kobe this days. His doing great and we should have to appreciate it. Kobe can overcome what Jordan had achieved and that can make the difference too. Go Kobe and nice to have you, Jordan. They are both great, the two of them.

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  14. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    PAUL, exactly my point. I'm trying to give fair dues to one of the greatest of all time while simply recognizing that Kobe is on the same skill level as Jordan, just not as accomplished as jordan is. but this david can't even open his mind to realize that. these are 2 players playing in 2 different eras, and there are way too many variables to make such simple stat comparisons as david did. my argument just proved that things aren't what they appear when you compare things on a deeper level. my comparison isn't even the end-all-be-all comparisons: there are so many other variables to consider, but the insinuation is that even when you keep adjusting things in order to level the context, both jordan and kobe will ultimately have similar stats in every one of those cases, so stats don't work in the kobe vs jordan comparison. what does work is watching both play and realizing that both have supernatural skills, and although kobe's not as decorated as jordan is, kobe still has so much more time left in the nba to close that gap.

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  15. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    hahahahah, dave....you seriously embarrass yourself more and more every time you desperately try to defend your position. i don't need to continue this discussion with you anymore because i and every rational person know that what i wrote is valid and true. (no wonder you were defending matt homdis. just like jordan and kobe are equally talented, you and matt are equally mentally retarded). you're clearly lost and buried in the past, and it's obviously a waste of time arguing with a person who can't face reality and solidly argued points....so seeya homer! i have concluded that you're a retarded adult- at least an infant who doesn't know any better eventually learns from its mistakes.

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    • Dave H about 1 year ago

      If I have embarrassed myself then you by measure have made a complete ass out of yourself with your nonsense, name calling, delusions, feelings of grandeur, shall I go on? So go and learn from your mistakes and come equipped next time you face an adult, till then try to not shit your diaper! Which coincidentally I'm sure is what you were in when MJ was doin his thing.

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  1. Dave H about 1 year ago

    By the way what is desperate about this?

    .454 % from the field, 24.9 ppg, 1.5 steals, 4.6apg, 0.6 blocks, .839 FT%, 5.3 Rebounds

    Here are MJ's

    .497 % from the field, 30.1 ppg, 2.3 Steals, 5.3apg, 0.8 blocks, .835 FT%, 6.2 Rebounds

    By the way MJ's best from the field .539 Kobe's .469

    Facts Son!

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  2. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Hey Anonymous,
    Don't even listen to Dave. Just take a look at his profile, he's obviously a Jordan jock rider. Apparently your argument can't even get through his head by the fact that he repeats the same dumb claims again and again (maybe he can't think AND read?). If logic doesn't get through to him, nothing can. Let him wallow in his ignorance. Like a wise man once said, "Never argue with an idiot, he'll drag you down to his level, then beat you with experience".

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    • Zander Freund about 1 year ago

      A Jordan jock rider? Is that a joke?

      Anyone who saw Jordan play rides his jock. After all, he is THE GREATEST PLAYER EVER.

      There is no argument here. Jordan's stats are far more impressive, and to boot he's the greatest winner and clutch player in the history of sports. Hands down.

      Think of it this way: Jordan can do everything Kobe can, but Kobe can't do everything Jordan can.

      They are comparable on defense, have comparable mid range games, and are comparable in terms of athleticism and dunking ability. Jordan is undeniably a better winner, clutch player, and teammate.

      Simply put: Jordan has all the intangibles that Kobe still has to prove.

      Kobe is great guys, but until he walks away with 6 championships to his name and all those game winning shots—not to mention a career average of nearly a .500 FG percentage and over 30 PPG—no one should be comparing him to Jordan.

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  3. brenden west about 1 year ago

    wow, i feel like i'm walking into a message board with a bunch of immature jr high kids talking about shit they don't even know about. and the sad thing is, you're not even man enough to get yourself a name so that we can snicker at your adolesence.

    so here's what you should do:
    1) Accept that Jordan is the best there ever is was and ever will be and he's got the rings, trophies, and stats to prove it
    2) Accept that comparing Kobe to Jordan is an insult to 23 because Kobe will never have the drive, the desire, and the fire to win that made MJ clearly the greatest
    and...
    3) Grow a pair, get yourself a domain name so that we can all laugh at you!

    Props to Dave for being able to recognize greatness

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  4. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    i don't want to get in the middle of everyone's argument here, but i can't help it (you guys are pretty entertaining), but aren't you a 19 year old athelete at a midwest college brenden?

    1) this means you probably didn't get to watch jordan play so you're not even qualified to make a comment here, not the least your claim that jordan is the best there will ever be
    2) athlete at a midwest college? you've got 2 things going against you buddy- being an athlete (a bit slow on the intelligence, anyone?), and going to a college in the midwest (is there any school in the midwest worth mentioning?)

    thanks for revealing what your credentials are.

    and dave, you're obviously pretty ignorant. anonymous has you owned man.

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    • brenden west about 1 year ago

      i dont know why this got deleted earlier but...

      yea your right that fullride tuition to play the sport i love, man that sucks. and i guess my 3.5 gpa and 32 ACT score makes me pretty slow too. and as for my age, i'm old enough to remember watching jordan in person and recognize that kobe won't come close. what are your credentials? i'm going to make an assumption and say that at 19 with a full ride, an outstanding gpa and act score, a state championship ring, and 3 published articles/short stories, i've accomplished more than you and your patheticly unsuccessful insecure life, which is why you pitifully waste your life on here quibling over meaningless debates and making them a bigger deal than they need to be, because thats all you have left to hold on to.

      it's a damn shame...

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  5. Dave H about 1 year ago

    Man up kids your comments are baseless and asinine. I can't help but call it as I see it. Stop all the name calling, this internet tough guy shit is real old.

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  6. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Dave, I think the first guy was right about you. When he clearly said that he watched both Jordan and Kobe play, you ignore that and later try to insult him by saying that he was in diapers while Jordan was playing. HOWEVER, when Brenden, someone who happens to share your view, claims that Jordan is the best, you say "Respect", while completely overlooking the fact that he is only 19 years old. You think HE watched Jordan? You just gave away your blind hatred and inconsistencies, hence lack of well-founded arguments.

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    • Dave H about 1 year ago

      I have to tell you I did not do "research" about brendan to find out that he was 19 years old, he still seems to "get it". I am sure anon has watched jordan on tapes and on highlight films, kudos to him on that.

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  7. Marcus Hagness about 1 year ago

    Kobe may have more "moves" on offense but MJ didn't need to use as many moves and Kobe decides to use. Kobe is flashier then Jordan if that's possible. If it came down to it and MJ needed to points, he would take his defender to the post, dribble a couple times, and shoot that sweet, sweet fadeaway so many players have fallen victim too. I don't ever want to hear Kobe is better then MJ again because MJ did it in every aspect of the game. Kobe won't come close to any of Jordan's records in his career.

    MJ - 5 MVPS
    Kobe - 0 MVPS

    MJ - One time NBA Defensive player of the year and NBA record 9 time NBA All-defensive first team selection.
    Kobe - 5 time first team selection

    MJ - Most NBA scoring titles (10) and most consecutive years leading the league in scoring (7)
    Kobe - 2 time scoring champ

    The last thing we need to remember is that MJ retired, twice! He had already won three championships and had almost every award you can win. He retired because he didn't have anything left to prove but he just wanted more. My god, had MJ never retired he probably would've had at least 8 championships, maybe 10. Would've definitely won the MVP at least one more time. Likely would've kept leading the league in scoring and being on the All-NBA defensive first team. Who knows what he would've done? His team success is what really messed up his individual accomplishments. MJ is the best basketball player of all-time, period.

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  8. Zander Freund about 1 year ago

    Alright, I think Marcus just put the nail in the coffin here.

    The only way to argue against the overwhelmingly evidence he presents in Jordan's favor would be to assert that both journalists and statisticians alike have had such a bias against Kobe over the years—and such a bias towards Jordan—that MJ's clobbering of Kobe when it comes to awards and statistical records are null and void.

    I don't think anyone in this room can say that this is true. In fact, I seem to remember a year when Karl Malone was given an MVP that was rightfully Michael's because "Michael had won so many."

    Things may change by the time he retires (though I sincerely doubt it), but as of right now Kobe is nowhere near MJ in the "all time greatest" discussion. Period, end of story.

    Just to reaffirm: my top 10 all time players. You will notice that Kobe is not on here (he probably falls between #20 and #30):

    1) Michael Jordan
    2) Bill Russell
    3) Magic Johnson
    4) Larry Bird
    5) Kareem Abdul Jabbar
    6) Wilt Chamberlain
    7) Oscar Robertson
    8) Tim Duncan
    9) Jerry West
    10) Shaquille O'Neal

    Honorable Mention: Hakeem Olajawon, Elgin Baylor, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Moses Malone

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    • John Richard about 1 year ago

      You are freaking retarded there is not way you put shaq over hakeem how much did you accutaly watch baksetball in the last 15 years no one that knows a damn thing about the game puts shaq about the dream ill put a real twist on your top 10 see what you think

      1) Michael Jordan
      2) Magic Johnson
      3) Bill Russell
      4) Larry Bird
      5) Kareem Abdul Jabbar
      6) Wilt Chamberlain
      7) Oscar Robertson
      8) Hakeem The Dream Olajuwon
      9) Jerry West
      10) Kobe Bryant

      Alright, I think Marcus just put the nail in the coffin here.

      Just to reaffirm: my top 10 all time players. You will notice that Kobe is not on here (he probably falls between #20 and #30):

      1) Michael Jordan
      2) Bill Russell
      3) Magic Johnson
      4) Larry Bird
      5) Kareem Abdul Jabbar
      6) Wilt Chamberlain
      7) Oscar Robertson
      8) Tim Duncan
      9) Jerry West
      10) Shaquille O'Neal

      Honorable Mention: Hakeem Olajawon, Elgin Baylor, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Moses Malone

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    • John Richard about 1 year ago

      2. HAKEEM OLAJUWON

      He was unstoppable.

      That turnaround jumpshot he developed was unstoppable.

      That spin move he incorporated into his game, along the baseline, was unstoppable.

      When he was on defense, everyone else was stoppable.

      He was the cleaner.

      He cleaned up everyone else's mess.

      He's the all time career leader in blocked shots.

      He's 11th all time in rebounds.

      And, he's 7th all time in points scored.

      When talking about ultimate game changers of the 1990s, Hakeem Olajuwon should be one of the first names spoken out of your mouth.

      It's that simple.

      Numbers are nice, but the fact that you can change a game before you even step foot on the court is the ultimate test as to how good of a player you are.

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    • Zander Freund about 1 year ago

      Let's be clear: Hakeem Olajuwon is one of my favorite players of all time. Watching him dream shake defenders left and right and bat down their shots on the other side of the floor was a true pleasure. He's by far the most dazzling big man I've ever watched play basketball.

      In fact, I have a framed photo of Hakeem Olajuwon up in my office at Bleacher Report!

      He is without question one of the most significant changers of the 1990's and deserves to be in any discussion of the greatest players ever. Thus he is #11 on my list of all time greats.

      I wish I could put the Dream in the top ten, I really do, because he was so damn fun to watch. But I think Shaq squeaks him out just slightly.

      Both have multiple rings and multiple MVPs. Hakeem is one of the best at his position defensively and Shaq is one of the best ever at his position offensively. As you pointed out, Hakeem is also the better rebounder.

      But here's what gives Shaq the nod in my opinion: appearances in the championship game with three different teams.

      Unlike someone like Robert Horry, Shaq was not a role player on these teams. He was one of the focal points, if not the focal point.

      Sure, he misses a lot of free throws—but Diesel has shown steady leadership throughout his career no matter what team he played for that gets him into the top ten.

      Honestly though, I could go either way with these two. It's pretty damn close in my opinion between Duncan, Shaq and Hakeem in terms of where on the list big men after Kareem/Chamberlain fall...

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  9. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    dude guys, why are you even arguing for who the greatest is? nobody on this page said kobe's the greatest (in fact, if you read them, they specifically say jordan is greatest, and greater than kobe). i think what people are saying is that kobe and jordan have pretty equal skills and talent, but that kobe still needs to win some more awards to be considered as one of the greatest. by the way, your top 10 list is an opinion, it means or proves nothing. so please, stop this whole jordan-is-the-greatest argument because it's not even what's being argued here.

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  10. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    i wish all you young kids (including the author) got to see mj when he still had hair... utter dominance. 37.1 ppg, 32.5-8-8, only player to ever get 200 steals/100 blocks... and he did it in multiple seasons, defensive player of the year... dunking on all the great centers of the 90's, stealing from the legendary pg's like isiah, stockton, magic, etc... defense is lame today with no hand-checking. look this up: larry brown thinks jordan could average 50 in today's game. pippen says defense doesn't really exist anymore in his view since no one can get physical like the old school pistons, riley's knicks and heat, etc. kobe has it much MUCH easier than mj did.

    talent/skill-wise, kobe only compares to older jordan of the mid to late nineties... no one can touch the skill-set of the young mj... wish you kids got to see or could remember pre-championship mj in the 80's.

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    • Dave H about 1 year ago

      Again someone who apparently "saw it in person" who can truly understand how ridiculous some of these comments are on this article. I was beginning to think that perhaps I had lost my mind.

      Respect.

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  11. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    AMEN To that!

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  12. Dave H about 1 year ago

    Chuck, I understand what you are saying, my only argument is that these are things that happened Kobe could have gone to college he chose not to. MJ could have stayed in the league those 2 years and padded his stats and legend even more but he did not. I guess I just feel the need to compare the stats straight up.

    Respect.

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  13. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Why argue? KOBE BRYANT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Kobe won't surpass Jordan but LeBron has now surpassed Kobe.

    MJ > LeBron > insert 2-3 other players here > Kobe

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  14. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Michael Jordan is the most overrated guy in the history of the league. He was averaging 30 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds against people like Jeff Hornacek and Matt Geiger. The league was watered down then, and there were no truly elite wing man. Remember, basketball players in the early 90's were still taught that the big man was the most important player on the floor, and as a result there weren't that many good wing players. If Jordan were playing today, he'd be an average athlete, have an average jump shot, and be just another good player surrounded by the likes of Kobe, Lebron, Carmelo, D-Wade, and Chris Paul. Get off your knees fans, Jordan was good, but the only elite wingman back then were Clyde Drexler, maybe LJ and Penny Hardaway, the rest of the guys were second rate stiffs that were taught the pass the ball to the big man.

    Jordan was overrated. Get off your knee fans, cuz Jordan wasn't that good.

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    • Dave H about 1 year ago

      You sir are bat shit crazy! Back to the asylum now.

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    • Luis Reginaldo Medilo 7 months ago

      You don't know what you're saying man. Jordan played against the likes of Magic, Bird, Hakeem, Shaq, Drexler, Barkley, Malone, Stockton, Thomas, Robinson, etc. All of them the 50 GREATEST PLAYERS OF ALL TIME. Now who has Kobe played against? Carmelo, Wade and Paul are nobodies compared to these guys. Defense in today's NBA sucks big time!

      Your comments make me laugh. Really...

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  15. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    you are right mj does more dunks then kobe like mj does more moves then kobe and has more shoes and other stuff now kobe ha shoes. mj is

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  1. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    with the rougher game allowed in the past, kobe would be having twice as many steals and blocks, and his points would be minimally affected because he's a better perimeter shooter. kobe's dunked on every big man of the league too. who cares if mj has shoes? if you can't recognize that kobe is the best thing since jordan, you are just plain stupid.

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  2. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    oh yea and one more thing chuck's right, who the hell compares stats straight up when the situation's so different. you like to ignore the facts because you just can't stand the fact that kobe and jordan are pretty much identical and that kobe has a chance to catch up to jordan in terms of rings and mvps. you can pretend the world is flat but you would just be delusional

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  3. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    oh yea you think kobe didn't have a chance to pad his stats even though he came straight out of high school? he could have stayed on the hornets and possibly be the fastest and youngest to any scoring milestone and have a huge career average, but he decided he wanted to go to the lakers that was already loaded with proven players.

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  4. Aron Glatzer about 1 year ago

    Jordan played with a combination of creativity and talent that Kobe has no chance of ever approaching, it isn't even close.

    The tongue, the up-and-under right to left layup, the game winners over Craig Ehlo and Bryon Russell, scoring 40 with the flu, he is simply the greatest player to ever lace up a pair of JORDAN'S.

    Kobe is a nice player and capable of an offensive explosion once in a while when his jumper is really on, but is not now, has never been and will never be, the talent and competitor that Jordan will always be.

    You are really comparing apples to stale oranges for anyone over the age of 23 who grew up seeing both players in their respective primes.

    No comparison.

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  5. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    creativity? creativity????!!!!! you're saying kobe can not match jordan's creativity???? i don't know what games you're watching but kobe has jordan matched on the creativity department...wow, i can't believe you just said that ignorant statement. you definitely gave yourself away as someone who has never watched a lot of kobe games. for a small taste of the creativity of kobe, just go watch some youtube videos, and those still don't even give him justice.

    and "offensive explosion once in a while"????? wow, another ignorant statement. you're talking about one of the greatest offensive forces in the history of the nba. plus, kobe has played so well with so many injuries and illness it's not even a joke.

    you definitely sound like an ignorant hater with the "not now, never has been and never will be" type of crap. definitely blinded and close minded. i don't even think kobe's the greatest ever yet, but what you just said is plain ignorance.

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  6. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    zander.... shaq, west, and duncan don't even belong in your list at all. wilt and oscar are maybe's. you need to study your history of basketball before you simply look at the awards and stats they had to crown them as one of the best to play. shaq? jeez, you lost credibility by putting him there

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    • brenden west about 1 year ago

      are you kidding me? wilt is a maybe?!?!? anyone who knows basketball wouldn't think twice about wilt in a top ten in anything. i like your list zander, i'd only replace duncan with karl malone. in an era where jordan was king, malone still made a name for himself. i'd also consider isaiah, george mikan (the first great), and you gotta mention pistol pete

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  7. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    wilt is great and the most dominant force in the history of basketball, but he had no competition dude. he's a stat monger but nothing compared to jordan or bird or magic

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  8. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    MJ came into the league in a team that was in the bottom of the ladder, in one of the worst NBA team back then. He took the League by storm, took basketball to new heights and changed Basketball forever. Without noting many of his personal accomplishments, he is often the bar of measurements of success even in non sporting achievements. Most achievement articles sport or non-sports, writers often quote or refer to an individual success as " He/she is the Michael Jordan of...Swimming,..writing...soccer " etc etc. Michael Jordan has become the bar of measurement of success. How he came into the league the way he did and changed Basketball forever is a legendary story on its own without even going into the stats records. I dont think Kobe can't be compared with that legendary story rather KB is just one of the labeled 'next jordan' players who was lucky to end up in a playoff bound team. Kids loves hearing story of MJ because there's the feel good story that inspires them to do good and reach for that greatness like MJ did. Like being cut from High School, The bad boys of detroit...So who is KB then nothing but a copy of the original legend ...you cant beat the original. MJ Rules coz was the first...

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  9. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    mj has a "feel good" story only cuz the media and the nba protected him. if they didn't, all his troubles wouldn't have been covered up or minimalized. i'm not hating on jordan cuz i think he's the greatest of all time, but you gotta be sensible and know how jordan was treated. and you only think he "changed" the nba because he was the first mass/internationally marketable athlete in the history of the nba, and through that industry grew jordan's legend. but the fact is, he emulated his game after dr. j and added his own twist, just like kobe emulated jordan and added his own twist. it's easy to think of jordan was the first revolutionary basketball player, but that's not really the case. look up the history. but yes, jordan is regarded as the bar of achievement, whether that's historically correct or not, it's just the way it panned out given the mass market that emerged during his era. mj ruling cuz he was the first is simply an emotional attachment to him, so it doesn't bar kobe from being equally great. however, kobe still has some ways to go to have his legacy close to jordan's.

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  10. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    exactly my point chuck, everyone here's so hung up about how jordan's so much better than kobe cuz of his accomplishments. well, yea, he's obviously more accomplished, no one even disputed that. the whole argument was that kobe is one of the most talented and skilled players to ever play the game, which is why he's pretty much similar to jordan. your list is purely based on a person's resume. what we're talking about is who is one of the best players in terms of talent with awards also taken into account. this is why kobe's not the greatest yet, since although he has one of the greatest talents, he's halfway there in terms of building his resume compared to the all time greats.

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  11. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    When people see KB play people say ' wow thats a jordanesque move'.

    Then people argue who is better. The man KB emulates the real legend adding his own twist. The KB die hard fans argue with the facts; but the masses has seen it all before. MJ Lives on.

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  12. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    lol BRENDEN, are you kidding me? you list those as your credentials???? wow, for things so lame you sound pretty proud of it (well, i'll give it to ya, you should be proud for your standards, but unfortunately i'm talking about a whole different plane of accomplishments)

    i'm 27 years old, got a 1600 on my sat 1 and 800's on all 3 sat 2's i took, got 5's on 8 ap tests, valedictorian in high school, majored in economics at princeton with a 3.96 gpa (while getting a nearly full academic scholarship), worked as a financial analyst for a while after graduating and i'm now at harvard business school. and that's not even touching the various awards i earned along the way. THESE are credentials dude.

    "articles published"? on a lame sports website that's not even an official journalistic organization? act test, which is supposed to be the test people take to avoid the harder sat's???? a mediocre gpa at a MIDWEST college??? i'll give ya the sports since you're having fun, no crime in that...seeya in 3 years when you're flippin my burgers!

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    • brenden west about 1 year ago

      first off, the articles/short stories that have been published were for newsweek, and 2 short stories published in various national collegiate magazines. and hey for a 19 year old, that's not bad at all. seeing as how i've transfered in 26 credits from highschool, i doubt you'll see me flipping burgers. only in record books for my athletic feats. all the while your just another face in the crowd. so sweet life no name, i'm pretty happy where i'm at right now, getting a free education because of my athletic talent. have fun wasting your degree at princeton on a debate that has NOTHING to do with this article. the fact that you can't let a little thing like my "credentials" go, and the very fact that you needed to bring my personal life in this to back up your arguement speaks volumes for your lack of maturity and insecurity, both of which i hit on.

      im sure those reading think very highly of a "27 year old princeton graduate" bickering with a 19 year old college student. sweet life kiddo!

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  13. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    haha it's nice to see you constantly deluded into thinking what you've done is some sort of awesome success. hey, i'm not the one who didn't let things go. look who's the one who came back to defend his pathetic "credentials". insecure? delusional?
    and why do you think i have so much time right now? it's cuz i'm already successful and have enough assets to retire by the time i'm 31, so i can spend the rest of my time pursuing whatever i want. pretty sweet that i can do that by now while you're probably going to labor for the next couple of decades at a job you despise, reflecting upon your "glory" days as an athlete to comfort yourself. it's pretty sad that you keep puffing your chest about your "achievements" that are so inconsequential- hey, didn't anyone tell you to set your goals to the max? when i was 19 i was already out of college for a year. i guess we all have our own definition of success, and yours is definitely a lower standard. newsweek? collegiate magazines? these are commonplace destinations for work done by normal people, don't you realize that by now? you talk about it as if you deserve a nobel prize or something. come back and talk to me when you get a research article published in an academic journal while as a 17 year old undergraduate.

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  14. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    the two of you need to chill out and shut up. seriuosly! no one cares about "credentials" or "achievements" in your lives, so why those were even brought up in a debate about MJ and Kobe is beyond me. Mr. Anonymous, the fact that you get to retire when you're 31, were valedictorian, princeton, all that shit, that's great wow! wonderful! guess how many of us care! NO ONE!!!!!!

    brenden, as one who couldn't afford to go college, i think it's awesome that you're able to get a full ride to ANYWHERE based on whatever sport it is you play. just let this asshole go. you seem to have alot goin for you. but at the same time, WE STILL DON'T CARE! can we get this conversation back to the debate at hand?

    i watched jordan play in person and he is without a doubt the greatest. anyone else who has done the same will recognize that

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  15. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Douchebag says what? What a freakin loser, NO ONE CARES about you or your "accomplishments" go try pick up a girl with that bullshit.

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  1. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Shutup shutup shutup shutup both of you!!!!!!!!!!!

    Anonymous, seriously! No one cares! You make people jealous so you just end up pissing them off! Happy? You do realize people hate successful people who are arrogant? Go bully someone your own size.

    Brendan, again no one cares! Honestly, even we all think all you're doing is you just making yourself look like a loser by bragging about mediocre "accomplishments". Guess what? That will just fuel him more! Just shutup and he'll shutup!

    PLEASE!!!!!

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  2. Joe Willett about 1 year ago

    the more reasonable argument will be lebron vs. jordan, kobe isn't close enough and if u look at teams, jordan did what kobe did with less talent early in his career. lebron vs jordan is a closer battle.

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/12251-NBA-Cleveland_Cavaliers-LeBron_James_Greatest_Ever_-080308

    this article compares lebron and jordan, i think it is a much closer comparison

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  3. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    nice try joe, but ultimately doesn't work

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  4. Anil Jiwan about 1 year ago

    Just like Dave you had me right up until here - "I believe Kobe Bryant is a more talented offensive player than Michael Jordan. Looking at both players’ game film, Kobe is a better ball handler and plays much more comfortably on the perimeter than Jordan.

    Kobe also has better shooting range and a wider variety of moves compared to Jordan, who prefers to use mid-range game and post game."

    The only area on offense that I'd give Kobe a nod over Jordan is the 3Pt%. Kobe does put more moves in his dribbles, but sometimes those aren't necessary. Jordan with less dribble moves was able to go around defenders as Kobe does with all of his flashy dribbles. Now Jordan was definitely a better mid-range shooter and a better finisher (the best in the league).

    I've seen both play well into their primes, and it just doesn't make sense when someone says that Kobe "has a wider variety of moves." There isn't one move that Kobe has done that Jordan hasn't done, as I can't the say the same if it were the other way around.

    Jordan also displayed a wider variety of moves going to the rim in mid-air, which is why he was the best finisher of all-time. Kobe isn't even the best finisher in the game today, as I would have to give that title to Lebron.

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  5. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Dave, you're losing this one. You can't just compare stats in an absolute manner, especially when they're from different situations. Otherwise, like the writers states, Chamberlain would be the best of all time. About the only stat you can reliably compare is FT%, because those are all done under approx the same conditions (15 feet away, unguarded).

    And even if you're going to do that, you should probably compare 2pt% vs 2pt% not overall, because Kobe shoots many more 3s which are naturally at a lower percentage. And don't say it's because he has to. The error of this article is comparing the TOP defenders of each era, what they should be comparing is the AVERAGE defender. Kobe would be driving all day on Craig Ehlo and Kelly Tripucka, too.

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  6. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Anil

    One thing I would have to disagree with you is your position on the "best finisher" of today. I would say Lebron is the most efficient finisher, but not the best because Lebron pretty much has one method of finishing, which is overpowering his defender with his body and strength, while Kobe and Jordan is able to maneuver and improvise exceptionally well.

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  7. John Richard about 1 year ago

    Just answer this one ? how many times did jordan loose after scoring 50 points. This is what one wants to see. We want to see 130 points a game with some one scoring 50-80 points what i want to see is some one with the drive and desire to do what ever it takes to win and i still think kobe does not have this.. the greats of my time reggie miller .... and Jordan and Hell even tracy mcgrady have the pure desire to make his team better kobe is all about show me the money let one of these stars take less money to make his or her team better then i will tip my hat to them.. when Kobe says hey you know what lakers i have made enough off you spend 20 mill of the money your gonna pay me to make or team better then and only then will i respect this good for nothing ball hog send kobe to and1 where he belongs!!

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  8. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    yes john...what's the winning percentage when jordan scores 50 and when kobe scores 50? hm?

    who else besides jordan has the competitive drive to take over a game? nobody comes close except kobe...

    lol, i just can't stop laughing from ur comment john. tracy mcgrady? trust me, anyone who reads ur post will know ur a mentally retarded idiot...ur entire post didn't make any sense!!! LOL

    like jordan wasn't a ball hog? people like u is why americans are one of the stupidest people in the world. like anyone has any respect for you lol

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    • brenden west about 1 year ago

      lol you start by calling john "a mentally retarded idiot" and finish by saying "people like u is why americans are one of the stupidest people in the world." are you kidding me right now? if you're going to insult someone, don't use the grammar of "a mentally retarded idiot." but i also disagree, tmac seems all about the money, at least until this year.

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    • John Richard about 1 year ago

      this is also comming from some one too chicken shit to put his name up and register on this site... point being some one tell me how many games tmac has scored 35+ in houston and the rockets have lost i looked it up and its 1 ..... kobe has score 40+ on 12 occasions and still lost .. its the difference between jordan and kobe jordan was great like my friend tmac because they realized early in thier carrier to achieve greatness you have to make those around you great and all kobe does is play one on one so send his ass to and one where he belongs

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  9. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    this is an online forum not some essay i dont give a shit wat grammar i use as long as my ideas are correct.

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  10. Michael Searle about 1 year ago

    Okay I am going to end this conversation. It is simple if you can get past your the awe of Jordan. First in there head to head matchups Kobe dropped 55 on Jordan and the Wizards. Don't give me the prime of their career thing cause they both were not in their prime. Second as far as eras. The average scoring in the 90's is higher then it is today. Teams were simply scoring more points which is obviously gonna inflate a players statistics. Do some research boys! Then there is the competition debate. At the SG position in the 90's we had Clyde Drexler, Joe Dumars, Reggie Miller, Jeff Hornacek, Craig Ehlo, Rex Chapman, and Hersey Hawkins. Come on I could score 30 on Hornacek. Kobe plays against Tracy McGrady, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Michael Redd, Dwayne Wade, Jason Richardson, Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, Rip Hamilton, and Brandon Roy. Each of those is close to as athletic as Kobe. Hornacek is not as athletic as Jordan. Not even close. Then the rings thing! Kobe is going to win some more rings. And Jordan couldn't and didn't win any rings without Pippen. So that is a bad argument. Plus Horry has 7 rings and that doesn't make him better then Barkely with 0. Just a simply bad argument. Done! Kobe is as good a defensive player, has better range, better free throw shooter and on and on. He is just a better basketball player overall. Jordans impact on the game was bigger but that is it. As far as talent and basketball is concerned Kobe is simply better.

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  11. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    you are a fool and a Jordan hater..MJ played against some of the guys playing today remember 96-98..yeah he played then and dominated the hell out of guys like KG, Ray Alllen, etc. ....Michael Redd, JRich, D Wade, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce ,Rip Hamilton lol...Vince Carter all suck at defense and none of these guys will never make the HOF. Joe Dumars, Reggie Miller, Clyde Drexler are HOFs.....you are of the faulty logic that being a better athlete makes a better defender..Darius Miles and Vince Carter should have been the greatest defenders ever...Dominique Wilkins was a better athlete than all those guys you listed..Kobe is nowhere near the defensive player MJ was...MJ led the league in steals regularly and was defensive player of the year and even Kobe's own coach criticized Kobe's defense last year...you think Mj was ever told to play better defense...the only thing Kobe had on MJ was better range...everything else MJ was better....better at finishing at the rim in traffic, better post up game, better defender, better at passing lanes, better at fadeaways, better shot selection hence the higher field goal percentage....MJ > Kobe now and forever

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  12. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    john is a fucking idiot. you're actually saying tmac is better than kobe? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH no further comment even necessary when you made yourself look like a fool.

    the only thing mj is better than kobe at is posting up, the only thing kobe is better than jordan at is range....everything else they're equal

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  13. FAKYU BETCH 9 months ago

    PUTANG INA NYO LAAHAT MAG SAPAKA NALANG KAYU ...
    VERY OBVIOUS = MICHAEL JORDAN is the best...
    WHATEVER..........

    NO ONE CAN BE LIKE JORDAN
    He's no. 1
    1
    1
    1
    1
    1
    weeeeeeeeeeeeeee LOL =P

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  14. Schuyler Robinson 8 months ago

    Nothing to compare in terms of defense

    Jordan 9 NBA First teams
    Kobe 6 NBA First teams ...... (2 2nd teams)

    Jordan 1 Defensive POY
    Kobe 0 DPOY

    Jordan twice recorded 200 steals and 100 blocks in a season
    Kobe hasn't hit either in a season.

    Zone defense today is faulty logic because of the defensive 3-pt rule also in place. Scoring is higher in the Western Conference today than what it was during MJ's day. Touch fouls are called more often and the fact you're not going find a team who wants to play Zone D most of the time, means that athletic wing players are going to get more open loks than ever.

    And for those who think Jordan wouldn't score in a zone hasn't seen him at UNC..shooting 54% against a true zone. Heck he average 21 in 2 years at the age of 39-40 with constantly injured knees, while still dropping 40+ and 50+ games.

    For the record Kobe didn't score 55 on Jordan that game, he scored 0 on Jordan. Jordan guarded him twice and the results were a steal and a charge. Kobe scored his on Russell, Stackhouse, and etc..

    Jordan owns Kobe on everything except 3-pt shooting and that's not by much. Jordan still averages more Points Per Shot than Kobe. To call Kobe greater than the GOAT is laughable cause Kobe isn't even the best Laker of all time and he wasn't the best Laker on his own team when he won his rings (Shaq was)

    Quite sad that despite having Shaq next to him taking the majority of the opposition with him, Kobe still shoots 5-6% less from the floor than Jordan.

    And keep in mind that this is just regular season. Jordan's game goes up in the playoffs. Kobe's die off. And nobody can touch Jordan's stats and impact in the NBA Finals.

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  15. young kobe bryant jordan 7 months ago

    fuck ya kobe's the shit and fuck lebron nigga can't play for shit

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