The Takeover: The Curious Case Of Kobe Bean Bryant

Perhaps Jordan would have performed similarly as Bryant did against Dwight Howard in this year’s Finals if he’d played in that scenario.  But we’d never know.  What we do know is that Jordan never faced a team with a dominant and skilled defensive big man in the Finals.  Karl Malone, an all-time great with quick hands, didn’t have the defensive presence of a Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace, Kevin Garnett, or Dwight Howard.  In many ways, at the Finals level, the teams that Kobe faced were always the best defensive teams that also had big men and were much tougher to score on than Jordan’s Final’s opponents.

3.  The NBA is all about match-ups, and Kobe continues to outperform tougher competition than Jordan faced on a night in, night out, basis.

This is a fact.  Granted, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant played in different eras.  But do we really think that a slightly taller Kobe Bryant (Kobe is closer to 6’7 than Mike’s clear 6’6) would not have also feasted on the comparatively smallish guards of the NBA during the late 80s and 90s?  Joe Dumars, a great defender with a stocky build, deceptive leaping ability, top-notch footwork, and quick hands regularly gave Jordan fits.  The reader may say “Yeah, but they still had to use the Jordan Rules.”  True.  And Michael had his nights against the Pistons, but they made him work.  Another player Jordan had trouble with was John Starks of the New York Knicks.  Again, a demonstrably smaller player. 

Facts such as these are glossed over by the NBA writers and historians because of allegiance and loyalty to Michael and his image.  Jordan and Kobe are friendly by all accounts, it is common knowledge that they talk and text frequently.  When asked directly at a skills camp who would prevail in an individual game not too long ago, Jordan stated that he would beat Kobe one-on-one and possessed a better chance to stop Kobe than vice-versa.  Perhaps, Jordan was bull-strong and had the better leaping ability.

Kobe has always laughed off the comparisons himself and been rightly deferential. Usually, NBA greats avoid such direct questions about others and their standing.  That Jordan, he of the immaculate resume, legendary skill, and media savvy would condescend to contemplate the outcome of a man-to-man contest with Bryant says something about how close the two are as basketball players.

To provide more context, let’s delve deeper.  Another one of Jordan’s contemporaries was Ron Harper, who in his prime with the Cleveland Cavaliers was known to regularly hang 30 points on Jordan before Harper hurt his knee.  In the small world of the NBA, Harper became a championship teammate of both Jordan and Bryant.  The point is not that the 6’7 Harper was better than Jordan, because he wasn’t, but that the league is about match-ups.

Today, Kobe consistently faces shooting guards at least as skilled as Harper and others from Jordan’s time, on a nightly basis.  Tracy McGrady, Jason Richardson, Ray Allen, Dwyane Wade, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Pietrus, and on and on.  Shooting guards are all over the place.  Kobe is not a rarity as the average shooting guard is now at least 6’5 and possesses similar talent and skill as Bryant … yet he is far and away better than his contemporaries.  Only Wade is in Bryant’s current class as far as offensive and defensive skill at the shooting guard position.

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