It has been said many times by those of us who ply our trade in the media that if you repeat something long enough and make it sound as if the position is indisputable, then a majority of fans will suddenly transform into a band of lemmings and make for the sea with no coaxing whatsoever. Such is the case with this year's NBA Finals. This edition of the "3 Ring Circus" will set right the lack of reasonable thought.
Kobe Bryant is no Michael Jordan
Perhaps the single most overused word in the global sports lexicon is "great." It has become little more than a throwaway syllable over-rating players, teams, victories, cheerleaders, you name it. Such is the case with Kobe Bryant.
From the network promos to some of the more uneducated members of the media, most of whom would only know a basketball is it rolled towards them from a Wii platform, the comparison has become almost a staple of this Series. Ignorance, misinformation, hyperbole and downright stupidity are the various hallmarks of this comparison.
To place Kobe Bryant in the same sentence as Michael Jordan is a blasphemous insult to Jordan for a number of obvious reasons.
Kobe Bryant is no leader. Off the court, his incessant whining early in the season may have forced Jerry Buss to make a few roster moves and bolster the lineup, but they were the cries of a petulant child.
As Jordan did in his career, you make your displeasure known to a few select insiders, such as the head coach, general manager, and owner only. You don't seek out media counsel and use them as a mouthpiece. If word leaks out, you issue a simple "no comment" and move on. Bryant is a byproduct of an era that believes in making as much noise as possible to force change and to use the press gaggle to your own advantage. A true leader does not air the laundry on a public clothesline.
On the floor, take nothing away from his talent, but Kobe Bryant cannot by simple force of will alone change the course of a game. Jordan could do this by seemingly sending telepathic messages to the other four guys on court. Every single player on every single roster that MJ played on looked up to him for guidance and support. He was another head coach that simply wore a uniform. He made other players excel around him, or he left them in the dust.
Conversely, Kobe Bryant is made great by the players who support him. Don't get me wrong, because it's obvious that Jordan could not and would not have been the icon that he is without the proper supporting cast.
But that cast changed around him and he still was able to perform feats of basketball legerdemain seemingly without missing a single beat. He fed off their energy and their skills, while at the same time allowing some of that magic to rub off.
Bryant is the polar opposite. No one could or should argue that Kobe turned the Lakers season around when he was given the right players around him. Players that for the most part would be viewed as little more than spare parts for other rosters.
9 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Jeff Phillips about 1 year ago
Great article. Thanks for writing that.
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Ben Weixlmann about 1 year ago
Good article! I'm not sure why people keep writing about the MJ and Kobe comparison, there doesn't seem to be one. Even if there were, MJ bar none.
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Chris Barredo about 1 year ago
Hater.
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Michael Demby about 1 year ago
I agree with many of your points. But, if you were an NBA exec, you would play up the history of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry because the NBA's success depends on hype and viewership. If you don't overhype the Bird-Magic, Russell-Wilt days, you'd be stupid. The hype attracts money paying companies to pay for sponsorships and commercial time at a prime cost. I'm sure that those NBA heads know that this series is nowhere close to the rivalries in the 60s and 80s, but their job as a marketer and business is the create a need, create a want. So, that's exactly what they are doing.
Secondly, I wouldn't necessarily say Kobe hasn't made Gasol better. They still haven't been together that long. So, who knows, he may help him improve next year or the year after that. For the Lakers to be successful, Kobe has to the inspire the other players. Yes, they have become friends off the court and that has contributed to success. But, I don't think they all have the fearlessness that Kobe has. The series is not over, but the Lakers need to rebound and be more physical in order to pull this series off.
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Brandon Heshee about 1 year ago
You are an Idiot! I will leave it at that.
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Mueze Bawany about 1 year ago
awww...the LA fans are hurt...good post man, be prepared to get a bunch of hater comments from LA.
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Slam Jam about 1 year ago
Evan, man, you make more sense than Ed Berliner. And that's an understatement.
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Miguel Jose about 1 year ago
good article
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Blair Gordon about 1 year ago
Michael Jordan is the greatest player in the history of the game period, I mean some people today can argue that kobe's not even the best player in the N.B.A. today for example Lebron James took his team 7 games with boston, almost winning the game with a masterful 48 point performance with a team that doesn't have half the talent as the Lakers oh yea he's also the scoring champion this year as well, when Mike was playing there was no doubt from here to neptune that he was Mr. Basketball, The greatest, The Final Frontier his opponents acknowledge this fact early in Jordan's era. Look at the numbers per season Lebron has 1,680 points his rookie season after that he's at 2,100 or more every season he's been in the N.B.A. , Kobe's points per season didn't reach the 2000-point mark until really 2004, He only has 2 scoring titles in 10 seasons, 1 M.V.P. , and 3 championships from riding in the passenger side of "THE DIESEL"
also was over shadowed by L.James this year for the scoring title, see some people see a fade-away and they say " Wow that's jordan-like" But to compare goodness to GREATNESS is something that can't be done Jordan has 10-scoring titles, 6 championships, 6 Finals M.V.P's, 5 N.B.A. M.V.P'S, Defensive -Player of the Year , Has scored 2, 100 or more points in 12 out of 15 seasons, in one season 86-87 Jordan averaged 37.1 points per game, scored 3,180 points and played 3, 400 minutes that's almost a point per minute . The only player to win a gold medal , N.B.A. Mvp, and the N.B.A. Championship in the same year (1992) Some may say "what about Kobe's 81-points", It was a superb performance but Jordan put up 63-points as a rookie , in the playoffs , at Boston Garden , aganist Larry Ledgen, Mchale, and Walton. You see Jordan has always been able to defy all odds, He's of that rare-breed with a DeoxciRibo-Nuecalic-Acid that's considered as The "IT" his genetics are of an unknown planet his accomplishments will only be passed if GOD himself comes down from heaven and decides to laces up the old converse. Lebron James will have a legitimate shot to be a great scorer and maybe even get more scoring titles that Michael someday but will never defy odds, and have the ability to slience the crowd at will, as His Airness did, The Number #23 is gone people There can only be one and Jordan is that. I have answered all you questions , all the facts have been listed Im not some Kobe critic , Im just a realist who knows that a rolls-royce is alot different from a cadillac.
bgze83@yahoo.com
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