Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James: The Ultimate Debate

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Kobe Bryant or LeBron James? This debate takes place all over America about as frequently as McDonald's visits in Houston. I understand that these articles are all over Bleacher Report, but I saw serious flaws in some of them (in my humble opinion, of course) and I decided that I needed to solve the debate once and for all.

Athleticism

Edge: LeBron James

Let's face it, Kobe Bryant doesn't quite have the body that he used to. He's getting older, but he has learned to rely on things other than raw talent. LeBron James is a 6'8'' 250 pound monster. Nobody wants to stop that man, and usually, no one can.

Score:
Kobe: 0
LeBron: 1

Shooting

Edge: Kobe Bryant

While the statistics will tell you that LeBron's 3-point percentage is slightly higher than Kobe's, studying game film will give you a different story. As I mentioned earlier, Kobe's body is declining, which is forcing him to rely more on his jump shot. A jump shot that has become killer. Kobe's default jump shot has become a fade away because he is constantly fading, due to the defenders that are practically putting Kobe's contact lenses in for him. As evidenced in the recent Lakers vs. Suns series, this has little effect on him.

Score:
Kobe: 1
LeBron: 1

Passing

Edge: LeBron (But only slightly)

I know, what you're thinking. Only slightly?!?! But LeBron James averages more assists per game! Kobe Bryant is a ball hog! Well, I'm not so sure about these claims anymore. Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers play in the Triangle Offense, which is, in my mind, one of the greatest offensive schemes ever. However, in this offense, the guards are not expected to get a lot of assists. Even the point guards don't get that many. However, Kobe Bryant consistently leads his team in assists year after year.

All this aside, LeBron is a very special passer. He possesses passing skills that have rarely (if ever) been seen in a small forward before. He already has amazing court vision and passing skills for such a young age. He can only go up from here.

Score:
Kobe: 1
LeBron: 2

Resumé

Edge: Kobe Bryant

Obviously, Kobe's NBA career has lasted quite a bit longer than LeBron's. Thus, he has had ample time to build up his "resumé." However, LeBron has entered two seasons in a row with his team being the favorite to win the title. Neither times did he win. You can say his supporting cast isn't good enough, but. they were the favorites both years, and he couldn't finish the deal.

You can't dispute the fact that Kobe has 4 championship rings (regardless of whether or not Shaq was on his team) and LeBron has none.

Score:
Kobe: 2
LeBron: 2

Clutch

Edge: Kobe Bryant

Must I explain this one? The Black Mamba is known for his extraordinary clutch ability. If your life was on the line, and you needed to pick a player to make a last second shot, who would you pick? If you value your life, Kobe Bryant.

Score:
Kobe: 3
LeBron: 2

Leadership

Edge: Kobe Bryant

I find it hard to fathom why some people say the LeBron is a better leader than Kobe Bryant. To be honest, I don't even think it's close. For one example, take a look at Shannon Brown. He spent a couple years under LeBron James, and quite frankly, he was useless on his team. However, now that he is under Kobe Bryant, he has flourished (or at least as much as he can, considering the minutes he gets). When Kobe got injured, Shannon stepped in and had some great games to compensate for the lost star. I understand that part of this is Phil Jackson, but you can't underestimate the power of an on-court leader.

On top of that, you can always go back to the fact that Kobe has 4 championships, and LeBron has none.

Score:
Kobe: 4
LeBron:2

Rebounding

Edge: LeBron James

This was an easy choice. While it is obvious that LeBron gets more rebounds largely because he is taller, bigger, and more athletic, I can't hold that against him. The point is, he gets rebounds, and lots of them. This year, he averaged 7.3 rebounds a game, whereas Kobe averaged 5.4 rebounds a game.

Score:
Kobe: 4
LeBron: 3