Kobe Bryant Has Finally Reached the Summit of Mt. Jordan

Kobe Bryant is on a mission for championship ring No. 6, and as a man with five titles already, this quest is the perfect goal to keep him motivated. The prospect of winning a second three-peat will also drive Bryant, and having Hall-of-Fame coach Phil Jackson back for another season will surely help.

Six championship rings, a second three-peat, Phil Jackson...this is no coincidence. Kobe's comparison to Michael Jordan will forever dominate his legacy. Even as a young 18-year-old kid fresh from high school, Kobe was feeling the pressure so many before him had failed to handle: Being the next MJ.

The comparisons will never go away, and now that Kobe is actually so close to many of Jordan's storied accomplishments, can we put Kobe on the same plateau of NBA legends as Jordan?

A quick comparison of each other's stats makes the idea of Kobe being just as good as Michael quite plausible. Also, their impact on the game of basketball is unlike any other tandem in NBA history.

While Jordan has Kobe by several thousand points scored (MJ played 15 seasons, Kobe has played 14), Kobe has not been the Lakers' primary scoring option his whole career. From Kobe's rookie year in 1997 until the 2004 NBA Finals loss to Detroit, Shaq was the primary offensive option for the Lakers. As a raw talent his rookie year, Kobe took some time polish his offensive game, scoring around 3,000 points in his first three seasons.

Defensively, Bryant and Jordan share an honor seldom seen in sports. Being the best offensive and defensive player at the same time. Sure Kobe is not a multiple Defensive Player of the Year winner, and while Jordan won the award just once, the consistency is the most impressive part. Jordan earned nine all-NBA defensive first team honors while Kobe has achieved eight, but there is no way Kobe's game will suffer enough for him not to achieve one more. 

Bryant is a very quick, aggressive defender, and his ability to produce at amazing levels on offense while guarding the other team's best offensive threat is often overlooked. Very few players are able to play at all-star levels on both ends for almost a decade, and Kobe's consistency at both ends is a true testament to his legacy.

When the game is on the line, and seasons are to be won or lost on a single possession, Michael Jordan was the best ever to finish a game. Since Jordan's retirement, who would you want with the ball in the closing moments? Kobe has to be at the top of everyone's list. Nobody is more feared with the game on the line than Kobe, and his incredible jumpers against Phoenix in last year's deciding sixth game of the Western finals, were a great example of Kobe's clutch factor.

Perhaps the biggest knock on Kobe Bryant's career is he played with arguably the most dominant center ever, Shaquille O'Neal. While this is a fair criticism, Jordan's partnership with Scottie Pippen is very similar. But while Jordan always had Pippen alongside, Bryant played several seasons without an dominant partner, and his game actually rose during that time.

The lasting impact on both Jordan and Bryant's careers is the amount they have contributed to the game of basketball around the world. Their status as global icons has made them the two most recognizable basketball players in the last 20 years. 

Whenever the USA basketball team entered the arena in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, they were surrounded by thousands of fans. Even Kobe's absence from this summer FIBA World Championships did not make him a talking point in Turkey, with many fans were wondering, "Where's Kobe?"

The brand the NBA is today, can be attributed to Jordan and Kobe. The NBA has grown so much around the world since 1990. The best example is the rise in talent among international teams. More international players are in the NBA than ever before, and team USA is no longer guaranteed to win every tournament they show up at.

Michael Jordan's impact on basketball has made the game a bigger deal in many countries than it was before his arrival in 1985. Instead of playing soccer, more and more children want to play basketball. Kobe has carried the torch of basketball ambassador, and has done a commendable job himself.

The comparison between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant dives much deeper than their championships won. Too many fans and media alike, look purely at championship rings and MVP awards while determining whose better. Kobe has been the most valuable player for any team since Shaq left Los Angeles in 2004.

Whether you look at the stats between them in a basketball encyclopedia, or watch highlights of their performances, you will see strikingly similar players, both NBA legends, and the men responsible for growing basketball in the NBA, and around the world.