LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant: Can Heat Star Recover Image Like Lakers Star Has?

The debate between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James continues to rage forward.

James is at an interesting crossroads in his career as he attempts to re-shape his image in the public sphere, something that Bryant also had to do before being embraced by fans once again.

Bryant was 25 years old when his image hit rock bottom, and with James being just 26 himself, it's easy to see why their positions are comparable.

Can James regain his standing and brand in the basketball world in the same fashion that Bryant did?

He's got a challenging road ahead of him to do so.

Winning Solves Everything

It's amazing what winning can do for a player's reputation.

But until James can come home with the most valued trophy in all of the basketball world, he's going to have a tough time reversing his image.

Winning on the biggest stage can pave the quickest path for James to re-shape his perception in the public.

He's Still Only 26 Years Old

Despite LeBron already being a veteran of the game, James is still just 26 years old, and has plenty of time to make a large impact on basketball.

When Bryant had to recover from his own incident, it was on a much grander societal scale than James, and he was able to successfully do so.

If James can just figure out a way to come through in the clutch when it matters most and deliver on a consistent basis, his struggles will only be a distant memory of the past.

On-Court Performance Trumps Off-Court Issues

We've seen it several times before.

First with Kobe Bryant, then with Michael Vick and it's possible that LeBron James will be the third to follow in this particular chain.

Prominent athletes have proven to be able to recover with extraordinary play on the court, and fans have an awfully short-term memory when it comes to judging professional athletes.

If James improves on his fourth-quarter play, the criticisms will be left in the past.

He's Still Extremely Marketable

This argument might not resonate with the fans in Cleveland, but it's the truth.

Whether you love him, hate him or don't even respect him, James remains one of the most marketable players in the game of basketball regardless of what he does.

When Bryant's hearings began, Kobe lost a ton of endorsement deals and his sponsors showed no hesitancy in dropping him from the label.

Think the same thing will happen with LeBron? No chance.

He Has an Unearned Sense of Entitlement

Bryant's work ethic is second to none when it comes to players in the NBA, but James still needs to work on that element of his repertoire.

Ever since James came into the league, he's had a certain confidence about his game, as he was touted as the top talent to ever come out of high school.

The majority of his reputation was built up by the media, who collectively tabbed him as the greatest ever, but that tattoo on his back certainly doesn't help with his perceived lack of humility.

Made out To Be the Villain of the NBA

LeBron might not have "Joker" status quite yet, but it's clear that he remains at the forefront of the conversation when it comes to villains in the NBA.

Embracing his newest role as a member of the Miami Heat, James is going to have to overcome the nomenclature assigned to him, and defy the odds in order to win a title.

He's got a lot to accomplish before he can ditch the evilness that has been assigned to him, but the NBA needs a villain and James fills that role flawlessly.

The LeBron Rules

Much like Michael Jordan's set of rules, there are clearly ones for LeBron as well.

After dominating the postseason until the final round, the Dallas Mavericks found a way to clamp down on James and greatly limit his effectiveness when the game was on the line.

While James certainly didn't help his cause by constantly deferring to his teammates, it's clear that the Mavs found a way to get inside his head and mess with his psychological temperament throughout the series.

It's only a matter of time before other teams implore a similar method.

LeBron Doesn't Have Media Support

It's not like Kobe Bryant was readily accepted back into the arms of media members after his trial, but the media has really built up LeBron to be something that we haven't seen before.

He's not just a basketball player or even a human being, he's a very special entity that is unlike any other that has come before him.

James is unlikely to ever garner mainstream support at any point throughout his career, and it's going to make it that much more difficult for his image to recover moving forward, as his intriguing journey through the NBA continues.