Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James: Will LeBron Have a Better Legacy Than Kobe at 33?

The games of Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Miami Heat forward LeBron James have about as much in common as a tea party member and the Occupy movement, but that doesn't stop the flood of comparisons.

When the Heat and Lakers take the court on Thursday, their game will be preceded by yet another round of Kobe-LeBron debates, which usually boil down to who the better player is, even though there may not be a valid argument because they both excel in different areas.

Kobe is a scorer by nature, and while he is capable of impacting a game in in multiple areas, he will always be remembered as one of the game's most dominant offensive talents.

LeBron is also a great scorer, but his ability to fill every line of the stat sheet will likely place him in the discussion as one of the greatest all-around players in NBA history.

Kobe has generally been regarded as the game's top player for most of the past decade, but most observers consider LeBron to be the best player in the game today, and the numbers confirm this theory.

LeBron is second in the NBA in scoring at 29.8 points per game, and he also averages 8.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists while shooting 57 percent from the field.

Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider that James shares the spotlight with one of the game's top five players in Dwyane Wade and a premier power forward in Chris Bosh.

Bryant is first in the NBA in scoring, but he trails LeBron in all other things that can be measured with numbers, except when it comes to legacy.

Kobe is the last of a dying breed of old-school players, and LeBron is a part of the new generation of NBA talent who will lead the league and the game into the future.

But while Kobe and LeBron play different positions and have different games, their overall impact on the NBA can always be judged by recorded history, and right now Kobe has quite the head start.

James is only 27 years old, but is there any chance that he can match or exceed Bryant's legacy by the time he reaches 33?

Right now, Kobe is sixth on the league's all-time scoring list, he has earned five NBA championships, one league MVP award and two Finals' MVP awards, and numerous all-pro and all-defensive team selections.

Additionally, Bryant has the chance to retire as the greatest player in the history of what is arguably the NBA's greatest franchise, which is no small feat, considering the names who came before him.

LeBron may not be a pure scorer like Kobe, but if he continues on his current rate for the next few years, he will certainly challenge Kobe in that area, if not surpass him.

So far, James has poured in nearly 18,000 career points and has scored at least 2,000 in every season except his rookie season.

Bryant still holds a sizable lead in that category with more than 28,000 career points of his own, with more sure to come. But it's plausible to think that LeBron could end up as the superior scorer, if not the more creative.

It doesn't really matter how many points LeBron scores, assists he dishes out or rebounds he pulls down, because it don't mean a thing if you don't got that ring.

Amazingly, the importance of postseason success has been diminished by a generation of fans who have little respect for NBA history, when in reality the NBA regular season has a very singular focus.

The only reason we endure an 82-game regular season is to determine a league champion, and while the journey is not meaningless, it pales in comparison to the reward that lies at the end of the tunnel.

Like it or not, the game's greatest players will always be judged historically on their ability to win in the postseason, which is exactly how it should be.

LeBron has proven that he can carry his team as far as the NBA Finals, but he has yet to prove he is capable of handling the glare of the spotlight.

With LeBron, the issues are clearly mental, because it's impossible to explain how a player of his talent and skill could only manage to score eight points in a Finals game, as LeBron did last season against Dallas, without being injured.

However, if LeBron does manage to lead the Heat to a few championships in the next few seasons, he will unquestionably pull closer to Bryant's legacy, at least in the minds of his fans.

LeBron may possibly finish ahead of Bryant in every statistical category the NBA keeps a record of, but right now he trails in the most important.

Is there any chance that James can lead the Heat to five championships in the next six years and earn a couple of Finals MVP awards as well? Stay tuned.