NBA Edition: Ending the Debate Between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James
Welcome to the Ending the Debate series. I'm your host Ethan Back, and my goal is to decisively end discussions about who is better between two often compared athletes. In this first edition, we're going to take a look at Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. And to make things clear about how unbiased this is, I'm a Boston Celtics fan.
When one looks at the resumés of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, there seems to be little in question about who is the better winner. Kobe has won five titles, and still seems to have the gas left in the tank to win another few down the road. LeBron, on the other hand, has appeared in one NBA Finals (before he really was the player he is today) and looks to get back again.
A lot of LeBron supporters, along with Kobe haters, like to reference the fact that Kobe has never won a title without the assistance of another superstar. In reality, that is taken way out of proportion and should not hinder Kobe's legacy in any way, shape or form.
It is true that Kobe won his first three titles playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal, but he shouldn't be punished for that. Michael Jordan, widely considered to be the best player of all-time, won all six of his rings playing with Scottie Pippen. Pippen was a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA Team selection and 10-time All-Defense Team selection. He was also named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Why then is Kobe punished for playing alongside Shaq? It remains a mystery to me.
When things were looking down for Kobe, the Lakers managed to snag Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for nothing more than his own brother, and have since appeared in three straight NBA Finals, winning the last two.
There's no denying that Kobe was, and currently is, paired up with an elite big man, but what exactly did Gasol do without Kobe? He couldn't even lead his team to victory in a single playoff game. Kobe instantly made him a top big man, and they have dominated the West since.
LeBron (up until this year, of course) has not really been paired with any truly elite players. Some All-Stars, yes (Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison), but nobody like Pippen or Shaq...until Shaq himself was a Cavalier, but that was too late in his career. This really is not a big deal. Why?
Ever since LeBron has entered the league, hasn't it been all about him? The Cavaliers might as well have been called the LeBrons, as he was their point guard, center and coach. If he insists on being such a dominant individual, then the responsibility of winning a title falls mainly on his shoulders.
Even when he signed with the Miami Heat in the offseason, one of the biggest questions regarding LeBron was, "Will he average a triple-double?" Not until he, along with the NBA community, realizes that playing a team game is the only way to win a title (unless you've slept with 20,000 women). Kobe dominates the winning category, and at the end of the day, isn't that why they play this game?
Looking at stats will be of no purpose; both Kobe and LeBron have put up eye-popping numbers, and there can't be a "winner" in that category. We can, however, look at stats in certain clutch situations.
LeBron's Game 5 against Boston is now synonymous with quitting. During last year's playoff series, LeBron looked far from his normal self in a 32-point loss, shooting 3-of-14 from the field, finishing with 15 points. His man, Paul Pierce, lit him up for 21 points, 11 boards and seven dimes. Yikes. In that game, LeBron really didn't look like he wanted to win. Have we ever seen that from Kobe? No. Not even on an off night, which All-Star players are bound to have every now and then.
In Game 7 of last year's NBA Finals, Kobe struggled from the field immensely. He finished the game 6-of-24 from the field, but he contributed in so many other ways. An old mantra in the basketball world is, "Defense wins games, rebounding wins championships." Kobe proved that to be correct, grabbing 15 boards, five more than any other Celtics player and 12 more than Kevin Garnett, four-time rebounding champ. Say what you want about Kobe, as long as it doesn't question his will to win.
LeBron James is still young, and will undoubtedly have a remarkable career. But as I have demonstrated with just a few examples, he isn't anywhere near Kobe Bryant in terms of being an elite player. LeBron may have a handful of regular season accolades, but nobody remembers players for best regular season records. At the end of the day, championships are all that matters. If stats and abilities are similar between two players, the deciding factor for who is better is rings.
Kobe leads the rings category, 5-0. Bryant's will to come out on top is unrivaled, and until LeBron develops a similar mentality he will be, quite frankly, a loser.
Readers: Comment with two athletes you would like to be debated, and the most commented pair will be debated next week.
