Kobe Bryant is good, but can’t touch Michael Jordan

[Scott Pippen]

http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/...lt#articleFull

Kobe Bryant is a wonderful player. I am extraordinarily excited about watching him lead the Lakers against the Celtics in the NBA Finals that begin Thursday. I fully expect a classic performance, and I firmly believe he will lead the Lakers to a championship in six games with the final game on the Celtics’ home court.

But he’s not Michael Jordan, and he knows it.

"You’re talking about the greatest that ever played the game," Bryant said in an exasperated tone in an interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. "Michael is Michael!"

On his national radio show, Dan Patrick approached the same subject with Larry Bird.

"I think Kobe is the best player in our league, and I think he’s been the best player for a long time ..." Bird said. "But to say he’s another Michael Jordan - I can’t do that."

[KOBE24isdabest]

yeh i agree, kobe is definitely the best player in the league right now

but all time has to go to michael first

[Da_Realist]

Very good article. Those are my thoughts exactly. There was a fierceness with MJ that I hadn't seen (to the same degree) with anyone else. Players, coaches, teams feared him.

You just had to watch to 'get it'. Trying to define MJ by the number of championships, his scoring average or his other accomplishments is like trying to define Mozart by musical scales. Some things you can't define. Greatness is one of them.

[Psileas]

Why is Michael Jordan the greatest player ever? Because anyone with the blessing of eyesight who watched him knows that he was. It is, very simply, common sense. That’s why when describing the greatness of people who excel, it’s popular to say, "He (or she) is the Michael Jordan of (whatever)."

Not the Kobe Bryant of, the Wilt Chamberlain of, the Bill Russell of, the Magic Johnson of, the Larry Bird of or the Julius Erving of. It’s the Michael Jordan of.

With all respect, that's more like a popularity contest than anything else. I've heard more people saying that "he's the Kobe Bryant of..." than "he's the Bill Russell of...". This doesn't make Kobe any greater than Russell was.
About the rest and how Kobe < Jordan, I agree, but it's nothing we hear for the 1st (or even 100th) time.

[gpfanz]

Kobe is only human.. MJ is god? in disguise

[Showtime]

"Let me be me"

Fans, please listen to your guy.

[Zak]

Of course, maybe if MJ was 38 years younger, white, and didn't have a shlong.

[Da_Realist]

With all respect, that's more like a popularity contest than anything else.

I agree. At the base level, "The Best Ever..." is an opinion. The reason it seems like fact is because so many people share that opinion, making it a popularity contest.

Stats can't be used as the only measure of greatness due to the inability to measure all factors (rule changes, different eras, different style of basketball, etc). So...

About the rest and how Kobe < Jordan, I agree

How would you explain ^^ without using some sort of opinion-based observation?

[highwhey]

no attack of the kobe fans? i completely agree with this thread but kobe fans are to ignorant to see you can't make the comparison.

[allball]

in a head to head matchup Kobe could give Jordan some difficulty. I don't remember Jordan defending a perimeter player of Kobe's caliber in his career. and John Starks got at him a couple of times. Of course Kobe's never guarded a prime Jordan either. It would be a little tougher for Jordan to post up Kobe versus say Majerle, Payton or Byron/Bryon? Russell or Reggie Miller.

Kobe can't touch Jordan in terms of status and achievement but as a player he would give him a good run.

[Da_Realist]

in a head to head matchup Kobe could give Jordan some difficulty. I don't remember Jordan defending a perimeter player of Kobe's caliber in his career. and John Starks got at him a couple of times. Of course Kobe's never guarded a prime Jordan either. It would be a little tougher for Jordan to post up Kobe versus say Majerle, Payton or Byron/Bryon? Russell or Reggie Miller.

Kobe can't touch Jordan in terms of status and achievement but as a player he would give him a good run.

Jordan in his prime wouldn't need to post up. The post up fadeaway game didn't become a primary weapon until 1996. He only used it sporadically before that because he was so quick.

I also don't know if I would agree with that. Kobe is strong, but I've read his own coaches (Tex Winter, I think) say he doesn't hold his position in the post as well as he should. In other words, he gets pushed around down low. And I don't think he is that much (if at all) stronger down low than Majerle, Payton and others. More talented, yes. But stronger? I don't know about that. Especially Payton in his prime.

[DuMa]

in a head to head matchup Kobe could give Jordan some difficulty. I don't remember Jordan defending a perimeter player of Kobe's caliber in his career. and John Starks got at him a couple of times. Of course Kobe's never guarded a prime Jordan either. It would be a little tougher for Jordan to post up Kobe versus say Majerle, Payton or Byron/Bryon? Russell or Reggie Miller.

Kobe can't touch Jordan in terms of status and achievement but as a player he would give him a good run.

head to head i wouldnt put much of an argument in anything. Lebron has dominated Kobe. Paul Peirce has dominanted Kobe. but we dont mention any of that.

[Psileas]

How would you explain ^^ without using some sort of opinion-based observation?

I'm not sure what you mean here. I've seen both Jordan and Kobe play and even if I hadn't, there's plenty of footage and stats available for both. I agreed that Jordan>Kobe based on what I saw and studied, not on opinions.

[Da_Realist]

I'm not sure what you mean here. I've seen both Jordan and Kobe play and even if I hadn't, there's plenty of footage and stats available for both. I agreed that Jordan>Kobe based on what I saw and studied, not on opinions.

This is what I was referring to. This is basically what I would say if someone asked me too. But it is still an opinion based on what you saw and studied. Multiply this statement by 100 million people and it's easy to see how MJ becomes the standard to which other players are judged.

I was just trying to point out that you were right (it is a popularity contest), but that's because the original statement is an opinion. And since it's not fact, someone can feel comfortable using statements like...

Why is Michael Jordan the greatest player ever? Because anyone with the blessing of eyesight who watched him knows that he was. It is, very simply, common sense. That’s why when describing the greatness of people who excel, it’s popular to say, "He (or she) is the Michael Jordan of (whatever)."
Not the Kobe Bryant of, the Wilt Chamberlain of, the Bill Russell of, the Magic Johnson of, the Larry Bird of or the Julius Erving of. It’s the Michael Jordan of.

to justify their opinion.

[Poseidon]

Touch Michael Jordan? Kobe is on the verge of SLAPPING Michael Jordan in the next 4-5 years. Dude is just getting started. This article is going to look mighty foolish in a few years.