The more original/unique player, Kobe or lebron?

[Hoopz2332]

convo from another thread.....

It goes beyond aping MJ's moves. It's trying to ape his mannerisms, swagger, gum chewing, fist pumping, interview cadence, manipulating and copying of exact MJ moments, etc.

Kobe took imitation to a borderline creepy level, especially earlier in his career.. Imitation though is a major form if not the biggest form of flattery.

But I think that's what Jordan's getting at without exactly saying it. He's a lesser clone of him. So he'd have to admit he'd lose to Kobe sometimes. And Kobe didn't use MJ's moves as inspiration, he directly copied them. There is a difference.

So if anyone of this generation is using Kobe's moves, it is actually Jordan they are copying. But to what Kobe said, who on earth is copying his moves? I haven't seen anyone.

You can't say someone is copying Kobe, because Kobe is a copy of Jordan. He's not the original.

I have seen Paul Pierce, LeBron and many other players celebrate the same way

Everyone wants to be like MJ. Kobe has been the best at being like MJ so far

Why does he have to be original? What moves is he supposed to be invent? Most have already been invented. Who makes up their own moves nowadays? It's hard to do at this point

Good god, you guys are stupid. Kobe stole moves from the best players, and he stole every move in the GOAT's playbook. I wish I could do the same, and make tens of millions doing it while being a top 10 player of all time

Impressive stuff

I agree with this. It's not about the actual basketball moves, it's more about the ''he can't guard me'' type of copy moves. It's normal for a average 10 years old kid on the playground to do this, it's normal to see a highschool player celebrate the exact same way Jordan did, but it's quite weird to see an adult NBA superstar with his own NBA legacy do this.

You're trying too hard.

Name me one original player in the NBA that invented all of his own manerisms and moves.

Definitely not LeBron. Even he does the Jordan fist pump celebration.

I'll wait.

After you're done with that, name me one player that wouldn't want to be like Michael Jordan.

Still waiting.

Is there anything original about LeBron? He isn't the first point forward. He isn't the first playmaker. What did he invent?

There has never been a player like in all aspects like Lebron.

This is the breakdown they did on Lebron on ESPN countdown







How Good Is LeBron James?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO_yl_oRQR4

So not being able to master every move from other great players before you is more impressive than being able to master any move?

Ok. If you say so. I respectfully disagree that Kobe trying to be like MJ is a bad thing.

Taking a few moves from Jordan is one thing, jacking his mannerisms is another level of weirdness on some stalker sh!t.

Kobe Bryant is gone from the NBA playoffs, but he remains the most riveting and controversial figure of the postseason. Even his absence fills the room.

Bryant solidified his position as the most polarizing player in the NBA with a wildly inconsistent and confounding series against the Suns. There he is, passing and moving without the ball and generally playing like Steve Nash. There he is, putting up 50 because his team needs it. There he is, petulantly putting up three shots in the second half of the seventh game, just to prove a point about the inadequacies of his teammates.

And to think, the seventh-game disappearance came just as everyone was ready to attach a new description -- team player -- on him.

Say what you want, but he's the only guy who could have pulled that one off.

How's this for redirecting responsibility: You can make a good case that 90 percent of Kobe's problems stem from the lingering, and bizarre, national fixation with Michael Jordan. Kobe is part of the fixation; he's groomed himself to be the successor to the point of imitating Jordan's mannerisms.

And that, more than anything, is why every game featuring Kobe comes across not as a basketball game but as "Kobe on Kobe."

He's been trying so hard to be someone else -- or someone else's version of who he should be -- that he isn't really anybody. From the outside, his words seem hollow and his actions seem borrowed.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...e=keown/060510



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what do you guys think?

[HoopsFanNumero1]

Kobe = cheap and inferior MJ clone

[riseagainst]

Lebron has to be the more unique player here. I haven't seen any star choke in the finals like he did in 2011.

[branslowski]

Lebron has to be the more unique player here. I haven't seen any star choke in the finals like he did in 2011.

If my kid wants to be like LeBron I'll smack him...lol@ my son bricking wideopen jumpers and being shutdown by Boris Diaw. And quitting vs Mavs getting outplayed by Jason Terry.

[pauk]

I dont think Kobe's game is so unique, but the level he plays it at makes him unique indeed....

Lebron however is unique in every possible way... he got that Magic Johnson offensive versatility, Pippens defensive versatility, both players were extremly unique for those specific things... plus he can score better than both of them... and to top it all of his combination of athleticism is unheard of....

[Hoopz2332]

Lebron has to be the more unique player here. I haven't seen any star choke in the finals like he did in 2011.

yeah, kobe knows about those finals bricks with his superior scoring ability


[quote]

lebron


2007 NBA Final:

[CavaliersFTW]

Neither of them resemble Wilt Chamberlain in any way whatsoever - retarded thing ESPN did clearly they were just trying to throw out big names people would react to and give some arbitrary % points as if Lebron or Kobe resembled them at all. Also, Lebron plays more like Oscar Robertson than he does Magic, or anyone else they listed, and Kobe plays more like Jerry West and Michael Jordan than any of the other miscellaneous players they listed for him. Lebron looks and plays like an upscaled Oscar Robertson. Only difference is stylistically he dunks and flops and swapped his mid range game in place of a deep perimeter game. These are more or less traits of this era that every player does more often than they did in the 60's - the way Lebron approaches the game is Oscar-like, but with a body more like Gus Johnson (a healthy one though). Anyone saying either of them is totally unique or any more unque than the other (or more unique than any player in history for that matter) is full of sh*t.

[SHAQisGOAT]

Lebron

Kobe has a LOT of MJ in his game, personality and mannerisms, he's great but not as great though.

Lebron is like a combination of Magic, Oscar, Erving, Pippen, Wilkins, Bird and Baylor. Of course it's not like we're adding all of those players to form one but rather different parts of their games (for instance he's not as good as peak Bird, close though, and peak Magic is right there with James, plus guys like Oscar, Baylor and Erving can be put into the conversation).
He's got Magic's ability to play the point really well as bigmen-sized, versatility to play many positions in many ways, though not as good as Johnson at running an offense, handling the ball, passing and also inferior post-game.
He can use his body to abuse smaller players (most of the time the defender is) like Oscar did, but Robertson had a great mid-range game, used it more and like to play at a slower tempo.
He's great at steals and blocks for a wing like Erving was, great at playing passing lanes and taking off and weak-side blocks.
He has Pippen-like versatility on defense, as a wing being able to do great jobs while defending guards or forwards, even though Pippen was a better defensive player.
Him and Wilkins have similar ways as far as finishing at rim, great leaping ability and power, plus he also has a really streaky jumper like Nique, but Wilkins had a better post-game and similar but softer touch than Lebron around the basket.
He's also like Bird in a sense that they can both play either forward spot and are great rebounders as SFs, even though Bird had more ways to score, better shooter and a better post-game, plus Larry was a better rebounder. Also the numbers they put up are really similar even though they have different ways to get them.
He's also like Baylor using his body to finish in the paint, but Elgin was more finesse, softer touch and knew how to use then anlges in a better way.

[TheMarkMadsen]

yeah, kobe knows about those finals bricks with his superior scoring ability

So by your logic Lebrons best finals was 2011

Btw you put a lot of time and effort into making a Kobe hate thread..

Kobe fans like to talk about Kobe while Lebron fans like to talk about Kobe even more.

[ispin69]

Rather than deflect and try to change the subject...I want to hear it. I want to hear these kobe nut huggers say it.

Kobe is the biggest MJ imitator to ever play in the NBA.

[zoom17]

yeah, kobe knows about those finals bricks with his superior scoring ability

Gotta like shaq

[Hoopz2332]

So by your logic Lebrons best finals was 2011

Btw you put a lot of time and effort into making a Kobe hate thread..

Kobe fans like to talk about Kobe while Lebron fans like to talk about Kobe even more.

[TheMarkMadsen]

Got to give it to Lebron on this one, nobody's ever thought of colluding with the 2 best players in their conference before

[Hoopz2332]