The Sunday before the NBA Finals begin, and there sure has been a lot of talk about a player who isn't even playing in the Finals. Sure, he and his team were predicted to make it to the NBA Finals to take on the Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles Lakers. However, LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers lost their best-of-7 series last night to the Orlando Magic 4-2, but it was LeBron's actions after the game that have sparked many points on talk shows across the nation.
The Cavs had just been handed their 103-90 defeat at the hands of Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic, and LeBron James (who has already been revered as the "Next Jordan") did something Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant (yea, I said it) , Magic, or even the fiery Rasheed Wallace would not do. LeBron trotted off the court, into the Cavaliers' locker room, and did not address the media until the day after the loss. However, LeBron's comments on the matter were even more astounding. Check them out when you can, but LeBron likened his actions to not congratulating someone who beats you up after a fight. Simply put, LeBron thought shaking hands and being a good sport was stupid, if you just lost the game.
So, what does this mean for the Kobe vs. LeBron debate? Puppets won't solve it, and we obviously won't get an answer in the postseason. However, after evaluating certain aspects of both player's games, I think I have a reasonable explanation for which player is better.
Let's start with their inside game.
Automatically, LeBron is going to stick out in any knowledgeable sport maniac's mind. He's stronger, taller, and is an all-around force in the lane. When he plays off of the pick and roll, he is simply one of the greatest players the NBA has ever had take the floor. The Magic showed that stifling on-ball defense can stop him to an extent, but LeBron still consistently scored 30+ points, and tacked on many of these points from drives off of the pick and roll situations, and by getting to the free throw line. Kobe , though, isn't horrible inside. Bryant's speed is comparable to LeBron's, which makes him a huge force inside the lane as well. With the slightest amount of space, Bryant will drive past anyone who is checking him and make them look silly. Both players continuously make insane plays at the rim, created by their sheer athletic ability in being able to ward off the on-ball defense long enough to create space and get into the lane. This is what separated Kobe from Carmelo (aside from his disappearance from the superstardom realm) in the Western Conference Finals. After all of this, I have to give the edge to LeBron James. His ability to create points no matter who stands in his way is simply unmatchable (however close behind Kobe might be) on any level.
From there, I took a look at the inverse of the inside game, and took a look at each player's outside game.
LeBron is certainly deadly from anywhere on the floor. We saw this with his circus shot at the end of game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Give the man space, and he'll make you pay. Simple as that. When he needs space, he creates it, and hits the outside shot as well as anyone in the game. (I'm not a huge fan of the natural fade he's incorporated, though. Seems to me that it does more to alter his shot than help it.) Kobe is just as good, or better. Take a quick second to think about how many times you've seen Kobe Bryant come down the floor in a game -- whether trailing or leading in the fourth quarter -- and hit a gigantic three pointer to either take the lead or put the game away. The number has to be pretty large. He's simply still the best, at age 30, with clutch shots from anywhere on the floor. I will stand by this statement until LeBron proves me wrong. Sure, LeBron can provide for some flashy, consistent 3-point buckets, but Kobe (to me) seems to consistently shoot that shot a little bit better than the King. I'm going to give the edge on this matter to Kobe Bryant. The discrepancy is small though.
At third base, we have the pull-up jumper.
(*Takes a deep breath*)
I know what you're thinking. "How can he possibly distinguish a leader in this aspect of the game? Both players are equally as deadly." No. They're both spectacular. LeBron can pick his spots from anywhere on the floor, pick up his dribble, and shoot at the peak of his jump and still hit the shot as deadly as anyone. However, LeBron doesn't utilize this part of his game as much. I thoroughly enjoy watching LeBron play. Thinking back to when he joined the league, it has been really interesting to see him mature as a player and as a person. With this part of this game, though, LeBron still needs some maturity. For someone with as deadly of a shot and a game as he has, it would benefit himself even more if he'd utilize this part of his game more than driving to the basket. Still, LeBron is no where close to lacking ability in this area. Kobe Bryant has also taken on the role of sharpshooter from anywhere on the court. When Kobe has the ball in his hands, not only does he regret to pass the ball, he becomes the most feared player on the court. Remember his shot over J.R. Smith in this year's Western Conference Finals? He's the greatest closer in all of basketball, and I KNOW you're heard that statement before in these playoffs. As Mike Breen says, "Bang!". And now we have the winner in the pull-up jumper category -- Kobe Bean Bryant. (Yes, that's his middle name.)
So where else could these two prolific players be compared? Their post play is just another aspect I looked at.
With Lebron, the presence in the post is assured. It is not his given position, but he can surely be effective here. Against Orlando, James took over the position at times, and moved from the corner, backed in on Pietrus, or whoever was guarding him at the time, and usually pulled a textbook Dwight Howard move. He spin around the defense, hop-stepped into position and laid the ball in the hole. (Never without contest from Orlando though.) He seemingly takes over “Big Z's” job from time to time, and makes Anderson Verejao look like an under developed role player....oh wait – that's all he'll ever be. LeBron's height, power, and innate ability to create points and pressure to open up shots for other teammates is something that gives him a large advantage over Mr. Faber in this cate...I mean Kobe Bryant – in this category. However, Shaq's “little brother” is still a good force in the post, just by sheer ability. He's strong, but not near as tall as LeBron or many other post players. But when Bryant goes down low – like he did with Carmelo in many of the 7 games of the Western Conference Finals – he is absolutely a pleasure to watch. He creates more circus shots, usually fade-away jumpers, than any star player has since the Jordan era. The even more daunting statistic is the amount of shots he hits from this type of act. Regardless, Bryant just cannot and WILL not ever be better than LeBron James in the post. There are just too many qualities that LeBron has the upper hand in, that Kobe just does not match up as well.
The next aspect I considered does not have to do with either player's shooting abilities. This evaluation, though, is the hardest for me. Who is better in off-ball play? Kobe or King James?
Kobe has a knack for creating space with screens, and being almost impossible to guard off of the ball. He also designs some pretty, pretty set-ups on the offensive end for the other Lakers. He's constantly moving, never satisfied, and always looking for a way to help his team out. As regrettable as it is to say for someone who absolutely cannot stand Kobe Bryant's persona and facial gestures, language, and much more – he can do it all. LeBron has a knack for creating space with screens, and being almost impossible to guard off of the ball. He also designs some pretty, pretty set-ups on the offensive end for the other Cavs. He's constantly moving, never satisfied, and always looking for a way to help his team out. He had more triple-doubles this year, than most players will have in a lifetime. You see where I'm going with this? Both players are great off the ball players. I can not give either one the upper hand.
From here, I moved to some off-the-court analysis. Which player is the better leader? Is it possible to know with the difference in years played in the league?
LeBron James has won almost every year since he's been in Cleve-town. He's taken his team to the Eastern Conference Finals three times (I believe.) He's won once, and lost twice. When James' Cavaliers beat the Pistons to advance to the clean sweep that the Foreign Floppers (San Antonio Spurs) had coming their way, LeBron was a huge leader in this run. In fact, he carried them. When you have Daniel Gibson as your main contributer in a Finals run, you have to have some type of NBA god-like figure on your team carrying you. LeBron led them through everything...only to get destroyed by an older, more experienced San Antonio team. Last year, LeBron showed promise. Some thought he'd finally become the next “greatest to ever play the game”. He took his Cavaliers to a 7 game series against the Boston Celtics. In a classic game, LeBron outscored Paul “I run slower than Charles Barkley” Pierce, but failed to lead his team back to the Finals. Then, there was Orlando. LeBron had a circus shot/buzzer beater. He took his entire team on his back and scored amazing numbers. Still, the Cavaliers were humiliated after walking through the first two rounds with sweeps. Was he a leader? Sure. He led his team the best that he could. However, my only knock on the guy is this – he still has not showed me that killer instinct that Kobe Bryant has under his belt. When the Cavaliers were trailing in Game 6, LeBron was still trying to set up his other teammates up for open looks. While in one respect, this is a good thing, when you're the MVP, you need to take over games. Pull-up a jumper. Relentlessly drive to the lane. If you fail, then Orlando succeeded in their goal. Kobe Bryant has all of these qualities. Does it come from experience? Maybe. Still, there is no excuse for continuing to return to tricks that are not working, Bron. Bryant smells blood, and he gets what he wants. Sure, he's going to have some games where he is absolutely played superbly on defense. He will still lead his team in scoring 9 out of 10 times. He puts the entire weight of his team filled with great players on HIS BACK. He is, as I said before, the best closer in all of basketball. More times than not, when Bryant is provided with an opportunity, he takes it and capitalizes for all it is worth. (See Denver, Colorado.) I give the edge in leadership to Kobe Bryant
Finally, I looked at one last aspect. This is the aspect that shapes fan's views on players all across this nation. Class.
Since his entrance into this league, Kobe's demeanor has been one of cockiness, and selfishness. Every aspect of the season, in his mind, is about what HE can accomplish for himself and his team. While the latter of this statement sounds great, it's horribly deceptive. He should have his eye on what THE ENTIRE TEAM can accomplish. Likewise, Kobe has long been thought of as having one of the NBA's largest heads. (Not literally, of course. JoaQueen Noah wins that prestigious award.) He was documented to have told Tracy McGrady when they were younger – and by younger I mean still in high school – that he was better than Michael Jordan already. The daft punk, no pun intended, seriously thought he was better than Michael Jordan at age 18. Not only is he a jerk, he's a social time-bomb. He's been involved in a rape case, and then paid off the accuser so that the case would not go further (which to me, is Kobe's way of telling the world “I did it. Just shut up.”). Now, over the course of the past year or so, he and his wife are involved in a case with his former nanny. He's reportedly talked down to her, treated her wrongly, neglected her payments, and his wife was supposedly even worse. I'm waiting for him to pay the nanny off, so that she'll shut up. Note to Kobe: Don't worry, kid. You're reputation is tarnished in the mature adult world. He's everything Michael wasn't, and I don't mean that in a good way. You remember Michael's last All-Star Game, right? Kobe single-handedly tried to make the game about him. He wanted so badly to show the NBA world that he was better than Michael. In the end, Michael hit the circus shot in the corner, and Kobe was left with the ugliest excuse for an afro I've ever seen. Kobe Bryant, because of his persona, will never, ever, ever, come close to being better than Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, or Larry Bird. He's a larger scale Stephon Marbury, without the tattoo and inept basketball ability. LeBron, in this area, already has Kobe beat in far more ways than Kobe beat Denver. Sure, he did not shake Dwight Howard's hand. His logic was flawed, and he should know better now, but I gotta give the guy one free pass. That's the worst thing I've heard LeBron doing since he's been in the league. He's well-spoken, he's kind to the public eye, and rarely does he feel the need to make reporters laugh with coarse words. LeBron is everything Kobe “Cryant” will never be, and I mean this in a GOOD sense. (Their numbers will speak for themselves when they are finished playing the game.)
After all of this painstaking evaluation, I've come to a startling conclusion. I don't think either player is better than the other. Sure, LeBron is a classier guy than Kobe. However, in basketball terms, it just isn't fair to compare the two players. Both players are world-class players, and the privilege the NBA has right now can not be expressed with any words. Think about it. There are two players in the NBA right now that are constantly in verbal contention for the “Greatest Player Ever” award amongst fans. This type of play has not happened since the late 80's. Stop arguing about who is better, and sit back and enjoy some of the best basketball you will see for a long while. It took a handful of years after Jordan retired for the 12th time for the NBA to welcome a player on the caliber of LeBron and Kobe. Cherish this. Dislike certain players for their off-the-court antics, but when they play the game, respect them for what they do. Both players are in a league of their own. One man just has a little more support.
