LeBron vs. Kobe

The second half of the NBA season has begun and the top two teams in the NBA are once again the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. There may be discussions amongst fans about which team is better and who is going to win the NBA Finals, but the most talked about topic in the NBA is who is better: Kobe Bryant or LeBron James?

Kobe Bryant. Period. No question in my mind. And last night is just more evidence to support my case. Being out of game action for eighteen days, missing the last 5 games and the All Star game, Kobe returned in dazzling L.A. fashion to hit the game winning three pointer, lifting the Lakers over the Grizzlies.

Along with his unbelievable gift to elevate his team with game winning shots, he has an overwhelming amount of strengths. He has developed a truly all-round game, which for me is a sign of greatness. His selfishness has diminished, his outside shooting has really improved, he’s more clutch than ever, and his overall dedication has been better than ever.

Before people start replying with reasons why LeBron is better, let me just put some things out there…Ohio sports fans are all the same. Jealous, title-less whiners who rip on real athletes from real teams that have won real awards. It’s a joke the excuses Ohioans make to justify their teams and players.

Kobe’s not exciting enough for you? How about the couple buzzer- beaters he has hit this year already? (Fade-away over Wade, Bucks game, and the aforementioned game winner last night) Not to mention, the countless ones he has over the span of his career. He is 31 years old, and has 13 seasons under his belt – so how do you expect him to be as high- flying as LeBron?

Those of you who point out LeBron has better stats in his first seven than Kobe did in his first seven… Let me explain… Stats do nothing for me when it comes to justifying LeBron as being “better”. Most of Kobe’s career was spent playing along-side Shaquille O’Neal (a top 10 NBA player in NBA history), so he had to share the ball (and the limelight). Who does LeBron have or had in the past? 37 year old Shaq, Mo Williams (talks a lot, but disappears when it counts- Orlando series anyone? you were still the best team right Mo?) Ricky Davis, Darius Miles, etc, etc. Get the point? LeBron has had entirely more shooting and scoring freedom throughout his whole career. So, without a doubt, LeBron is going to have better numbers than Kobe when comparing their numbers at specific points in their careers.

To answer the rest of you who are going to say the number of rings don’t matter, try telling LeBron that. I’m sure he disagrees. The bottom line is that Kobe has 4 rings, and the NBA is all about winning. Not winning regular season games, but championships. In the final minutes of a Finals game, who do you want to have the ball in his hands?