23 or 24? 24 or 23? Which is greater? Well, depending on who you ask, you may get a variety of answers.
Years of research, one of the biggest ad campaigns ever, and millions of dollars later, the question is still being asked: Who is better: Lebron or Kobe? To get up on your research you may watch the many MVP (most valuable puppet) commercials. You can log onto ESPN.com and find some of the best sports minds trying to answer the incredibly difficult question.
No doubt the question has been posed because of three things. One, Kobe won the MVP last year and Lebron won it this year. Two, the entire sports world (except for Nuggets and Magic fans) expects to see a Lakers-Cavs finals. And three, Money with a capital “M”.
Now, call me cynical or a Lakers hater (check out my previous article) but it’s true. This thing is about the money. Not only are the two players incredibly different, but they are at different points in their lives and careers as well. The ring-less LeBron (entirely not his fault) is only 24 years old. The three-time Champion Kobe is 30. It’s not entirely fair to compare them just yet. However, I shall weigh my thoughts on the great debate and you will stand up a better person.
We will start with LeBron James, number 23, the same number worn by MJ himself. And if you think I’m going to give in and be an amateur and compare LeBron to MJ, you are sadly mistaken.
So why is LeBron James so special? Why is he “King James”? It boils down to one thing: we have never seen a basketball player like LeBron James before. What this young man is doing for the sport of basketball is nothing short of amazing. The plays LeBron makes for himself and his teammates are history in motion. This man is destined for greatness. Simply said, he cannot be stopped. His athleticism leaves us in awe. But he’s not a dunk happy Howard. He can make the jump shot or the three with the best of them. Don’t believe me? Just watch the buzzer beater against the Magic.
He fires triple-doubles on opponents leaving them defeated and confused. And this is where the argument could be made for LeBron being better than Kobe: King James not only puts up 30+ points a night, but he gets rebounds, and assists. The latter two are just as important as points because they create opportunity for the rest of the floor, and that is how James has been able to take his team so far in the playoffs without any other stars.
A certain superstar of his own accord creates his own "Black Mamba" opportunities for his team - Mr. 24, Kobe Bryant. Bryant is not known for his assists or rebounds, but that's okay. Why? Because he’s Kobe Bryant. He is fundamentally the best player in the game. His jump shot is un-blockable and the way he can square himself to the hoop and make incredible layups or dunks is pretty to watch. As a result, Kobe goes to the line a lot, and if you are expecting him to miss, forget about it.
He is without question one of the NBA’s most un-guardable players. The evidence of Kobe’s greatness is all in the game film. One example that rings through my head was in game five versus the Denver Nuggets. Kobe passed the ball to Gasol, who then started looking for an open man to dish the ball to. Kobe then screamed at him, “TAKE IT!” Needless to say, Gasol listened, and 2 points later the Lakers furthered their lead over the Nuggets. Kobe Bryant knows the game of basketball and has time and experience to testify for him.
If you have read carefully you will notice that I never said who was better. Well ladies and gentlemen, here is my answer. Kobe Bryant. But did you see that LeBron three point buzzer beater! Oh, it’s LeBron. But wait, Kobe showed that he can be a facilitator, just watch game 5 vs. the Nuggets. Yeah, but LeBron has gotten three triple doubles….catch my drift? Time and time again, the two keep outdoing each other. I’ve never seen someone so unstoppable when they drive to the rim. When I see LeBron do it, I get goose bumps; when I see Kobe do it, I’m not surprised. Kobe has proven himself. While I realize having Shaq on the team helped a great deal to secure those three rings, this is basketball. A single man cannot win championships by himself. Just look at the Cavs-Magic series.
Kobe is still the Kobe he was with Shaq, and he's gotten better. The Black Mamba's focus is legendary. You will never break his focus no matter what. If you put a hand in his face, or a body on him, guess what, he says he doesn’t even see it. That’s right, he doesn’t see defenders, he feels them. To him, there are no obstacles to getting to the net or knocking down the shot. In his mind, there is nothing that can stop him.
You may say that's incredibly cocky, but that is how champions think. They know on every level of their being that they are going to win. And for Kobe, he has the skills to back his mentality. That is why I chose Kobe; his focus, his work ethic, his fundamental skills, his recent leadership. LeBron has proven himself and he will get better with time. But his greatness does not override the greatness of Kobe Bryant through the years. For now, Kobe Bryant is the best player in basketball.
Conventional math holds up here. 24 is greater than 23.
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