Kobe vs LeBron

The Debate Continues.

The Debate of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. I read an article once that Kobe is a better player than LeBron. Kobe can make more miracle plays than LeBron and so on. Kobe is also a better jump shooter and things like that. It even says that Kobe is better than the great Micheal Jordan.

Well, I honestly think that LeBron is a much better player than Kobe in almost everyway. Once of the biggest factors that influenced my decision is because of how good is LeBron compared to Kobe at the defensive end. LeBron is averaging 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game compared to Kobe's 1.3 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. LeBron is averaging a career high amount of blocks. This 1.3 blocks per game is also better than Kobe in every single season Kobe played. LeBron has this defensive attitude. He is more like a Power Forward combined with a Small Forward. Being able to block, steal and rebound so much, is really impressive. For Kobe, well, he is never famous for how he plays at the defensive end.

LeBron is much better than Kobe because of some characteristics and ability that LeBron has and Kobe doesn't. When you compare Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Thiery Henry, people say Ruud is more of a power and aggressive player and Henry is more of a creative and skillful player, so the difference isn't so obvious. The weird thing is, LeBron has both power and flair while Kobe doesn't. LeBron's power enables him to achieve more blocks and rebounds compared to Kobe. His skillfulness allows him to do some miracle circus lay-ups and dunks too, while with his creativity, LeBron is passing like a point guard. In terms of determination, I think the two are both equally impressive. LeBron is more to the defensive end while Kobe is more to the offensive part of the field. LeBron has this very high determination to do something impossible whenever he does a mistake, just like MJ. Besides that, whenever the Lakers looses badly, Kobe play realy realy bad, but whenver The Cavs looses, LeBron still averages some fine stats.

LeBron has this reputation of being the sole leader of the team. Well, Kobe has Gasol. LeBron has the ability to scare opponents off with the way he plays. The way Kobe plays is just purely good, which can't really frighten people off. This ability is indirectly very important. In the past few seasons, people can say that no matter how good LeBron plays, his team still falter. This season instead, LeBron at a very high level and unexpectedly as well as his team. Another disadvantage for Kobe is that he is a selfish and arrogant player. Kobe's stats usually hangs around 4-5 assists. Just 4-5 assists! Kobe only assist whenever he wants to improve his stats and this only happens when the media and so on criticises the way he plays.

Many have still argued that Kobe is still a much better and complete player than LeBron. The only reason to this is Kobe's jump shooting and free throws. Well, both Kobe and LeBron are averaging career high shooting percentage and even so, LeBron's shooting percentage is still better than Kobe. Not only that, LeBron's free throw shooting this season is the best in his career. Still, many have complained that LeBron has the inability to shoot jumpers. Now, this is not LeBrons fault. It seems like after doing some research, I found out that players only begin to have this ability as they grow older. For example Micheal Jordan. MJ, during the late 80's to early 90's is more of a dunker than a jump shooter. He enjoys driving in so much until he can come up with so many superb dunks. As the years gone by, Mj turned to more of a jump shooter and this can obviously be seen. Another few examples are Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. When T-Mac was at Orlando, he was so famous for his aggressiveness and driving skills similar to James now but he was also so infamous for his terrible jump shooting. Few years later, when he joins the Houston Rockets, McGrady becomes one of the most famous jump shooters in todays game. So as Vinsanity. See the difference in him now compared to when he was at Toronto? Therefore, it is concluded that players start to have the ability to jump shoot at a certain age.

LeBron can be regarded as one of the best jump shooters at this age and the players that I mentioned above have all have their dunking abilities fading away. Do you think that LeBron is the type of player that will ever stop? Imagine combining his present dunking abilities and his future jump shooting skills? Lastly, it is about clutch plays which I think LeBron and Kobe is almost equally good.

As a conclusion, LeBron is more of a complete player. He's stats, the way he and his team play, is just amazing.

Micheal Jordan in the making.

Signing Out,
- Edwin Bak -