It's funny to see how the NBA GOAT debate has evolved over the last decade. As Kobe's powers faded, LeBron's grew stronger like Thanos gaining possession of all the Infinity Stones. It's basically LeBron vs. Jordan when you turn on ESPN or some other hot take network/show.
First, it was Kobe vs Jordan. Then Kobe ruptured his Achilles and was never the player he once was. LeBron ascended. He came back from 3-1. And all of the sudden Kobe is an afterthought in most circles of sports debate. And honestly, the whole thing gets sillier the deeper you dive into it.
At the end of the day, Kobe and LeBron are two completely different players who played in different sets of circumstances. It's not Kobe's fault he won his first three rings with an all-time great big man Shaq. If you put a 21-year-old LeBron with Shaq in the triangle offense, is it a guarantee that LeBron's not-fully-developed-yet do-everything playstyle adapts just as well as Kobe's offensive-minded approach? No one can say for sure. Look, I've been a Laker fan since Day 1...and this is hard to admit...but I give LeBron the slight edge over Kobe Bryant in terms of who is the better all-around player.
That's because I really value how many things a player can do and how good they are at doing them. What you lens you view the debate on is influenced by your generation, and what you personally value in a basketball player. If your idea of greatness is based on Jordanesque characteristics of killer instinct, demanding the last shot, and psychopathic competitiveness then you'll stick with Kobe. If you value a player who does everything and has a near-unmatched collection of records broken, you'll lean towards James. You might also just not like the way LeBron carries himself and how he works his front office like a puppet master, but the blame always seems to fall on people around him rather than the man himself.
LeBron has healthy leads over Kobe in almost every statistical category in terms of averages, but also in career totals - and he's not even done yet (rebounds, assists, steals, FG%, etc. For a detailed comparison check this out: http://www.landofbasketball.com/player_comparison/kobe_bryant_vs_lebron_james.htm). If he's healthy, he's on pace the surpass Kobe for third on the all-time scoring list by the middle of the season or so (that's going to be a wild night on Twitter). In the realm of stats, it isn't even an argument. But in the realm of intangibles and respect from peers, Kobe seems to have some solid footing over LeBron.
One group of people that always seems to rise to the occasion to defend the Black Mamba is former NBA players themselves. You know, the guys that actually had to guard the people that us foolish mortals merely watch or write about. In my opinion, these assessments from former players carry some serious weight. Their opinions should be held in an equal, if not higher, regard than those who haven't played the game at a high level. I think we as fans have forgotten rather quickly what a physically capable, prime Kobe could do. I think it's because as fans right now, we are just too busy trying to figure out how in the FUCK is anyone going to beat a healthy Warriors squad. The NBA world that Kobe thrived in feels like several epochs ago, because it is in terms of how quickly the league has evolved with Curry's rise.
Jim Jackson
Recently, 14 year NBA veteran Jim Jackson came to bat for Kobe against world-renowned LeBron worshipper Nick Wright on Fox Sports One's "First Things First". One of his main points of argument was how when you went against Kobe, "he wouldn't let you off the hook", whereas LeBron is more likely to do just that. He also goes into how Nick Wright's arguments revolve around LeBron's stats. For people who play ball, statistics alone aren't a fulfilling enough metric to judge a players impact on the team and game. The amount of fear someone induces into their opponents seems to deeply resonate with them. Because they lived it. You can't tally that on the stat sheet as of now (but in the future, who knows! Fear Generated could be in the next wave of advanced metrics). There's that old quote that gets attributed to Maya Angelou that goes like, "People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel."
Guys like Jim Jackson played on the same team as Kobe for a short while, but most of the time they were at odds, wearing different jerseys. He remembers what it felt like to go against the out-for-your-blood/I-will-embarrass-you type of player that Kobe exemplified. Fear generates respect. Could that be a reason why these former players side with him?
Nick Wright rightly counter-argued with the uncharacteristic Kobe moment of giving up in the second half of the 2006 playoffs vs. the Suns, where Kobe refused to shoot and effectively threw the game. He's got a point on that one rare showing of apathy from Bryant. You can point to several times LeBron choked or gave up in the playoffs and get in an endless back and forth about where either Kobe or LeBron didn't play up to par in a playoff or regular season game that had meaning. The point is, there was something about Kobe that makes actual NBA guys think "Nah I'd take him over LeBron" despite LeBron's advantages on the stat sheet.
Grant Hill
Grant Hill was a budding superstar until he incurred a serious injury, robbing us of one of the NBA's greatest "What-If's". By the time he regained his form, he was far from the superstar he could've been, but still able-bodied for the court and in possession of a high basketball IQ. Hill had some great years with the Suns in the late 2000's/early 2010's and had the pleasure of guarding both Kobe and LeBron because of his 6'8 size. To quote the full passage below:
"LeBron has the pullup jumper and he takes you to the rim," said Hill. "He has the two pitches, and, trust me, both of them are great. But Kobe is like the guy with all the pitches. He brings his fastball, his change, gives you something on the corner. LeBron will overpower you but you might know what's coming. With Kobe, you're never comfortable."
Source: https://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/05/28/kobe
Grant Hill decided to compare the player's offensive movesets instead of mainly dwelling on the "mentality" and "killer instinct" angle. This quote was spoken in 2010, while Hill was in the middle of facing up Bryant and Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. LeBron has since accumulated much more experience and added some pitches to his repertoire i.e. a post-up game, but Kobe still has the edge in terms of individual offensive versatility.
Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jackson tried setting the table for his argument in this clip, saying you can't compare players like LeBron and Jordan because they're just too different. When prodded by the always-scorching-hot Skip Bayless, Jackson sides with the Mamba. He explains his position by going down the "competitive mindset" route, saying he's relentless, a killer, and wouldn't work out with you if you're on the other team. That seems to be the view of NBA generations past. Older heads value a guy who doesn't go out fraternizing with the other team's stars. Hey, Magic and Larry did it in the offseason though - but we still tend to see guys like LeBron and KD do it more. I think that just comes down to the social media age we are living in, where we get way more access to what these players are doing in their day-to-day lives. I wish Stephen Jackson went into greater detail on why he chose Kobe over LeBron, but the hosts just started getting into a typical argument centering on LeBron choking in the 2011 Finals.
Kenyon Martin
This one was very was similar to the Stephen Jackson video. Kenyon Martin played against both guys when they were at their peaks, and he chose Kobe over LeBron because of mentality. Martin doesn't get to go deeply into his viewpoint because the hosts chime in to get into their typical dispute, but he's another Team Kobe.
There was one interesting wrinkle I thought of while writing this article. So we know LeBron blows Kobe out of the water in terms of individual averages and accolades, and he's got four regular-season MVPs compared to Kobe's one. But let's get to the meat of this sandwich. What does everyone like to compare? THE SHIPS BAYBEE!!!! Let's say LeBron doesn't win another title, and it's actually very possible given the uncertainty of where he's playing next year combined with his advancing age (he'll be 34 halfway through next season). That means he retires with three titles and three Finals MVPs (and probably more Finals losses) compared to Kobe's five and two. That's not that much of a difference. How are we going to view LeBron's legacy if he only retires with three titles? People are acting like it's LeBron by a long shot, but I personally think it's still up for debate. If LeBron ends it with only three chips I think that gap we are seeing in the Kobe vs. LeBron debate will close up.
But it's always going to come down to what you value. Old players seem to value the player with the toughest mindset leading them into battle because they've been in the fourth quarter trenches in an enemy arena before. You want a merciless general leading the charge whose there to slaughter his enemies and get the fuck out, and there's probably some comfort in knowing Kobe will undoubtedly be the guy to harness the pressure of the game-winning shot. We as fans and spectators don't know the emotional stress of those situations, that's why we have hard stats to fall back on to help us understand the game.
Do you have an opinion on the Kobe vs. LeBron debate? Or on the nature of comparing players in general? Do you know any former players that picked LeBron over Kobe? Let's discuss!
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