Kobe vs. Michael
In light of Kobe’s four-game streak of scoring 50 or more points, Espn.com has been pushing comparisons between Jelly Bean’s son and The Greatest Basketball Player of All Time. They say Kobe hasn’t been judged fairly. They say Kobe is better.
Nonsense. Let’s start with the numbers.
Points
30.1 - Michael’s career average (these numbers include two sub-par seasons in Washington)
24.5 - Kobe’s career average
Assists
5.3 - Michael
4.5 - Kobe
Rebounds
6.2 - Michael
5.2 - Kobe
The numbers are close, but it is clear that Michael has the statistical edge. A few other things to consider:
- In his first 10 seasons Jordan compiled eight All-NBA First Team honors, seven NBA All-Defensive First Team nods and three league MVP awards. Kobe (in his ten completed seasons) has won four, four and zero respectively. Keep in mind did this playing only 18 games in ‘85-’86 (out with a foot injury) and 17 games in ‘94-’95 (after returning from retirement).
- Michael never played with a dominate big man, a key ingredient to any NBA championship team. I’m thinking back now, and I think the only title winners in the past twenty years winning a legitimate inside scoring presence have been the Pistons and the Bulls. Kobe has not been back to the finals without Shaq.
- During the playoffs, Jordan’s scoring average rises to 33.4. Kobe’s drops to 22.9.
Kobe is a great player, maybe even the best the league … and with LeBron James, Gilbert Arenas, Dwayne Wade and Steve Nash, that’s saying a lot. Kobe is not unlike Jordan, he’s just not as good. Like Jordan his scoring ability and passion to success are scary. Like Jordan he can take over a game on his own. I mean the kid dropped 81 points in one game. And like Jordan his competitive fire makes him hard to coach and hard to play with. Maybe will a little more charisma and one less suspected rape case Kobe would be more liked … and be more like Mike.
Kobe is one of the NBA’s all-time greats, but he is not Michael Jordan.
March 27th, 2007 at 8:32 am
Where does Kobe’s “league MVP” stat come from?
He hasn’t won any regular season or finals MVPs that I know of.
March 27th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Thanks Chris, that was a mistake. He has two All-Star MVPs, which is inconsequential.
March 30th, 2007 at 7:16 am
Not to mention … Kobe has never had to deal with things such as… Detroits “Jordan Rules”. a la “Bill Laimbeer & Denis Rodman”. Teams created defenses just to control Jordan.. he was double and tripled teamed … the NBA was a different game back then. Jordan also played in an unbelievable era. At least 18 of the greatest 50 NBA players of all time played in the same era as /against Jordan. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Isiah Thomas, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler .. the list goes on and on..
I am in no way taking away what Kobe has done thus far n his career, the fact is Kobe is good… but he’ no Jordan.
March 31st, 2007 at 9:41 am
they both have different stories, kobe in the early stages of his career won 3 rings, but looking at him now.. it seems he cant do it anymore.. not without shaq or any other superstar.. michael started his career at the bottom, faced lots of great teams and players, and when he reached the top he stayed on top and never fell. lets not include his comeback with washington, obviously he lost his physical attributes..
im not saying that michael did it alone, but he has the one thing all the basketball players if not all athletes dont have, it’s the ablility to win. he can raise not only the level of his game but of his teammates. this one thing takes michael off the scale. obviously kobe cant do that. so comparing them wouldn’t really be necessary. LOL
May 4th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Kobe is not even in MJ’s league. I’ve been a Lakers fan since 1986 and I’ve seen a lot of basketball. I’ve seen both players play in person. Kobe has tremendous talent and because of his talent, the weaknesses in his game are often times ignored by a lot of Laker fans. The main difference lies in their basketball IQ. If you look at the Bulls with Jordan and the Lakers now, notice how Jordan moved without the basketball. He was always active offensively and defensively. He took high percentage shots and could do what he wanted on the court. Jordan was unstoppable. Kobe can be stopped. I’ve seen it in the 04 finals with Tashaun Prince. And I continue to see it in crucial playoff games.
Kobe settles too much on both ends of the court nowa days and it is really hurting his legacy. I say this because he will never win another championship unless he changes the way he plays the game. He doesn’t make his teammates better. Kobe gambles too much on defense and takes to many bad jump shots. He doesn’t have the fundamentals to back up his remarkable talent. This shows laziness and a lack of fire. Kobe takes shots that ruin the momentum of the game. Sometimes they go in. But in the forth quarter, he just doesn’t come through most of the time.
MJ in his prime would never have been shut down by Raja Bell in the 4th quarter of an elimination game. NEVER!!!! The bigger the game, the better Jordan played, period. It is not even close. Being a Laker fan, I wish Kobe was in MJ’s league.
December 10th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
I definitely dont think Kobe is a better all around player than Mike BUT he is a better scorer! When he gets hot just quadruple team him because chances are he’s probable not gonna be passing the ball. You also have to look at the team that Kobe has had without Shaq, Shaq got D-Wade Kobe got Lamar Odom.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:02 am
I think that michael jordan is clearly better. If you look at it Shaq was one of the most dominant centers in the league and he was an a all- star from day 1 with the lakers. Scottie pippen on the other hand was not an all-star from day 1 with the bulls. Not mentioning Michael’s numbers are far more better than kobe’s including the time michael was with the Wizards. That is for points, assists, rebounds, and steals.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Michael Jordan is better than kobe point blank. My concern is people are saying kobe is a better scorer. If that’s the case I should see kobe with more than 10 scoring titles ( witch michael has) or at least 3 straight scoring titles. Michael Jordan has 7 straight scoring titles. You have other coaches pulling a special playbook just for the bulls to stop michael. Michael is the best player ever to play the game period. Until kobe gets more than 10 scoring titles, more than 6 rings, more than 7 defensive player of the years, more than 6 finals mvp’s, more than 5 season mvp’s, or even more all-star game mvp’s, talk to me then.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Michael had a little bit of help when he won the finals kobe has no one. Micheal had Denis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant that is only some of them. Kobe has Kobe and that is it. Now that Shaq is gone the Lakers are strugling. Kobe when he gets help watch out he will be the MVP of the league and the NBA finals the lakers again will be a dinasty.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Kobe has no one? That’s absurd! This team was billed as the greatest offense in the league. I’m cerainly no Kobe fan but I will admit that he is the greatest player in the game today. I will certainly credit him with that fact. He is definitely no Michael Jordan, however. The only legitimate comparison would be in their scoring ability and even then Kobe is only a close second. Just look at the stats. Few can forget the punishing defense of the Detroit bad boys in the 80’s who used tactics that would get you ejected from the game today. The beat downs they used to put on Jordan would only make Kobe cry.
To justifiably compare Kobe to Jordan, two things would have to happen. First of all, Kobe’s defense would have to step up. His defense is no where near the level that Jordan’s was. That is something he perhaps has control over. Secondly, Kobe’s hands are way too small and this causes him to lose the ball way too often. Jordan could grip the ball like an orange and flail it around. This added to his ability to fake out his opponents and get a step on them. “Dr. J” once made a comment about how Kobe’s hands were tiny just like his father’s, whom he played with. In the end, however, even if it were possible for Kobe to better himself in those areas, there is still no way he will ever be able to match what Jordan did for the game overall. Jordan was a rock star!
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I don’t understand how there could even be a comparison. We are talking about the BEST basketball player of all time in Michael Jordan. I like Kobe…I think he is sensational…I think he is the best player in the NBA today. However, he definitely is not Jordan. Read up on the stats…they don’t lie. Michael was awarded the MVP (a political award) 5 times. However, he could have easily been awarded MVP each and every season he played. Think about it…the years when the MVP was awarded to a player other than Jordan…If any coach/GM/fan had a choice to choose a player for their team, I guarantee just about every person would have chosen Jordan over other players that were awarded the honor. I’m surprised he ONLY had 5 MVP’s…he was overall the best player in the history of the game throughout his entire career in Chicago. Kobe hasn’t even come close in his accomplishments. I know he is a great scorer and put up 81 in a game. Yet, Jordan still scored more during the season and averaged more points per game against amazing defenses that were designed to focus solely on stopping him. Kobe is a great player, but certainly no where near Jordan…how can we even make comparisons??? Jordan was an amazing athlete, but also far more determined, driven, aggressive and competitive than any athlete I’ve ever seen. He was also very smart, fundamental, amazing scorer, passer, rebounder, defender, icon, role model, team player, coach-able, leader, and didn’t make mistakes on the court. I agree w/Big Marv…he was a rock star!!!!!!!