I had to add some very direct, even blunt force, with the title of this blog entry.
Now that the NBA Finals and NBA free agency are about to begin, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are all over Sportscenter. The main two questions are " Will Kobe win his 5th championship ring in his quest to better Michael Jordan's 6 championships in the 90s?" and "Where will Lebron go to try and earn his 1st ring, or will he stay in Cleveland?"
I usually stay out of this subject as to whom's better, Kobe, Lebron, or Jordan, simply because sports fanatics get very sensitive about it. This leads to long, drawn-out arguments, and folks throwing out stats left and right like they are statistics professors at Harvard. Well, with the hype going on this year and seeing the discussions a little too much, I had to come forward with my thoughts.
All three are great players, and will go down as some of the greatest players in NBA history. However, neither Kobe nor Lebron are the type of player Jordan was, gave to the NBA like he did, etc, etc. And I'm going to explain why, and I will even spare you all many of the mind-boggling stats folks like to use.
OK let's start with Lebron James. First of all, he may be the overall best athlete to ever play in the NBA outside of maybe Kareem, Wilt, or even Magic. The things he can do for his team, the shots and dunks he makes are amazing, and his character isn't perfect but it's not an apparent put-on. In 2007, Lebron took a team of also-rans to the championship against the San Antonio Spurs. They were swept in 4 games but the fact that he pretty much did it all says so much about his character and ability. He has also led his past two teams to 60+ win seasons and #1 seeds in the Eastern Conference. Lebron has worn Jordan's famed "23" since middle school, but has decided to give that up next season, whether or not he leaves the Cavs. He has been notable since his junior year at St. Vincent/St. Mary's High School in Akron, OH when his high-school team was nationally ranked and beating the bejesus out of everyone they faced around the country. I highly recommend that ANY basketball fan check out the newly-released documentary "More Than A Game" based on Lebron and his teammates, 3 of which he played with since 11 years of age. Lebron hasn't had the team around him necessary to win a championship ring, plus he still has plenty of time. Plenty of champions, such as Jordan and Kevin Garnett, didn't win a championship until later in their career and after they were surrounded by teammates and a coach capable of winning this championship.
Now we have Kobe Bryant. As a person, I do not care for him for many reasons. He's arrogant, thinks he's above the law, and tries to make his team all about him. With the exception of the latter, none of these apply to his skills on the court. Bar-none, Kobe is the BEST in the league RIGHT NOW. Lebron is the better athlete but Kobe is the best player. He shoots well, scores high, brings his A-game nightly, and has that killer instinct that allows him to rise to the occasion in the BIG games. Lebron has yet to display this. Kobe has 4 rings, and could have a 5th one in the next couple of weeks. Kobe has groomed himself since birth into becoming the consummate NBA player, being the son of former NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant. Kobe chose Jordan to model himself after. He had a VHS collection of Jordan's games, drills, techniques, etc. Kobe's comparisons became stronger after the rape allegation in 2003. He changed his number from #8 to #24, and he shaved his trademark afro into a bald-cut like Jordan. He started even talking like Jordan during post-game interviews and chewing his gum like him, etc. Kobe-haters and Jordan-lovers have more reason to hate now. Instead of trying to become his own player and himself, Kobe wants to be Jordan. He has surpassed Jordan in many areas of the game statistically, and can actually do things on the court better than Jordan. But guess what, he's still not better than Jordan. No way!
Michael Jordan came into the NBA and didn't immediately take it by storm. However, the things he accomplished are undeniable. 6 NBA championships in 8 years, numerous MVP awards, scoring titles, big endorsements, jersey sales, and his trademark "Air Jordan" sneakers to name a few. Jordan became the face of basketball, even making others forget about those before himself. Granted, Jordan didn't have to deal with as much adversity as Kobe or Lebron, or things such as the hand-check rule, the Internet, bloggers such as myself, message boards, etc. Still, he was the BEST.
Michael Jordan is the BEST NBA player not necessarily in stats, games won, NBA titles, etc. He is the best because he was a pioneer, an originator. Like Michael Jackson, Muhammed Ali, or Babe Ruth, he has that timeless character and image that is often imitated but never duplicated. He just wanted to be (and became) his own man. You can't compare Kobe, Lebron and Jordan at day's end because they are all 3 DIFFERENT basketball players, and different men. Jordan had the famous sneakers, was the role model and the face of the NBA, and made not only the black basketball player but the superstar athlete exist. Most of the things Kobe and Lebron are doing have already been done. They are simply attempting to break records. Both of these young men need to focus on being their own player and person. Lebron's made a huge leap towards that by giving up #23. Kobe, on the other hand, is still determined to beat all of Jordan's records. It is a generational thing also. Many of the 20 and under crowd didn't watch Jordan like myself and my friends did. They watch Kobe and Lebron, so that's what they see and know. Therefore, Jordan cannot be the best for this generation. He is simply the greatest in the NBA for his intangibles that NO other player, before or after, cannot and will not bring. Kobe can win 10 NBA rings and it won't matter. Lebron can sign with the Bulls, play for Phil Jackson, wear #23, and win a few rings also. It won't matter because THEY ARE NOT MICHAEL JORDAN! They do not have his heart, his teammates, circumstances, etc. They are Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, period, and everyone should focus on this.
I'm sure Jordan is one of few folks that agrees that this is one sleeping dog that folks should let lie. Based on my criterion of character, intangibles, sneakers, and circumstances, Jordan did it first and BETTER than anyone else ever in the NBA. Kobe and Lebron have and will continue to do great things in the NBA. However, this is Kobe and Lebron doing this.
I await all comments, phone calls, text messages, FB posts, tweets, etc regarding this subject. I have wanted to say most of this for a while, but didn't know how to until a couple of weeks ago. Once again, these are my criteria. Based on your criteria, Larry Bird could be the NBA's best. Remember this is only my blog, not an official government proclamation.
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