praise_gibbs Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 I think he does. I'm a huge Laker fan and watch almost all their games. Kobe's made All-Defensive teams before. As far as going 100%, there may be a few times where Kobe had let up a bit when they were winning titles with Shaq, but Shaq is in a whole different class when compared to MJ's teammates. Shaq is the most dominant center to ever play the game and puts up huge numbers. None of MJs teammates ever scored more than him or put up outstanding numbers. Now is this before or after all their championships as of late? I keed, I joke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trippster Posted January 30, 2006 Author Share Posted January 30, 2006 Kobe is a great scorer and good defender. His 81 points was quite a feat, but in terms of the historical (despite what ESPN says), it really not that great. A lot of players can score many points these days if they have the gumption to do so. To me, Kobe has been able to imitate Michael Jordan in many ways, but he does not quite measure up. Jordan came into the league and took it to a different level. He did this with his playing ability in that no one had seen a player perform quite like Jordan. Then he (and Nike) revolutionalized what it meant to be an athletic endorser. There are many Jordan wannabes, would-bes, and imitators, but no one has yet matched him. One person that might - Lebron James. Lebron combines Jordan's athleticism with Magic's passing skills. He could possibly take the game to the next level. Great Point. I don't think Kobe would be Kobe if Jordan hadn't preceeded him. If you look at Kobe's moves, he's a Jordan clone. Jordan was a revolutionizer, borrowing some from Dr. J. but he was much more a creator than Kobe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rincewind Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 I don't really call a conference championship, a true championship. The champion wins the entire league. I agree - but he did win something. Kobe may not even make the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmwills1 Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Kobe has little talent around him. I know he can be blamed for the breakup of the Lakers, but Odom, Mihm, Kwame Brown, and Smush Parker is not 4 players that should be starting. Of those 4, only Odom would be starting for most of the other teams in the NBA. I know many will say that Jordan did not have great players around him outside Pippen, but the other guys were great role players. Cartwright, Longley, Wennington were not great, but they were formidable compared to other centers in the NBA, not named Ewing, Hakeem or Shaq. They weren't good players, but they weren't teribble. And Jordan always has good shooters around him (Hodges, Kerr, Paxson) which allowed him to find open players who could actually knock down shots, while Kobe kicks it out to Devean George or the great Luke Walton. I just think that it is too difficult to compare Jordan and Kobe until Kobe gets a sidekick (Chris Bosh will want out of Toronto when his contract is up). But if I had to pick one player today, Id go Jordan 7 out of 10 times. Both players are incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EersSkins05 Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Kobe isn't even the best player in the NBA NOW, let alone the greatest of all time. (I'd take Tim Duncan over Kobe and never think twice about it. 3 Championships, 3 finals MVP's, 2 League MVP's, First Team All Defense every year of his career would bear that out.) Yeah, he's a great scorer and plays some tough defense, but he also takes shots that leave his teammates shaking their heads and fails to inspire anyone as a teammate. What separates Jordan from everyone else was his indomitable spirit that simply would not permit failure. Look at the guys he played with and then look what happened when they left his side. Luc Longley, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, Bill Wennington, Jud Buschler, and even Scottie Pippen to some extent were all significantly less capable without Jordan than with him. My list: 1) Jordan 2) Wilt 3) Russell 4) Magic 5) Duncan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseto Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 fails to inspire anyone as a teammate. When has Duncan ever inspired anyone? He could be the most boring player EVER!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smashmowf Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Wow....I don't even think this debatable....I mean look at the era Jordan played his best....this era (Kobe's era) sucks....bad.....Jordan played against Majic, Bird, Dominique, Dumars, Drexler, Barkley etc. Kobe's competition is not on the same level....I doubt Kobe will win a another Title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trippster Posted January 30, 2006 Author Share Posted January 30, 2006 By this time in his career?? Dude...Kobe has been in the league for 10 seasons!! By his tenth season, Jordan had won 3 championships just like Kobe and had 3 MVP awards (88, 91 and 92).However the thing that makes Jordan better than Kobe will ever be was his defense. 1988 DPOY, 9 time all-defensive team (88-93, 96-98). Not to mention, by this point in his career Jordan had 2 Olympic gold medals. Its not even close...there will never be another Jordan, no matter how badly the NBA analysts want one. I was referring to age. Remember Kobe didn't go to college. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trippster Posted January 30, 2006 Author Share Posted January 30, 2006 Kobe isn't even the best player in the NBA NOW, let alone the greatest of all time. (I'd take Tim Duncan over Kobe and never think twice about it. 3 Championships, 3 finals MVP's, 2 League MVP's, First Team All Defense every year of his career would bear that out.)I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EersSkins05 Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 When has Duncan ever inspired anyone? He could be the most boring player EVER!!! I don't know- these guys look pretty GD'd inspired: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camyj15 Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 I know many will say that Jordan did not have great players around him outside Pippen, but the other guys were great role players. Cartwright, Longley, Wennington were not great, but they were formidable compared to other centers in the NBA, not named Ewing, Hakeem or Shaq. They weren't good players, but they weren't teribble. And Jordan always has good shooters around him (Hodges, Kerr, Paxson) which allowed him to find open players who could actually knock down shots, while Kobe kicks it out to Devean George or the great Luke Walton. Jordan made a team with Pippen, Cartwright, Longley, etc. better. Shaq made a team with Kobe and the rest of them better, mostly by virtue of being a good center. Look at the Lakers today. Who on that team is Kobe making better? Those guys are not terrible (except Kwame ). Kobe does fine individually, but he hasn't yet grasped the concept of team play. Ten years into his career, I think Jordan got that down. I personally like the Pistons. They are by far my favorite team in the NBA to watch. This is a team made up of mostly other team's junk. They play as a unit and they all make each other better. Looking at that roster who would be the superstar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseto Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Jordan made a team with Pippen, Cartwright, Longley, etc. better. Shaq made a team with Kobe and the rest of them better, mostly by virtue of being a good center. Look at the Lakers today. Who on that team is Kobe making better? Those guys are not terrible (except Kwame ). Kobe does fine individually, but he hasn't yet grasped the concept of team play. Ten years into his career, I think Jordan got that down. Not sure I know what team you're referring to b/c the Lakers have no talent, except for Odom, and he's soft as a pillow. I've watched 90% of their games this year and last year, and I'm waiting for Medvedanko to come back, they suck so bad!!! Kobe was a good team player when they were winning championships. You don't think Derek Fisher was their version of Kerr/Paxson? Kobe led all those teams in assists each year, so I think he knows how to play team ball and get others involved. He had confidence in Fish, Ho Grant, B. Shaw; don't think he'll eagerly pass the ball to someone named Smush or Lil' Luke. He's their only option this year, and he and Phil knows that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrockster21 Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 I was referring to age. Remember Kobe didn't go to college. Gotcha... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 No matter how many of the guys in the league might try, they will never come close to MJ. The majority of Kobe's moves are 'borrowed' from MJ anyway...and let me just say right here that I am so tired of seeing the pump fake. You can't even compare Jordan with anyone in the league right now. The times that they played are so very different. MJ played in a league with other dominant players and thrived. In the league now, you have, for the most part, very selfish players that are more concerned with their stat line than improving their team and playing as a team. For a while, it seemed that the NBA yearned for team play and defense and when they finally got that in my beloved Pistons and the Spurs, they changed their minds. Now it seems that they are back to promoting individuals rather than teams. You look at the three leading scorers in the NBA now...Kobe, AI and LeBron...and they are all on teams that are not, for the most part, playing as a team. Two of the three may not even make the playoffs. That is a problem. When these guys start to make the people that play with them better and play more defense (LeBron!!!), then maybe they will be worth the comparison. But for now, MJ remains in a class all by himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignatius J. Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 The implcit comparisons here are shocking. For people to assert that Kwame brown belongs in the same breath as the players on jordan's bulls is astounding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illone Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Kobe isn't even the best player in the NBA right now. LeBron James is. No way in hell is Kobe better than Jordan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EersSkins05 Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 And to say that Lamar Odom is untalented is also shocking. Keep in mind that he and DWade almost singlehandedly took the Heat to the playoffs the year before he got traded for Shaq. He's a very good player that is left uninvolved in the offense with one guy taking something in the neighborhood of (stats if you've got em) 40 to 50% of the team's total shots. Kobe and Odom could pick and roll any team in the League to death if Kobe would allow it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignatius J. Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 And to say that Lamar Odom is untalented is also shocking.Keep in mind that he and DWade almost singlehandedly took the Heat to the playoffs the year before he got traded for Shaq. He's a very good player that is left uninvolved in the offense with one guy taking something in the neighborhood of (stats if you've got em) 40 to 50% of the team's total shots. Kobe and Odom could pick and roll any team in the League to death if Kobe would allow it. Odom has been a major dissapointment. The trouble is that he cannot move without the basketball. When you watch laker games it is rediculous how no one except kobe seems to want the ball. Smush dribbles down and then passes to kobe. Every other laker just stands around. They don't even seem to try to get a rebound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EersSkins05 Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Odom has been a major dissapointment. The trouble is that he cannot move without the basketball. When you watch laker games it is rediculous how no one except kobe seems to want the ball. Smush dribbles down and then passes to kobe. Every other laker just stands around. They don't even seem to try to get a rebound. Perhaps that's b/c no one but Kobe is going to GET the ball... No doubting Kobe's talent as a baller- just doubt his capacity to be a team player at this stage in his career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Kobe isn't even the best player in the NBA right now.LeBron James is. No way in hell is Kobe better than Jordan. Really??? LeBron is the best in the league right now? I don't think so. When he starts to play defense and take shots late in the game when they are not already ahead, then I'll give him props. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignatius J. Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 How many playoff games has lebron won, exactly? Cause Kobe has three rings to show he can do it all. Kobe isn't the point guard. As a shooting guard his job is pretty simple, get open and score when someone passes you the ball. If the ball isn't going anywhere else, the blame lies with the rest of the team. Why isn't smush getting the ball to odom inside? Because odom can't get inside despite his size and his inside moves are suspect. You can give it to him outside and watch him drive, but he has no inside presence without the ball. So why should the ball go to him if he's just going to do what kobe does but he does it worse? Look I'm not saying kobe is better than jordan but these comparisons between LeBron and Kobe are laughable. It's like comparing tom brady and michael vick. One guy has lead his team to championships three times, and one of them has had no real success in the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Washington Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Great Point. I don't think Kobe would be Kobe if Jordan hadn't preceeded him. If you look at Kobe's moves, he's a Jordan clone. Jordan was a revolutionizer, borrowing some from Dr. J. but he was much more a creator than Kobe. cosign...kobe's ninja of the late 80s-90s jordan is the reason why i don't like him. the one thing kobe didn't take was jordan's ability to pick his spots and trust his teammates. perhaps that will come in time, i dunno. there's no doubt kobe is a phenomenal athlete, dedicated to perfection and taking the heart of his opponents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illone Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 How many playoff games has lebron won, exactly? Cause Kobe has three rings to show he can do it all. Kobe isn't the point guard. As a shooting guard his job is pretty simple, get open and score when someone passes you the ball. If the ball isn't going anywhere else, the blame lies with the rest of the team. Why isn't smush getting the ball to odom inside? Because odom can't get inside despite his size and his inside moves are suspect. You can give it to him outside and watch him drive, but he has no inside presence without the ball. So why should the ball go to him if he's just going to do what kobe does but he does it worse? Look I'm not saying kobe is better than jordan but these comparisons between LeBron and Kobe are laughable. It's like comparing tom brady and michael vick. One guy has lead his team to championships three times, and one of them has had no real success in the league. Funny thing, Shaq leaves and now the lakers suck. Kobe is good, but you give him too much credit for those rings. It was mainly shaq inside that got them to where they were those years when they won it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseto Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 And to say that Lamar Odom is untalented is also shocking.Keep in mind that he and DWade almost singlehandedly took the Heat to the playoffs the year before he got traded for Shaq. He's a very good player that is left uninvolved in the offense with one guy taking something in the neighborhood of (stats if you've got em) 40 to 50% of the team's total shots. Kobe and Odom could pick and roll any team in the League to death if Kobe would allow it. Not sure what Lakers team you've seen this year, but I know what Odom did in Miami, and I'm still waiting for something resembling that. He brings the ball up the court and starts the offense, just as much as Smush Parker, so he has the ball in his hands a lot. Granted he's not a spot up shooter (they don't have one; where's Slava), but he HAD the same skills as Pippen did: 6'8"+ that can handle the ball, hit an occasional shot, setup an offense (can't pass well or guard anyone though). If Odom wanted to play better, he would; don't blame Kobe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseto Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Funny thing, Shaq leaves and now the lakers suck. Kobe is good, but you give him too much credit for those rings. It was mainly shaq inside that got them to where they were those years when they won it all. Dude, that ain't true. Both Kobe and Shaq won those rings. How many rings does Shaq have without Kobe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.