Reasons why Kobe is better than M.J.
* Jordan had a better team (when Jordan retired Pippen and the Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, could the Lakers do that?)
* Kobe never won a chip without Shaq and gets criticized for it. How many chips has Jordan won without Pippen?
* The league wasn't as athletic as it is now
* Kobe perimeter shooting is lights years ahead of where Jordan was at the same age
* Jordan won his last championship (6th) at the age of 35, Kobe might have 4 rings at the age of 30
* Kobe does not receive the love Jordan receives by the media, fans, or players because he stays to himself and therefore there will always be bias when people discuss his legacy, no matter what he achieves.




Reasons Jordan is better than Kobe
* Jordan never lost in the Finals...Kobe has twice
* David Stern altered the rules so offense is #1 priority. In other words defense nowadays isn't as tough as it was in the mid 90's (Charles Oakley would foul out in 2 minutes in todays NBA)
* Jordan was a superior defender
* Jordan has 6 championships
* Jordan dominated his era
* Jordan never won without Pippen, but Pippen never won without Jordan. Shaq won without Kobe.

Who do you think is the better player?

kobe plays in the pansy version of the nba. jordan had to beat the piston and knicks thugs. kobe would fall down and cry into a fetal position if oak or mahorn were waiting for him in the lane.

i think if Jordan had Shaq to begin his career he woulda won 10 rings at least... but Kobe's as close as there's ever been to Jordan w/o a doubt.

The comps are valid. Both are healthy and stone cold killers.

Kobe had shaq, but shaq was also a liability in the last 4 min of a close game.

Kobe has had a more rounded game earlier in his career.

Jordan had the mental edge, kobe is quicker. Jordan got stronger.

Kobe gets this ring its a good discussion.

Maybe in a few years Phil Jax can tell us.

Both were tough to coach early in their careers. Took jordan some time to learn to rely on others.

He's close but not there. DJ had a very valid arguement against it though. Jordan just kept on chugging after contact and Kobe screams like a little child after every little piece of contact. Jordan gets the edge for toughness. I'm too lazy to think right now though, so I don't feel like coming up with other comparisons.

Its not even a close discussion. Jordan is the better. He is more athletic than Kobe is. Jordan is much quicker than Kobe. And Jordan shoots 50% from the floor. Put it this way no Jordan then Kobe has no one to copy.

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by orangeblobman:



and all of that in a more physical NBA.

A more fair comparison would be Jordan's accomplishments at Kobe's current age vs. Kobe's current accomplishments.

Maybe, bonn, but even if you look at it like this, do you really see Kobe finishing his career with anything close to what Jordan finished his career with?

championships..mayybe, but 3 more is a stretch given the rise of lebron and howard-- it won't be easy.

all-stars, alright, yea he probably will.

mvps, i don't know. 4 more mvps is TOUGH especially with the rise of lebron and howard..and it took forever to get that first, anyway.

all-nba and all-defensive, i guess it's reasonable.

Jordan never played against the zone. If you watch Jordan's first NBA interview at MSG he was asked why was he able to score easier in the NBA than in college and his answer was,"There is no zone defense in the NBA."

Also it is harder for Kobe to get scoring titles with guys that score just as good as him in the league. (T-Mac, Wade, Lebron)

No way. Jordan averaged 5 more points and shot 50% for his career and was easily a better defensive player in a time where the league was tougher. Kobe's never shot 50% once. Take a look at some of MJ's real old clips--sometimes you wonder how he didnt avg 50 points. They are in the same type of ball park but MJ's plain is higher. I've seen both of their careers from day 1[which make me old] and I don't know where time went but with a very even keel and no bias in anyway --MJ is better.

Posted by TMS:

i think if Jordan had Shaq to begin his career he woulda won 10 rings at least... but Kobe's as close as there's ever been to Jordan w/o a doubt.

Co-Sign.

It's hard going era to era and proclaiming anyone the "best to ever play" and even tougher to say "2nd best to ever play" yet I really feel there is a case to label Jordan #1 and Kobe #2. The thing is I truly feel there is a decent gap between the two. Not that Kobe couldn't rise to the challenge of playing in the tougher era of basketball but there was just something about Jordan....there was NEVER ANY QUIT NEVER, no time off, and the only whining Jordan ever did was when others whined about his "Jordan Rules" from the refs. It was a long time ago though so I can't remember if there was more to him or not.

To go a bit OT: You look at LeBron and see a man who could potentially be the best to ever play the game but his arrogance and laziness and sense of entitlement will forever prevent that from occurring. Jordan fought for it, earned it, and never gave up. Kobe is fairly close in that department but is a bit more of a whiner/slacker than Jordan ever was. LeBron is a whiner, a slacker, and had things handed to him he never had to fight for it.

Therein lies the difference IMO.