Reasons why LeBron James is better than Kobe Bryant

[at.the.buzzer!!]

1.Lockdown Defense
LeBron's chase down blocks aren't his only part of his defensive game. When defending a guy, LeBron can lockdown and play more fundamentally good defense than Kobe Bryant

2.Selection of Shots
Kobe Bryant goes for tough fadeaways and his field goal percentage was only at .456 last season. LeBron's ability to drive to the rim really makes his selection of shots better which is why his field goal percentage last year was at .503.

3.Athleticism
LeBron James' freakish athleticism really give him an advantage in his game. With his combination of strength and quickness, defenders are really challenged defending against him.

4.Ability to drive to the hoop
Like I mentioned, James' combination of strength and speed gives him a huge advantage in driving to the hoop. Kobe Bryant can drive to the rim fairly well but not like LeBron and his ability to take contact.

5.Basketball IQ
LeBron and Kobe are both good passers but LeBron is just better with the ball and giving it to his teammates. In the open fastbreak you can only guess if he's going to give to any of his teammates or just take it himself.

[benji]

Number of Rings LeBron James has: ZERO.

CASE CLOSED.

CHECK...AND MATE.

Don't get me started on the number of NLSC members more talented than LeBron.

[C-77]

LeQuit's rings: 0
Kobe's rings:5

I mean come on Kobe has to be the better defender you know,defense isn't all about blocks and steals,Kobe plays lockdown defense better than LeBron

You can even ask Rondo who's better

[Martti.]

LeBron is not a good man-to-man defender, chasedown blocks and gambling for steals make up his defensive game.

[benji]

We can't forget the fact that Kobe has raised a perfect family and LeBron's fell apart and took his team with it.

LeBron is a joke, the Heat shouldn't have paid him the minimum.

[C-77]

Oh wait I remembered a play where LeBron James used his butterfly defense on Rondo:

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Is this the defense you were talking about?

[Modifly]

Kobe is better than LeBroom. Get over it.

And this is the third thread you made that's lame.

[at.the.buzzer!!]

1.Lebron is a far better perimeter defender than Kobe, he locked down Paul Pierce this past year to 11ppg in there playoff series. Kobe never has too guard the best player on another team, cause they have if not the best one of the best defenders in the league with Ron Ron.

2. Who gives a f about his broke finger? Excuses. Excuses.

3. Dont get me started on passing ability bud. Everyone knows Lebron is the best passing forwards and passers in the league period. When has Kobe ever averaged over 6 assist in a season? Not never.

4. Not all born in this world is athletic. Even if you train a lot. And LBJ's athletism is one of a kind. It's a talent. As what they always say about him, "what he does at his size is unfair". And I don't think Kobe has a higher basketball IQ than LeBron. It's amazing how LBJ understands this game. His pass first mentality, his chase-down blocks and his ability to enter the lane and finish plays is one of a kind.

[Modifly]

Talk to me again when he's able to hit a jumpshot like Kobe can. Also when he made the All-Defense team like Kobe did. Also when he gets a ring. And the Finals MVP. Oh wait, if he gets a ring, he cheated. He has Wade and Bosh on the team. Meh.

[shadowgrin]

When LeBron gets a post game, then I'll join this discussion.

[at.the.buzzer!!]

MORE REASONS:

1.Kobe's 40, 8 and 8 were good enough to beat Orlando, but LeBron's 49, 6 and 8, nor his 44, 12 and 7 performance were good enough to beat Orlando. That tells me one thing: Kobe's team is way better than LeBron's. If Kobe can have a night like that and blow out the Magic by 25, then why wouldn't a similar night result in at least a win for LeBron? It just goes to show you what type of talent the two have playing around them. That's why LeBron's accomplishments with this team are amazing, and it is also why the "Kobe made the Finals" argument doesn't win the debate for Mr. Bryant.

2.LeBron is the better passer and rebounder. Say what you will about Kobe's ability to score, but LeBron is better at just about every phase of the game, especially passing and rebounding. LeBron's assists numbers destroy Kobe Bryant. Even when Kobe Bryant was more of a facilitator and had Shaq-Daddy to throw lob passes to, he only averaged 5, or at best 6, assists per game. Compare that to LeBron's 7.5 and it's a not contest, especially when you consider the no-names he is pass the ball to. As for the rebounding, it's not even close. Forget the actual boards, LeBron grabs 11.9% of all boards available, and 19% of all defensive boards. That's an amazing stat for a guy who plays out on the perimeter as much as he does.

3.LeBron is in his prime. Listen, there was a time when Kobe Bryant was a better player than LeBron James, but that time has passes. Not to say that Kobe is losing it already, but he's not the high-flying, super crossover, defending Allen Iverson type of player he once was. LeBron on the other hand is still doing all of those things, and he is doing them at a high level. I mean can you really imagine Kobe doing all of the acrobatic, dunk contest type of stuff he use to do? You can't, and neither can I. Which is why, at the very least, Kobe backers have to admit that LeBron has passed Kobe as an athlete.

4.LeBron is playing defense. Just last year, the big issue everyone had with LeBron is that he wasn't a defender. ESPN analyst after ESPN analyst would point to the fact that Kobe gets it done on both ends of the floor and that's why they considered him a better player than LeBron. But those days are over. LeBron is a defensive stand-out. I'm not saying he's the best defender ever now, but those AP guys did vote him to the first-team All Defense this year, meaning that they considered him among the top 5 defenders in the league. Yes, Kobe was right there alongside of him, but no longer can anyone say that Kobe's defense is what separates him from LeBron, because right now there is little separation in that department, if any.

5.LeBron James is more clutch than Kobe Bryant. Can we really stop with the nonsense that Kobe is the guy you would rather have in the last 5 minutes of a game? Have you seen what LeBron did against the Magic? He was as clutch as ever. It's not his fault his team wasn't up to the task!

Look, I'll agree that if I need a 22-foot jump shot to win the game that Kobe is the man (although LBJ's 3-pointer in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semis might suggest otherwise), but if I just need to get 2 points anyway I can, I want the ball in LeBron's hands. According to 82games.com, during "clutch moments" (those moments defined as 4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points), LeBron James' shooting percentage from the field and from the 3-point line were higher this past season. LBJ averaged just 1.5% fewer points than Kobe, despite taking 20% fewer shots than Kobe in clutch moments. LeBron also averaged more rebounds and more assists in "clutch moments." And going back to the defensive argument, LeBron averaged more blocks and 3-times as many steals as Kobe in the clutch.

Say what you will about Kobe being the better player, but you're not basing your decision on what actually happens on the court. The proof is in the numbers and what you see on television. Kobe Bryant may have the better team, but there is no question that LeBron is the better player.

[benji]

Number of players who have scored 80 or more points: Kobe Bryant.

Wilt Chamberlain doesn't count because everyone back then was white and 5-8.

Not sure why people keep arguing against the proven fact that Kobe Bryant is the best player in the history of basketball.

[shadowgrin]

Times LeBron outscored an entire team after the 3rd quarter: 0

Times Kobe outscored an entire team after the 3rd quarter: 1 (that Dallas game where he had 60+ points after the third)

[Modifly]

1.Kobe's 40, 8 and 8 were good enough to beat Orlando, but LeBron's 49, 6 and 8, nor his 44, 12 and 7 performance were good enough to beat Orlando. That tells me one thing: Kobe's team is way better than LeBron's. If Kobe can have a night like that and blow out the Magic by 25, then why wouldn't a similar night result in at least a win for LeBron? It just goes to show you what type of talent the two have playing around them.

Or maybe Orlando was playing better against Cleveland. Maybe that's why they won despite LeBron's huge numbers huh?

2.LeBron is the better passer and rebounder. Say what you will about Kobe's ability to score, but LeBron is better at just about every phase of the game, especially passing and rebounding. LeBron's assists numbers destroy Kobe Bryant. Even when Kobe Bryant was more of a facilitator and had Shaq-Daddy to throw lob passes to, he only averaged 5, or at best 6, assists per game. Compare that to LeBron's 7.5 and it's a not contest, especially when you consider the no-names he is pass the ball to.

OK, I'll give you the assists. This is pretty obvious. Kobe had always been a ballhog until Gasol joined the team.

As for the rebounding, it's not even close. Forget the actual boards, LeBron grabs 11.9% of all boards available, and 19% of all defensive boards. That's an amazing stat for a guy who plays out on the perimeter as much as he does.

Well... Kobe doesn't really have to rebound as much as LeBron. It's not his job, and he's got Gasol on the team as well as Bynum.

3.LeBron is in his prime. Listen, there was a time when Kobe Bryant was a better player than LeBron James, but that time has passes. Not to say that Kobe is losing it already, but he's not the high-flying, super crossover, defending Allen Iverson type of player he once was. LeBron on the other hand is still doing all of those things, and he is doing them at a high level. I mean can you really imagine Kobe doing all of the acrobatic, dunk contest type of stuff he use to do? You can't, and neither can I. Which is why, at the very least, Kobe backers have to admit that LeBron has passed Kobe as an athlete.

Yeah, but Kobe already won a ring when he was in his prime. That pretty much sums it up.

4.LeBron is playing defense. Just last year, the big issue everyone had with LeBron is that he wasn't a defender. ESPN analyst after ESPN analyst would point to the fact that Kobe gets it done on both ends of the floor and that's why they considered him a better player than LeBron. But those days are over. LeBron is a defensive stand-out. I'm not saying he's the best defender ever now, but those AP guys did vote him to the first-team All Defense this year, meaning that they considered him among the top 5 defenders in the league. Yes, Kobe was right there alongside of him, but no longer can anyone say that Kobe's defense is what separates him from LeBron, because right now there is little separation in that department, if any.

Good. He's supposed to be playing defense anyway regardless of what happens. And do you actually believe the so called ESPN "experts"?

5.LeBron James is more clutch than Kobe Bryant. Can we really stop with the nonsense that Kobe is the guy you would rather have in the last 5 minutes of a game? Have you seen what LeBron did against the Magic? He was as clutch as ever. It's not his fault his team wasn't up to the task!

Look, I'll agree that if I need a 22-foot jump shot to win the game that Kobe is the man (although LBJ's 3-pointer in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semis might suggest otherwise), but if I just need to get 2 points anyway I can, I want the ball in LeBron's hands. According to 82games.com, during "clutch moments" (those moments defined as 4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points), LeBron James' shooting percentage from the field and from the 3-point line were higher this past season. LBJ averaged just 1.5% fewer points than Kobe, despite taking 20% fewer shots than Kobe in clutch moments. LeBron also averaged more rebounds and more assists in "clutch moments." And going back to the defensive argument, LeBron averaged more blocks and 3-times as many steals as Kobe in the clutch.

Yep. LeBron did crab-dribbled his way to the rim to win games. Especially on those drives. He can't even dribble for crying out loud. As for the buzzer beating three against the Magic, was that his first and only time? Kobe had more game winners last season more than LeBron had his entire career.

Jeeze, I can't believe you made me defend Kobe Bryant. I usually hate him. You must be really good.

[at.the.buzzer!!]

LeBron James is a better basketball player than Kobe Bryant. Period. Enough said. L.A. fans can keep up the "M-V-P" chants all they want, but their boy is no longer the Association's best player.

Some people just keep on saying stuff like this :"Well, until LeBron wins a championship, he's got nothing on Kobe." Um, yes -- he won't have the hardware that Bryant has with his four NBA titles, but that, folks, doesn't mean he's not as good of a player.

Which brings me to the obvious point of the column: LeBron James would embarrass Robert Horry in a game of one-on-one. Horry's got seven rings. James has none. Doesn't matter.

James deservedly destroyed the field in MVP voting this year, winning the award for the second consecutive year in a landslide vote. Anyone who voted against him ought to be barred from the process (or maybe life in general): see below. You shouldn't even need stats to see that James is clearly the NBA's best player, but just in case:

This season, James averaged 29.7 points, 8.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks per game for the best team in the Association. He shot 50.3 percent from the field despite constant double-, triple- and quadruple-teams and played in 76 games for a 61-win team.

"M-V-P, M-V-P!" shout the L.A. fans upon arriving at Staples Center in the second quarter and seeing Kobe hit a fade-away jumper. Um, fans: Bryant averaged 27 points, 5.4 rebounds, five assists and 1.5 steals per game. Numbers not even close to James'. Bryant also shot just 45.6 percent and played fewer games than James (73).

Bryant was so far off the radar this season, the seven votes James didn't get for MVP weren't even for No. 24 in L.A. They were for Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard, who both had great years and led their teams to good records and the playoffs. But are you serious? How could seven human-being voters not choose James? That's like calling Fleetwood Mac better than the Beatles. Ludicrous.

But back to the Kobe-LeBron "argument." LeBron haters say that they'd rather have Bryant in a big game, that they'd rather have him taking the big shot in crunch time. This, of course, is extremely short-sighted and has nothing to do with the players the two have become. Yes, over his 14-year career, Bryant has made many more "clutch" shots than James. He's hit more playoff winners than James.

I wonder why. Um, maybe because he's been in the league twice as long as James, not to mention on a championship contender for almost the entirety of his career. I cringe when people say that James has been a playoff failure. Really? Well, consider this:

So go ahead, LeBron haters. Say Bryant is better. It's as flawed as a moldy pita. The Lakers' supporting cast was better than Cleveland's. Not by much, but better all the same. Meaning, of course, that James has to do more than Bryant for his team. Pau Gasol is the best player not named Bryant or James on either team. He's developed into a reliable low-post threat who can be counted on when Bryant's outside shots are bricking. Antawn Jamison, on the other hand, is getting old and is much more of an outside player at this point in his career (translation: streaky). So that's that.

And then the Lakers have their defense-rebounding guys in Lamar Odom and Ron Artest. Yes, they tend to take games off -- presumably, these are the game when Artest jogs to the liquor store during halftime and Odom is too busy thinking he can shoot 3s to do what he does best -- but they're still better and more able than anyone Cleveland could have had offered.

I could go on, but it's pretty clear that L.A. has a better supporting cast than Cleveland.

Do I need to say more?

[formx]

Lebron James is not better then Kobe, He's not even better than Adam Morrison.

[benji]

You really shouldn't steal columns like this: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/why-lebr ... obe-bryant

[Modifly]

Calm down, since when did any of us say that LeBron suck? LeBron is a great player. I like him as much as I hate Kobe.

All we're trying to say is, LeBron still has plenty to prove while Kobe has already proved that he is the best at what he does. LeBron could be better than Kobe one day, I'm not saying that that's not gonna happen, but right now we have to admit the fact that Kobe is still better than LeBron.

Nice little article you stole though.

[|)e8*]

You really shouldn't steal columns like this: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/why-lebr ... obe-bryant

[Valor]

LeBron's chase down blocks aren't his only part of his defensive game. When defending a guy, LeBron can lockdown and play more fundamentally good defense than Kobe Bryant

You are kidding, right?

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Actually watch the NBA if you don't know anything

Who gives a f about his broke finger? Excuses. Excuses.

Literally everybody that plays the game of basketball, we use our index finger to shoot, and that's the one he broke.

If you don't know how to play basketball, don't say anything

And I don't think Kobe has a higher basketball IQ than LeBron.

Really? tell me, if Lebrick is so smart, how come he never won anything?

When has Kobe ever averaged over 6 assist in a season? Not never.

He plays in the triangle offense where the ball moves constantly and flows, of course he's not going to be one who gets a lot of assists. Given your logic Derek Fisher is completely useless because he never averaged over 5 assists in his career?
LeQuit held the ball for 99% of the possessions on the Cavaliers, not surprising he gets more stats.
If you don't think Kobe can pass the ball, use your eyes and watch.

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Oh, did i mention he did average 6 assists per game in the 2004-05 NBA season?

LeBron James is more clutch than Kobe Bryant.

The most laughable point you've made (and you've made quite a lot), He's known as LeChoke for a reason. Just look at game 5 and 6 of last season, he fucked up in the biggest moments in their season.

On the contrary, Kobe is like the most clutch player since MJ graced the courts

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7 game winners with a fucked up finger, bummed knee and bad back, Lebrick can tell him how his ass taste

[Modifly]

Valor, your post just pretty much ended this thread.

/thread.

[Valor]

Valor, your post just pretty much ended this thread.

/thread.

glad to hear it

I'll seriously laugh if he tries to counter back

[dare]

at.the.buzzer!!, I love your threads man keep it up

[Modifly]

Sarcasm is a bitch.

[C-77]

LeBron James is the worst player in the game because he got owned by Rondo who in the other thread was voted as worst player.We have NLSC members better than LeBron you know.