Michael Jordan: "I would beat Kobe in my prime"

It's Kobe we're talking about, not Ginobili. Then it's be 30-0 Manu!!11one!! You know, cuz he's the best thing to ever happen to Argentina. And men's hairline.

Let me put it like this, what happened in the Finals against Boston...wouldn't have happened to Jordan. Everyone was waiting for Bryant to explode, everyone felt he was going to sooner or later...but it never happened. With Jordan it was the same, you knew he was going to explode, you knew he would carry the team...difference is that he would've actually done it. I mean this guy played against the Bad Boys of Detroit. So if Boston did that to Kobe...

Not that I would have picked Kobe before the NBA Finals but his performance really surprised me. Forget Michael Jordan standards for a moment, 26 ppg on 40% shooting is below Kobe's standards. No matter what the outcome, I expected him to have a more dominant series from an individual standpoint.

I guess that leads (does it beg??? lolololol) to a bigger question. What do Kobe's NBA Finals performances look like? He was completely horrible in 2004. Does thrashing New Jersey really count? Indiana took him out as well, and he also got injured in that one. Was the Philadelphia (Phillies? lolololol) series really all that transcendent, or at least what we should expect from someone of his level?

Well..we're talking about one on one basketball game between two of the most fun to watch players in the history of the league..don't go out of the topic by comparing their teams..MJ's Bulls will always be the best.

To answer that realistically (Response to the question by a kid who asked MJ on who will win if he and Kobe would play on a one on one basketball game), NO ONE from the active players can be beaten by any player from the past. Even if you let them play there with their abilities during their prime, whoever he is. It's like Wilt can't beat Shaq, Jerry West can't beat Jordan and Jordan can't beat Kobe.

Kobe in his prime > Jordan in his prime.

Again, we are talking about one on one basketball.

To answer that realistically (Response to the question by a kid who asked MJ on who will win if he and Kobe would play on a one on one basketball game), NO ONE from the active players can be beaten by any player from the past. Even if you let them play there with their abilities during their prime, whoever he is. It's like Wilt can't beat Shaq, Jerry West can't beat Jordan and Jordan can't beat Kobe.

And on what logic do you base this? What proof do you have?

Kobe in his prime > Jordan in his prime.

How? Explain. Give reasons, offer proof.

Basketball evolution. New techniques and skills being developed as the game evolves. Players are lifting weights now. New technology on the shoes. What logic? Loving and understanding the game will help you answer that. What do you want me to put here, stats? come on. Let's talk straight out basketball.

We'll never know, will we? But you can't even try to explain your point, Itsalottafun. There are absolutely no valid arguments that could be brought up to illustrate a modern player's supremacy.
Maybe Wilt was a monster that couldn't be beat, not even by Shaq. Maybe not...

Basketball evolution. New techniques and skills being developed as the game evolves. Players are lifting weights now. New technology on the shoes.

We wouldn't standarize this between players?

Loving and understanding the game will help you answer that. What do you want me to put here, stats? come on. Let's talk straight out basketball.

So you just want emotions and feelings instead of arguments and supporting facts?

There are a lot of things players of our generation lack of in comparison to those of the past.

Example: Shaq has never really developed a weapon on offense that is finesse based. Thats why he pretty much sucks now. Less power means way less scoring for him. His body declined and thus his effectiveness suffered.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Sky hook allowed him to stay effective on the offensive end even with him being in his late thirties.

I know we are talking about players in their prime. But this is a discussion which can only be done by bringing figurs and stats because you cannot revive those players of the past. The first time that I have to say benji is right with his demand for facts.

To answer that realistically (Response to the question by a kid who asked MJ on who will win if he and Kobe would play on a one on one basketball game), NO ONE from the active players can be beaten by any player from the past. Even if you let them play there with their abilities during their prime, whoever he is. It's like Wilt can't beat Shaq, Jerry West can't beat Jordan and Jordan can't beat Kobe.

So Brian Scalabrine would beat David Robinson (in his prime)? Wow...

You forgot that Scalabrine would be in his prime, too

Scalabrine has a prime?

The first time that I have to say benji is right with his demand for facts.

There's a time to choose emotions to debate subjects?

Shaq has never really developed a weapon on offense that is finesse based.

Um, those moves are what was the difference between the 1995 Shaq and the 2000 Shaq. Shaq became the best player in the league because he developed moves that didn't require him to use power or put the ball on the floor every time.

As some of the members here have put it that Jordan has that mental edge over his opponents... check out the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjH4MCFj ... re=related

EDIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJGb27QWCzo&NR=1

Sorry fellas, I don't know how to put this like how Matthew did his...

Basketball evolution. New techniques and skills being developed as the game evolves. Players are lifting weights now. New technology on the shoes.

Which techniques and skills exactly? What proof do you have of this, or that today's players are better because they have better shoes? Oh, and players have been lifting weights long before Kobe Bryant entered the league.

What logic? Loving and understanding the game will help you answer that. What do you want me to put here, stats? come on. Let's talk straight out basketball.

In other words, you have no proof or evidence to back up your claioms and are falling back on the strawman argument of "I love and understand the game", which is tantamount to saying "Because I said so". Are you suggesting people with a contrary opinion to yours do not love and understand the game? On what grounds?

How can you possibly prove that a player is better by claiming a "love and understanding" for the game? I'm sorry, but that's just a weak attempt to state an opinion as fact, with no rhyme or reason except that it's how you feel. So again, you're basically say that today's players are better than their predecessors say so, in your undisputable opinion because you claim a love and understanding of the game.

Um, those moves are what was the difference between the 1995 Shaq and the 2000 Shaq. Shaq became the best player in the league because he developed moves that didn't require him to use power or put the ball on the floor every time.

If you call his baby hook or his spin move "finesse" than you may be right.
But I had something in my mind that is more fundamental.
It's easy to see it today. Shaq has no shot or any else move that was not relying on his strenght or his quickness. I don't see a guy like Duncan declining the way Shaq did since his fundamental skills and thus his post moves and his shot are way better and based on fundamental skills rather than physical presence.

To answer that realistically (Response to the question by a kid who asked MJ on who will win if he and Kobe would play on a one on one basketball game), NO ONE from the active players can be beaten by any player from the past. Even if you let them play there with their abilities during their prime, whoever he is. It's like Wilt can't beat Shaq, Jerry West can't beat Jordan and Jordan can't beat Kobe.

Kobe in his prime > Jordan in his prime.

Again, we are talking about one on one basketball.

Talk about the fog of memory...
Did you see games back then, I mean, did you see those guys playing other than in youtube clips?

Do you really think that guys like Jordan, Bird, Mc Hale, Isaiah, wouldn't blitz through the present edition of the league? Do you really believe that since their bodies were softer and Bird would eat popcorn and sprite during the Finals, that it would be a deciding factor? Were they "softer"? Have you ever seen Bill Laimbeer laying some wood on anybody in the basket's vicinity? Do you really want to compare the competitiveness of a time where there were no cap restrictions or obscene amout of teams to dilute the talent that a lot of teams was able to put on the floor?

I would pick MJ over Kobe. They are both great player yes but MJ can beat Kobe in all aspect whether is it an inside or outside game and in defense. MJ may not be that good in outside shooting rather than Kobe does now but MJ might not have any problems shutting him down.

I just seen the link that Sit posted on the first post. Damn those Kobe fans

Truth be told, I'm a bit surprised by the overwhelming vote in Michael Jordan's favour thus far. With so many younger members these days, I thought a lot of people would be more partial to Kobe.

^

Anyone under fifteen won't remeber a thing about MJ, or anybody else of that 80's 90's transition, for that matter.

In that case, I would recomend them to trust oral tradition and the myths kept alive by the elder about those players, because there's agood reason they became legends.

Who cares about one-on-one? Equal teams. Jordan's would beat Kobe's endlessly.

I agree.
I think if they played 1-on-1, whoever was having the better day and was making their shots would win most of the games.
However put them both on teams that play 82+ games, and after 3 or 4 years I really think Jordan's team would be better. Kobe doesn't trust his teammates and isn't able to motivate them the way Jordan would.

Truth be told, I'm a bit surprised by the overwhelming vote in Michael Jordan's favour thus far. With so many younger members these days, I thought a lot of people would be more partial to Kobe.

Same here. It's funny how a Finals performance which isn't "Kobe-like" is enough for most to easily dismiss Kobe against MJ. When in the past, they would swarm all over when a disrespect of Kobe happens.

think about this. mj led the bulls to 6 nba championships. kobe only did 3

Kobe didn't even lead to the championships, it was some 300 lb. monster that did it. Kobe was just tasting his ass.

Kobe is a better offensive player in my opinion. If he gets on a roll, there's no possible way that Jordan or anyone in the world can stop him.

But a stomach virus can't stop a sickly Jordan from scoring 38 pts. in a game 5 win of the 97 Finals against the Jazz, while Kobe can be stopped by Paul Pierce in the second half of a Finals game.

Players are lifting weights now

Jordan must had ate a lot of Mc burgers to weigh from 195 to 216 lbs. since players from the past like him doesn't lift weights. I wonder what you think about Karl Malone or David Robinson since they don't lift weights. Steroids perhaps?

Have you ever seen Bill Laimbeer laying some wood on anybody

lol [/juvenile humor]

New technology on the shoes

Best argument.
End of thread.
Debate over.
Kobe > Jordan.

Now I know how benji feels.


I love how MJ doesn't take it easy against those kids. Lol at the kid at 3:00 in the video, the kid gives Jordan some room and he takes shot after shot making the kid look like an errand boy.

There's no question Kobe would dominate this battle.

no doubt jordan was a better like 3 times better player than kobe in his prime. he didn't have to say it out himself since most already know that cept for some younger generations. in fact, kobe imitated much of jordan's moves since he also grew watching him, but seems like he's not even near jordan's lvl with skills and talent. jordan's one hand fake and hangtime and ability to read the game and make teammate better... i just could go hundreds on list where jordan outshines kobe.

however it suxed to see jordan fail in running a basketball team. he was too demanding and has too big of ego. kwame even cried and up untill today, he's still scared of jordan. lol. no wonder that lots of teammates and players hated jordan.

Care to explain why so the Kobe haters would finally see the light?