NBA: Lebron James vs Kobe Bryant Take 2

But let’s get serious seriously folks. Suppose the facts presented in the article below are not enough for you. Here is more (actual) evidence for LeBron’s superiority over Kobe Bryant.

Keep in mind the question being posed is “Who is better?  Kobe or LeBron?” Too often people respond to this query with the copout answer, “Well Kobe is until LeBron wins championships like he does.” This is not a valid response. If the question is “Who has had a better career?” the answer is clearly Kobe because he has played longer and has amassed those titles of his. But the past does not figure into this debate. The question is who is better now, meaning at this very point in time. Thus one must look at this season and not seasons past for the answer. The question is also not “Who was better in their prime or at their best?” The focus is on the now. The point is that LeBron has finally surpassed Kobe Bryant as the best basketball player in the world at this moment (until I make it pro).

So examining this season shows that LeBron is better than Kobe. He has both superior stats and a better team record. This is shown below (source nba.com as of 3/24/10).

Kobe’s Season Statistics LeBron’s Season Statistics

PPG – 27.6                                      PPG – 29.7

RPG –  5.3                                       RPG – 7.3

APG – 5.0                                        APG – 8.5

FG% – 0.459                                    FG % – 0.501

3P% – 0.321                                     3P% – 0.346

SPG – 1.7                                           SPG – 1.7

BPG – 0.3                                          BPG – 1.1

TO – 3.1                                              TO – 3.4

FT % – 0.821                                     FT % – 0.773

MPG – 38.9                                       MPG – 39.0

Team Record: 52 – 18                   Team Record: 56 – 15

These are the resumes for the two players. As you can see, LeBron dominates Kobe in all categories except for free throw percentage, where he is slightly behind. If you were handed a sheet with these stats without knowing which statistics belonged to whom, how could you not conclude that the stats belonging to LeBron James are the better resume? You would conclude that that player is the best beyond any reasonable doubt. LeBron is simply and clearly superior to Kobe now in all facets of the game. A knock on LeBron has been his shooting, with people saying Kobe is a much better shooter, but then why does LeBron have both a better field goal percentage and, surprisingly, a better three point percentage than Kobe? The thing that makes LeBron great is that he does so many things extremely well. To score as much as he does AND to still have that many rebounds and assists (of which he is among the league leaders) is phenomenal, a feat Kobe cannot achieve. And Lebron has a better record despite having, before the acquisition of Antawn Jamison, what was predominantly thought to be an inferior supporting cast then the one Kobe enjoys with the Lakers. Even if you want to say the West is a better conference than the East, the records would still be at least equal if both teams were in the same conference. Another attribute of Kobe that has rightfully been applauded is his defense. But LeBron caught up to him last year, and they both made the All-Defense team. Kobe has also always been called a winner, and yet LeBron’s team has a better record right now. So whereas in previous years Kobe might have the edge over LeBron in some key areas (shooting, defense, winning), right now LeBron has caught up and surpassed him, and he has finally ascended past Kobe to the title of the best player in the world.

So LeBron has Kobe dominated statistically and has his team with a better record than Kobe’s Lakers. That makes him the best player right now, at this current moment. The playoffs will of course be a test, a battle that could reshape the current order of things. If Kobe dominates again and wins a title while LeBron falters, perhaps Kobe reclaims his spot as the best. But one cannot predict the future. As it stands, right now, in the present, LeBron James has surpassed Kobe Bryant. LeBron James is the best basketball player in the world.

I would love to hear and consider any comments or questions you have on this debate. Feel free to leave any thoughts.

NBA: Lebron James vs. Kobe Bryant

Throughout time there have been eternal debates and decisions at the core of human existence. Democracy or Socialism? God or no God? To go to war or remain peaceful?  Democrat or Republican? Coffee or soda? Boxers or briefs? Chamberlain or Russell? But all of these pale in comparison of importance with the current debate ripping through the world. Who is better: Kobe or Lebron? (or me?)

The answer to this is almost an even split down the population. But, ladies and gentlemen, the final answer is here, look no further. Ignore statistics and records. Yes, ignore them. Here it will be proved, through logical deductions and mathematics, who is truly the superior basketball player. So who is best? (spoiler alert: which name is listed first in the title of this article? What could that mean?)

First of all, did you know that Kobe is named after a type of beef made in Japan? Yes, beef. Well Kobe, I got some beef with you. 1) You are not as good as Lebron anymore and many people say you are. 2) Types of beef are not names. 3) You never told anyone about that time I beat you in one-on-one at the YMCA last week.

Let’s examine the nicknames for the 2 players. Lebron is called The King. That’s pretty darn good. Who doesn’t want to be a king? What is Kobe’s nickname? The Black Mamba. Uhhh what? Do you even know what that is? Of course you don’t. Turns out it’s a snake. Which brings us to the first proof of Lebron’s superiority; a logical deduction. Kobe is the Black Mamba, a snake. Snakes have no feet or legs. Therefore Kobe cannot jump. Therefore he cannot dunk. How can you say that the best basketball player in the world is one that cannot dunk? Answer: You can’t. To put this into mathematical terms for you mathematicianites:

King > Black Mamba

Still not convinced? Okay here’s some more math. Lebron is 6-8. Kobe stands a mere 6-6, barely tall enough to reach the pedals in a car. So 6-8 > 6-6. This is math people, math doesn’t lie.

So clearly, based on the logical analysis above, Lebron James is a superior basketball player to Kobe “beef-man” Bryant, who, based on his name, is more qualified to be the head of the Got Beef? ad campaign then to play basketball. Sadly, I know even this airtight argument won’t convince all. So let’s get serious folks: we all know that with men, everything ultimately cums down to member size. So cum on Kobe and Lebron, man up and tell us what kind of junk you got in the trunk and settle this debate once and for all.