Is the torch passed from Kobe to King James?

recent lakers team = last year, you said it not me.. blame yourself:milesmic:

yes jordan makes a difference imo...

 

thats fine.

ill just be sure to speak extra clear for you next time so it will be even more obvious.

 

Love him or hate him, this past week, Kobe Bryant has proved that he is better than King James and the best player on the planet.
Beating the Celtics and Cavs at home, then dropping 61 at MSG.

 

almost triple double, he didnt get that last rebound, glad the NBA had the nuts to take it from him. Lebron still has alot to learn about the game of basketball. He isnt there yet. James still doesnt play good man defense. Blocking a shot on a fastbreak isnt playing great defense.

 

lol, to me it does, its like Strahans last sack. That matters to me, dont give it to him, he has to earn it. Lebron threw up a big egg against the Lakers, since you like stats, how about 5-20. I saw him make those first 3 in the first quarter.

Kobe is a complete player to me, until King James plays better defense he isnt in my book.

 

The difference between Kobe and Lebron is...

Lebron is concentrating on being a global icon.

Kobe is concentrating on being the baddest mf'er on the court. Hell with a global marketing scheme.

When Lebron realizes that all he has to do is concentrate on being that bad mf'er on the court, the sky is the limit.

Kobe has what MJ had. MJ didn't just succeed because he was more talented than everyone else, because that was arguable whether we want to admit it or not. MJ succeeded because in his mind, if basketball is a battlefield, then he strives to be the last gladiator standing. Kobe and MJ have a type of killer instinct that no other players from the last 20 years could match.

Lebron doesn't have that. Lebron may never have that. I don't think it's learned. MJ and Kobe came in the league with that mindset. Lebron didn't.

Fortunately for Lebron, it won't be long before the debate is over because Bean is getting older, and 13 seasons of wear and tear (actually more like 15 or 16 seasons with playoffs included) won't be kind to him in a couple years.

People also have a REEEAAAALLLL short memory when it comes to MJ. We all remember him as the greatest ever. But we leave out stuff like, he was a horrible teammate early on. He ran off a coach. He wasn't friendly. He wasn't well-liked by his peers (that's partially attributed to his stats). Then the rings started coming and things changed.

MJ didn't have this megawatt personality. By most accounts, he was reclusive early on. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time. He was uber athletic, and Nike needed a face. They saw what Dr. J did for Chuck Taylor. Insert Air Jordan and you have the most popular athletic shoe ever. MJ is much more Larry Bird than Magic Johnson. You rarely hear anything about Larry Legend. But we see Magic Johnson all the time broadcasting, pitching products, etc. When do we see Jordan? He's not even involved in his own shoe anymore. When we see Jordan, it's either with a stogie and a golf club, a stogie with some cards because he's gambling, or a stogie and a white woman. I love, love, love Jordan, although I hated the Bulls. It's just amazing to me how Jordan is on constant god status, so much so that the general public totally ignore who he truly is (which is really not a bad person at all, just much more regular than his star status suggests), because we want him to be what the commercials and the videos, and Eastbay, and Nike said he was. That's why we don't care that he wasn't a good husband...or that he had/has a gambling problem...or that he's a horrible basketball executive.
Most of the time, we dont' realize, he's great without us building him up. I think this is ultimately where Lebron will benefit. He's being built up the same way as MJ was. And he has a peer to look at as an example of what NOT to do (Kobe in Vail, Colorado).

With that said, Kobe has done a great job of rebuilding himself into a marketing icon....

Sorry for the LOOONNNNGGG post.