Kobe Bryant considers himself to be the best of all time, surpassing Michael Jordan and LeBron James. "I'm the best; Michael's second best; and Bron's third best." - Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant has won five NBA championships so far in his career and is one victory away from tying John Stockton for most all-time. He also owns the record for most 30-point games with 10.
Bryant set several records during his career including most points by a Los Angeles Lakers player (2471), highest field goal percentage in a season (.596) and in an MVP year (2005:.636). He also holds the record for most three-pointers made in a single game (9).
In 2008, ESPN ranked him number 1 on their list of The All-Time Top 10 Players. In 2009, he was voted number 2 behind Michael Jordan by fans and media who participated in the 2009 All-Star Game New York City Mini-Mall Challenge.
Kobe Bryant will likely remain among the top two or three players of all time for many years to come. He is only 33 years old and has already reached the half-way point of his career. It's very possible that he could continue to play at an extremely high level for several more seasons.
LeBron James is the best basketball player in the world right now. Most people, and maybe even most basketball players, would agree with that assertion. NBA commentator Nick Wright recently stated that LeBron James is the best athlete of all time, with no close second.
The best athletes in sports history are often judged by two main metrics: their overall contribution to their sport and the singular nature of their accomplishments. No single athlete has been able to contribute as much to his or her sport as LeBron James has; he's made an impact on every aspect of basketball from play design to marketing. He's also done so at a very young age; few players have ever matched what James has accomplished over such a long period of time.
As for his singular contributions, they're hard to top. In his first season as a starter, James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals where they lost to the Boston Celtics. Two years later, he helped the Cavaliers win their first championship. Last year, he became only the second player in NBA history to score 30 points in each game of a playoff series against the Chicago Bulls. The first was Shaquille O'Neal who did it in 2001.
It's safe to say that there is no one else in the league who can match what James has achieved during these early stages of his career.
As a player, Michael Jordan earned six NBA titles and six Finals MVP awards. Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the best basketball player of all time. He was also the first player to join the 50-40-90 club, achieving at least 40 points, 40 rebounds, and 90 assists in a season.
In addition to his on-court accomplishments, Jordan changed the game itself by introducing an array of innovative moves that are still used today, such as the crossover dribble, spin move, and three-point shot. He also popularized wearing numbers 0 through 9 during his career with the Chicago Bulls. Today, those are the only numbers that can be worn by players in the NBA.
After ending his career in 2003, Michael Jordan continued to influence the game through his presence alone - he is the only player in NBA history to have his number retired by both his team (the Chicago Bulls) and the league that they play in (the National Basketball Association).
Michael Jordan is the most successful player in NBA history, having won more than $1 billion in career earnings. His appearances on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine have been ranked as one of the greatest sports photos of all time.
Today, it's hard to imagine the NBA without MJ.
The simple answer is that Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time, not Kobe Bryant. I enjoy seeing Kobe play. He was a winner and a warrior with an unrivaled work ethic. However, he was not as good as Jordan on attack or defense. Kobe made the All-Star Game five times, while Jordan had more than that (six). Also, consider this: The Bulls won six championships in nine years from 1991 to 1999, whereas the Lakers have only one in the last 15 years.
Kobe has never been able to lead his team to the Finals. In three attempts, he has never gotten past the second round. Meanwhile, Jordan led the Bulls to four straight championship appearances from 1992 to 1995 before retiring.
Kobe's career averages of 27.4 points and 8.0 rebounds are respectable, but they're not great. He also makes too many mistakes with the ball. Although he's considered one of the best shooters ever, his true ability on offense is more along the lines of a volume shooter who can put up huge numbers but isn't particularly efficient. On defense, he's been criticized for not being strong enough against power forwards. However, when you consider that Jordan was a power forward himself, this criticism lacks merit.
In conclusion, Kobe Bryant is a great player who has some wonderful achievements in his career. But he isn't better than Michael Jordan.
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