Nope wrote on Apr 1, 2007 1:58 AM:Jordan was a team player, Kobe is a ball hog. Jordan is an exceptional basketball player and exceptional person. He doesn't cheat on his wife to be accused of a vicious rape. Kobe is giving basketball a bad name with his bad attitude, Shaq is way more upstanding any day, and you can't even put Kobe in the same realm.

Old man in a rocking chair wrote on Apr 1, 2007 2:00 PM:Mike. How old were you when MJ was playing for the Bulls? Were you even out of diapers? If you're old enough to remember Jordan in his heyday, you would not be making such an absurd argument. Kobe will never BE LIKE MIKE. And this inane blog might tick you off, huh?

What wrote on Apr 1, 2007 3:56 PM:I think Kobe is the World.

What wrote on Apr 1, 2007 4:01 PM:It's like We're Compared Maradona To Pele. I think Bryant is good as Jordan. I like both of them, no matter what happened in the past.

Dennis wrote on Apr 1, 2007 4:38 PM:Onether Kobe Bashing writer. Hi Loren, I bet you would not have written this post right before Kobe went on his scoring spree after they had just lost seven straight. Have you been watching the Lakers at all this year? Or are you just another troll jumping on the bandwagon to critsize Kobe just to have your name out there. Do you know how many shots Kobe had cut down to before they lost seven in a row? Thats right look it up and when you do,you will find that Kobe had cut his shots to 20 a game and was averaging nearly 6 assists a game... his scoring explosion was nessciated by the losing and I can't help but think its just what you Kobe bashers needed to finally get something this season to bash Kobe on.. (apart from labelling him a dirty player).... please get a clue before you write..

John wrote on Apr 2, 2007 6:47 AM:Of course not. Kobe is as selfish a player as there is. He always has to be "the man" and his style of play has hurt the Lakers as a team. They won't get very far in the playoffs. Jordan's skills and team play translated into multiple championships.

Ray wrote on Apr 2, 2007 7:46 AM:Bryant is a great player, no doubt. Michael Jordan was an exceptional athlete, team oriented leader and great person. With all respect to Bryant there is no comparison.

Kerron wrote on Apr 2, 2007 8:58 AM:Hey I love Jordan he was phenomenal, However scoring 63 in the playoffs is great but winning the game actually gives it validitiy. NBA fans always seem to forget that the Bulls lost in double overtime to the Celtics and ended up getting swept in the series. Kobe will never be regarded as highly as Jordan was, simply because the majority of the populace who watch NBA basketball never want to see the mystical legend that was Michael Jordan fade. Kobe may not be better than Mike , However he still has time to add to his legacy and the very fact that this conversation exists is a win for Kobe.

Slaves wrote on Apr 2, 2007 9:24 AM:People who denegrate Bryant in order to hype up MJ are slaves to ESPN and NIKE marketers who go out of their way to tell you day after day, year after year that Jordan was the greatest ever. The sad part about Kobe's scoring spree is that ESPN used it market Jordan - pitiful. Hey Loren, how many Laker games have you actually watched this year? Exactly - you catch the highlights and let ESPN spoon-feed you your opinion. It's funny because the one person who says Kobe is doing exactly what he needs to do and playing how he needs to play is the one person who's opinion matters - PHIL JACKSON! And according to him, Kobe does more in the triangle offense than MJ ever had to. Kobe > MJ.

JOKE! wrote on Apr 2, 2007 1:22 PM:...Hey Loren! Exactly how many titles has Steve Nash and LeBron James led their teams to? LOL! Yeah, great argument. Kobe has THREE RINGS! How many titles did Shaq win before Kobe became a full-time starter in the 2000 season? Yeah, do your next debate on that question.

Travis wrote on Apr 2, 2007 1:57 PM:You can't say Shaq won without Kobe, Because Shaq didn't win hell he wasn't even a factor he averaged about 6 points in the championship series. By the way Kobe WILL be better than Jordan ever dreamed of. I promise you that.

Michael wrote on Apr 2, 2007 3:11 PM:LeBron James is currently the best player in the NBA. Kobe who?

arpi wrote on Apr 2, 2007 6:41 PM:I think u are all haters.kobe is the best player.there are many other good players but it doesnt mean kobe is not a good player.forget about rape.it doesnt have to do anything with basketball. everyone plays diferent you cant say kobe is better than jordan.they both are good players,and stop talking like that about kobe.lets go lskersssssssssss.

To Michael wrote on Apr 3, 2007 10:00 AM:Yeah, LeBron's great jump shot, tenacious defense, and clutch play definately make him the best player... oh wait, he doesn't have either - OOPS! Guess you should actually watch games instead of Nike commercials.

Tru baller wrote on Apr 3, 2007 1:20 PM:IGHT LOOK HERE TO ALL U HATTERS KOBE IS WAY BETTER THAN SHAQ AND ALL THA...HE MAY NOT ME THE NEXT JORDAN BUT HE IS DAMN WELL THE CLOSEST OUT OF EVERYBODY...SO FOR THOSE OF U WHO THINK THA LEBRON JAMES IS THE NEXT JORDAN U GUYS R CLOWNS....STEP YA GAME UP AND RECONIZE THA KOBE IS CLEAN....

ricardo wrote on Apr 3, 2007 2:23 PM:kobe sucks he cant be compared 2 jordan at all he cant do de things jordan did so people need 2 stop comparing the 2 kobe can only be compared with PAT burk

Michael J wrote on Apr 3, 2007 3:02 PM:Every since Shaque left the lakers the team has been on a downward spiral. Why? Because they're a one-man team. It's boring to watch their style of play, i.e., get the ball to Kobe and watch him shoot. When you force up enough shots you're bound to score in the 50s & 60s.

Crazy wrote on Apr 3, 2007 3:40 PM:To Ricardo: yeah, 81 points in a game, outscoring an entire team by himself 62-61, and having five games of 50 plus points, three championship rings, and-to-be two scoring titles really "sucks". Get real. And Michael J, the Lakers have improved dramatically each year since Shaquille left, so what are you talking about? A one man team? Lamar Odom averages 16, 10 and 5. Luke Walton averages 12, 5 and 4. Kobe averages more assists per game (5)than most point guards who start in the NBA. Maybe you should know what you're talking about before you start hating on players.

James wrote on Apr 3, 2007 4:14 PM:What a stupid question...shouldn't even be dignified with an answer. But I will leave you with this: Jordan changed the game. Kobe imitates Jordan's game. There has never been a sequel better than the original.

GFN wrote on Apr 3, 2007 9:24 PM:James is right on!!!

Como? wrote on Apr 3, 2007 11:18 PM:Exactly how did Jordan change the game? Phil Jackson was on with Dan Patrick today, and said Kobe has a better jump shot, and handles the ball better than Jordan did. He also said Jordan was stronger, and was a better defender. So exactly how did Kobe, who's primarily a perimeter player, imitate Jordan, who WAS more of a slasher (I think you're confusing Kobe with LeBron James). And Jordan didn't win his first title until he was 28, which is Kobe's age now, and he's sporting three rings already - and Joke! was right, how many rings did Shaq win in the eight seasons he played before Kobe became a full-time starter? NONE.

polo wrote on Apr 4, 2007 12:22 AM:MJ was the best of his era. He played in a time when basketball was about a team. Players were fundamentally sound. you had magic, bird, stockton... all great players, but they also knew how to play the game. and so did the 6th and 7th men on the team as well . .. . kobe is the best of his era. but basketball has changed. it is media driven now. made for espn. players are bigger and stronger, but much dumber (in the basketball IQ sense). if kobe grew up in the 80's who knows. but he didnt. jordan elevated his "team" to another level. kobe just elevates himself to another level.

MJforeva wrote on Apr 4, 2007 2:52 AM:You know what Kobe can play basketball and he does not have much talent around him. They are all role players who look up to Kobe. When Jordan played for the Bulls he had a lot of role players to. Sure he had Pip but they both made each other who they are in a way. Jordan was a leader and his teammates were willing to listen to him and give in on what he wanted out of them on the court. Kobe cant handle his troops. Kobe has some great talent, but we will never see another player like Jordan.

GFN wrote on Apr 4, 2007 9:11 PM:Arpi, you are right...rape doesn't have anything to do with basketball. Basketball is entertainment; rape isn't. Good job, Arpi, for bringing it to our attention.

JR wrote on Apr 5, 2007 7:45 PM:No way, Jose! Jordan is the man! Wilmington, NC in the house! Tarheels will always rule!

Huh? wrote on Apr 6, 2007 6:22 AM:This debate is about as intriguing and earth-shattering as a computerized simulation of a fictional matchup between cartoon-like characters Rocky Balboa and Mason 'The Line' Dixon in a really bad movie.

RandyR wrote on Apr 6, 2007 10:52 AM:Alot of you commentors have not BBall IQ. When Jordan played, the defensive rules were different. It was geared for 1-on-1 matchups. When KB scored his 63, 81 and 4 games of 50+ the zone defense and double teaming were and still are in effect. Much more harder to score as an individual. As far a pure BBall skills KB has it. MJ has the team game down, but after years of being the ball hog on a lowly Bulls team. KB is learning what it takes to be a leader now and has increased his all-around game to more assist and being more involved in the game plan. The Laker are a young talented team but experience will make them better. When KB retires bring this article back out and start debating then. But for now enjoy what KB is doing because he is one of the hardest working players in the NBA right now.

Paul wrote on Apr 10, 2007 6:11 PM:I will have to say from a comparison standpoint that if there is such a thing as close to Jordan, that Kobe would be it, but he's not there, not on that same killer level. Not the same amount of class or respect for the game. I've looked at tons of tape and compared the differences of the defenses from the 80's and early 90's until now. Not the same, it was a more physical style of D back then, with smarter players playing it, pounding on Jordan. All a person has to do is go back to the old tapes, old film and watch Mike tear the league a new asshole in his 20's. Kobe was right when he said they were two different players, to me Michael was way more explosive and had more of a burning passion to win, the passion was so intense you could see it in his eyes, his teammates could also see this, that stuff is catching. I don't see the same thing in Kobe. Mike was still schooling the league in his late 30's, if Kobe and Mike met in their 20's we wouldn't even be talking about Kobe. A young mike would over power and dominate him, saw it too many times. Shaq left LA because he was fed up with this young man. Some of the stuff Kobe did to him was almost unforgivable. Now look at Shaq done already won another championship with a player that appreciates the big fella. Last before I put this subject to rest what really bothers me is this man does not give Michael his respect or dues, when asked who his favorite player was he said Magic. I never saw him wear any of Magic's shoes in a game, the only comments he gives Jordan is that same old sarcasm he carries around. Michael gave respect to the greats and that along with his many accomplishments, and burning fire winning attitude makes him the Greatest Basketball Player of all, Kobe knows this deep down inside and so does the rest of the world.

Bigg V wrote on Apr 17, 2007 9:47 AM:You know... Kobe MAY be as good a scorer as MJ was. Possibly. But scoring is just one aspect of Mike's game. Let's not forget he was a shut-down defender as well, and a great all-around player. As a Chicagoan who grew up in the 80's, I had the privilege of watching him do his thing LIVE many times at the old Chicago Stadium and then United Center. Mike RARELY got embarrassed while on defense (cue Allen Iverson crossover talk) - Kobe gets burned more times that not while playing a team with a decent 2 or 3. When it comes to winning - there's no comparison. I'll always stand by my thought that it's much easier to win championships with a GREAT post player, like a Shaq, than with another wing-type player, no matter how good/great they are (like Scottie Pippen). I know I'm biased, but I'd even rank the Bulls Dynasty ahead of those Celtic teams of Mr. Rings - Bill Russell. Why? Because there were only 9-11 teams in the league at that time. If you could beat the one or two other good teams, then you were guaranteed a spot in the Finals. MJ's squads played in the modern 30-32 team league. And Mike played in an era where the players, while maybe not as physically gifted as these freaks now (like LeBron and Dwight Howard - BEASTS), were much more fundamentally sound and better BASKETBALL players. Look at the Hall of Fame careers MJ kept from winning the big prize: Barkley, Drexler (had to go to Houston, AND while MJ was retired), Hakeem (again, while Mike was chasing curveballs), Ewing, Stockton and Malone... back to back, Reggie Miller, the Cleveland Cavalier FRANCHISE... I could go on and on. Bottom line, I've never been a Kobe fan, but the man can flat GO on the basketball court. Saying that he's not in MJ's league isn't a bad thing, because I honestly don't think ANYONE is in his leaguue. Kobe's a killer, but he doesn't have that BIG GAME killer instinct that MJ made a LIVING on... 81 points on a garbage Toronto squad, at HOME - it's cool to see, but nowhere NEAR as impressive as scoring 63 on a Boston Celtic team full of Hall of Famers... in the playoffs. Kobe's probably the best in the game right now... but I think Wade is rapidly approaching. If LeBron gets more consistency, and shows some effort on the defensive end night in and night out, he'll be up there. He's got the physical tools to change the game again. And he's just now 22. ...but there'll NEVER be another MJ. (Also, for those talking about the Lakers getting to the Conf. Finals at least... you are on something WAY more expensive than crack. It takes Kobe scoring 50 to barely beat the Sonics - think they have a shot at Dallas, Phoenix or San Antonio in the first round? They'll be lucky to get a game... write it down.)

Tony T wrote on Apr 17, 2007 11:32 AM:Kobe and Michael are nothing alike. Mike is more of a Elbow down type of player and Kobe is an everywhere type of player.The difference in them is Jordan knew what he was going to do and took what he wanted. if he wanted to take a fade away he was going to take a fade away and no one was going to stop him. Kobe is a take what you give him type of player If you give him a 29 foot 3 pointer he will take it if you give him the drive he will take it. Offensively Kobe is better He has more range and better overall skills.Jordan is defensively better.People need to let go of there old heroes and live in the moment before you miss the greatest player of all time. Its like Ali when he was fighting he was the Louisville Lip and he wouldn't beat Liston or Frazier or Foreman, now you hear analysts no one could ever beat Ali. They would have enjoyed it much more if they would have lived in the moment. So i bet you any amount of money the same Kobe haters when he retire will be telling their kid s Oh you should have got a chance to watch him play. And stop saying that Kobe Isn't the best player in the league Lebron cant shoot and doesn't have the sense to drive the ball every 2 0r 3 possession when hes so strong that no one can stop when he does that. Now don't get me wrong D wade is my boy but he is no Kobe,He will be one of the greats if he can stay healthy but for now he not there.He as Lebron doesn't have the range but like i said he will be the next. And Steve Nash his problem is that he is to unselfish hes always trying to get someone else involved, the way to beat the suns is to stay with your men and let him score, he will wait till there is 5 seconds left on the clock then try to score. Why do you think they cant beat the spurs, they put one person on him, stay in the passing lanes and the score will be in the 80's and they will lose. So in conclusion Kobe other than wilt chamberlain is a one man team . Last year he out scored the Dallas Mavericks for 3 quarters, He scored 81 points in one game.Taking into consideration his size and the age that he is playing in he is the greatest player ever.He is still one of the best one on one defenders in the game. And he is the only one on his team. So stop hatin and start congratulatin.

Joe wrote on Apr 18, 2007 6:39 PM:Lebron to be honest isn't even in the ballpark of either of these players. He has a long long way to go. He gets hurt next year, he is just another could have been. Kinda like Grant Hill. If we are talking about best of all time, well Kobe is by far better then Jordan. The game has progressed so much since Jordan was around. Kobe Bryant has played the last few seasons with 0 help caused by either no players or injuries. Kobe Bryant by himself took one of the leagues best teams to 7 games. He can score 60 at will. He can defend anyone in the league. He can be one of the best passers in the league if his teammates would hit shots. He can hit a higher degree of difficulty shot then anyone int he history of the game without even thinking about it. Right now, he is the best player the game has ever seen. If he had the marketing Jordan had then this conversation would be the other way around.

Jeremy wrote on Apr 19, 2007 11:13 AM:Kobe is a good plaer that just doesnt know what team success is all about. He's 28 and should know better right now. Remember Michael was able to get alot of points within the offense - cuts, rebounds, and various different ways of finding openings in the D. Meantime the bulk (90% of Kobe's points are off the dribble and at the foul line. Sorry to say but to put things in perspective even AI attempts less shots off the dribble than Kobe, Sixers and Nuggets. Kobe needs to realize that years from now no one remembers 80 points over a championship, i.e. I'm people think of Mike's 6 titles before his 63 vs. Boston, as great a performance as that was.

itz koke eye wrote on Apr 24, 2007 11:30 AM:u clowns have no clue wut u r talkin about..Kobe is a way better offensive threat than jordan ever dreamed of being. Even when jordan was a ballhog he never hit 81 points or had four 50+ games. Kobe is a sharpshooter and a defense master.this "jordan is the greatest" theory is nonsense and not even logical. kOBE'S all around game is far superior to jordans.Better handles, better shot, better offensive weapon. Case-closed.If yall wud stop being all in love with jordan u could wake up and smell the coffee.

BOOGIE wrote on Apr 24, 2007 11:40 AM:hOW ABOUT THIS, WE WILL NEVER ACTUALLY SEE WHO IS GREATER BECAUSE THEY NEVER PLAYED IN ECH OTHERS PRIME..EVERYBODY JUST DROP IT AND WATCH SESEAME STREET FOR PETE'S SAKE.

peele wrote on Apr 24, 2007 11:48 AM:at the end of the day, it is all about isaih thomas. he was the best guard to live so screw jordan and kobe. that stuff is nonsense. we have more better things to worry bout than kobe vs jordan. like if im getting evicted 2morrow

darkness wrote on Apr 24, 2007 11:50 AM:even george bush said jordan was better so lets leave it at that, plz

Bigg V wrote on Apr 25, 2007 10:48 AM:How about people that aren't even old enough to REMEMBER or actually SEE MJ play not say anything? All you KNOW is Kobe... and if you saw MJ, it was when he played for Washington. Go take a nap... Mike was better all around - EASILY. Kobe is the best in the game presently... but that gap is closing with players like Wade and LeBron coming. Done...

Sean C wrote on Apr 25, 2007 10:54 PM:I read a lot of the comments and this is what I think: -Yes, Jordan did not win his first championship until he was 28, but so what? Jordan went to UNC and started later than Kobe did. Kobe came straight out of high school. But even if you minus a few years off of Kobe, yeah, he still got the championship rings faster, but who cares? Dwayne Wade has one ring already. Does that make him a better player than Jordan or Kobe? No. -Phil Jackson might have said that Kobe shoots better than Jordan. But overall, Jordan was the better player: a great defensive player, a "team" player and undoubtly a superstar. -63 Points Against Bird and Celtics: When the user named Kerron said that Jordans 63 points did not matter is completely wrong. Yes, Jordan lost that game, but cmon, that was Larry Bird and the freaking '86 Celtics IN THE PLAYOFFS. Kobe won most of his 50+ point games in March because they were all below .500 teams. Jordan was up against a great team. IF Kobe scored 63 on the Mavericks and LOST, I would be very impressed that Kobe gave it his all against a great team, REGARDLESS of him losing. But until that happens, Jordan is still the GOAT. -If you take out "how old" they were and you put the stats year by year with Jordan and Kobe, Jordan wins in almost every category. Kobe certainly has his ownage, but Jordan clearly dominates. Honestly, if I am lying, then those stat keepers should be fired right? Wrong. By the way, I AM a person that was old enough to see Bulls games. I have been to Bulls games since the '92 season thanks to my parents. Ive seen most of Jordans games in the 90s so I can argue between Jordan and Kobe. To those others that have actually watched MANY of Jordans games, then you have the right to argue. I have seen many of Kobe games since 2000. It is so clear that Jordan is a better player. You honestly just have to watch the games. I do not have anything against Kobe for being a great shooter. Kobe will go down in history as one of the best shooters of all-time, but a better basketball player than Jordan is completely ludacris. I only think why people are so sensitive to this subject is because a lot of us are either from Chicago or from Cali. Cali wont side with Jordan, Chicago wont side with Kobe. It wont ever end.. but until Kobe retires, we will finally see who most definitely was the better player. Remember.. it wont ever end until the day Kobe retires. --Sean.

Steve wrote on May 5, 2007 2:10 AM:You can look up every statistical catagory and Jordan wins over Kobe hands down. I challenge you Kobe fans to do that. Kobe only wins over Jordan with an 81 point game against a losing team and his 4 straight 50 point games against an inferior league to the one Jordan played in. Jordan wins over ALL of the other catagories without question. I would end the debate right there but there's more. Much more. For instance... Jordan played in a day in age where there was a greater influx of talent AND legends in the game. Reggie Miller, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Isiah Thomas, Hakeem "the dream", Larry Bird, Karl Malone, Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, Dominique Wilkins, David Robinson, Penny Hardaway, Jason Kidd and Shaq was up and coming who Jordan and the Bulls beat in the finals against the Magic. Who compares to these players now besides just a couple of names you Kobe fans can come up with? Next, there were excellent teams that emphasized on team play that don't exist now. The Celtics, the Rockets, The Pistons, The Lakers, The Sonics, The Jazz etc. Who do you have now who's that consitantly good or even close? Jordan rose above them all. I don't care if they say that Kobe is an equal scorer although that's difficult to believe when he's averaging barely over 24 points a game during his entire career while Jordan averaged 30.1 over his but let's pretend for a moment that it's true. What about the other aspects of the game? Let's say (and this is not exaggerating) that Jordan had one more rebound, steal, blocked shot and assist per game. You mind as well add another 8 points contribution to that 30.1 scoring average. He simply contributed way more to his team than Kobe does PERIOD! That's what made Jordan a winner. Next, As far as athetics are concerned, You people forget very easily how graceful, lightening quick, creative and percise Jordan was in his prime. His leaping ability is still unsurpassed as well. His form and grace could never be improved upon and that includes Kobe. Take Jordan's team leadership into consideration and there's no contest. Take his drive and desire to win and there's no contest there either. Kobe is just out for himself. Kobe may have three championships but that's all a tribute to Shaq who scored most of the points. Who was the most valuable player in those 3 Laker championships? Then again, how many did Jordan have? Who was the MVP in those 6 finals series? I rest my case. The other pertinent thing to take into consideration is intelligence on the court which Jordan again wins hands down. To know when to be selfish and to know when to involve your teammates means everything. To know what moves to make at the right time is secondary but also very important. Kobe knows nothing about these things. He shoots when he should be passing the ball. He plays showman when he should be looking to create an easier shot. And finally, for you people out there who are waiting for Kobe's career to end so you can stack it up against Jordan's, remember this... take into consideration that while Kobe joined the NBA at 17 and didn't do much his first couple of years but did manage to put up a few stats, Jordan was in college winning a NCAA championship. Also, keep in mind that Jordan retired for two years during his prime from age 28 to 30 which is a crying shame. Who knows if the Bulls would have won 8 straight? Who knows what numbers he would have put up during those two years? Not that I'm worried in the least bit that Kobe will ever match Jordan's accomplishments but these points of interest do show how much greater Jordan was than Kobe will ever be! Micheal Jordan was a winner. Kobe is not. PERIOD!!! Steve

Chris wrote on Jun 3, 2007 11:25 PM:Kobe Bryant is a better All around Player than Jordan Offensively, their is no question about that, and a slightly better defender,...Jordan guarded the likes of John Starks, and when guarding players with the dribbling abilty of damon stoudemire and tim hardaway and iverson etc. Jordans shutdown defense was rendered almost useless....Jordan didnt have to guard players with killer cross overs and insane spin moves etc....Do you really think Jordan can guard dwyane wade one on one as well as Kobe can...this is Kobes era he knows how defend that type of player because they play his style of ball...Kobe would easily shut down the like of john starks....there are so many details i can get into to illustrate that KOBE is a better player than jordan but right no wi dont have the time...all i kno is that i will tell my KIDS that KOBE BRYANT was THE GREATEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME

Justin wrote on Jun 5, 2007 5:50 PM:Okay listen The dude who said the 81 points doesnt match up to jordans 63 agianst the hall of fme packed celtics umm hows kobes 68 agianst the dallas mmavericks big guy kobe bryant is a down right filthy basketball player he can take jump shots from half court dude hes unstopable and jordan did win that one championship in 98' with out pippen but he had 2 other all stars on that team...and a great coach mind u okay so kobe cant win without shaq umm its more like kobe just hasnt one without shaq yet people people he is 28 years umm thats how old jordan was when he one his first chapionship i agree with Chris i watched a tape of iversons rookie year jordan gaurding him iverson dropped 32 points and broke jordans ankles with a nasty spin move and that mean crossover if kobe and jordan played 1-on-1 kobes wins a close but well fought game...Kobe whould win with his defense and prove That the game today is way better then it was in the late 80's and 90's everyone is good these days they are all athletic and have jumping abilitys its wasnt like that back in the day Okay jordans career stats crush kobes...Umm Kobes career is far far form over soo thats out of the ?...umm kobe tookk a couple years to develop when he entered the nba jordan was an impact right off the back....Kobe drafted outta high school jordan played college ball soo scratch that...Jordan 6 ring..kobe 3...Jordans career over..kobe bout 7-8 years left...Kobes played injured soo many times and led this horrible laker team kobe wasnt a ball hog when shaq was around why? because he had someone to pass the ball to he doesnt have anyone to pass the gosh darn ball to right now i mean seriously Kobe wants to win thats all he cares about he doesnt care if he scores no points he wants to win and this trade talk and demand of some change is proof that he doesnt just want to score he wants to win dont people realize that....thats all i got to say and as chris says i will be telling my kids Kobe Bryant greatest basketball player of all time.

Paul wrote on Jun 12, 2007 11:02 AM:What's wrong with you jordon jockers? Michael averages more FGA per game than Kobe has in his career. Since Shaq, Fox, Fisher, Horry, Malone, and Payton left the Lakers for various reasons (retirement, trade, free agency, or some other reason), the Lakers lost 4 starters from the team that made the NBA Finals in 2004 I believe, so the situations aren't comparable. MJ was a bigger ballhog than Kobe could ever hope to be. Michael could never get out of the first round of the NBA playoffs without Pippen and Jackson, plus Grant/Rodman. Phil Jackson helped Shaq and Kobe win 3 titles in LA, plus he had the help of Tex Winter's triangle offense. Lebron is a great player, but he is going to have to work on his free throw shooting, but Lebron isn't comparable to Kobe and Michael. He's more similar to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the type of game he plays. Lebron is more than willing to pass the ball, and get his teammates involved. MJ was selfish and reluctant to pass the ball. In fact, Phil Jackson got angry with him when he asked jordon who was open, and the reply was a sheepish "Pax was open.", referring to John Paxson, one of the most accurate perimeter shooters in NBA history, especially with the three point shot.

ol' skool wrote on Jul 5, 2007 10:56 PM:In response to James's comment about the fact that Jordan changed the game abd Kobe imitates Jordan's game - you are just saying that no one can be compared to history. In that case, why compare at all - heck, Dr J could be thought of as the pioneer before Jordan. Not to mention Isiah and Magic. I do tell you this though, it is probably most ppl's opinion that MJ was a lot more beautiful to watch. He was shorter to start of with, which means his air time looks better. But there is no doubt that KB and MJ have similar games - both have similar fadeaways, reverse layups and so forth - MJ also took a lot of shots (40+) at some games reminiscent of KB's 06 season..

Melvin wrote on Jul 29, 2007 8:17 PM:Stop the comparison. In all aspects of the game in the spirit of comparison, KOBE is the best and the greatest player who ever played basketball. SKILL wise. Are you blind kobe haters? So obvious right? look literally, and you will notice that KOBE unfolds to the universe the beauty and the art of basketball. The dunks, jumps, spin move, lay up, fade away, beyond the arc, everything. Dont rationalize, LITERALLY KOBE is better. Attitude? KOBE is the ultimate homo sapien with a killer instinct. KOBE is greater than Zeus, the most resilient player to handle pressure. RECORD? look at the record book. Who is MJ? KOBE destroyed them all. Dont be subjective, all the resplendent constellations in this vast universe that know deep down in their hearts that KOBE is not a human being. HE IS THE MASTER. If MJ is a god KOBE is the Lord of the gods. WRITE THIS DOWN.

SP wrote on Jul 30, 2007 11:28 AM:firstly lmfao to dennis's post its all true...loren is complete fool for ever writing this article, I would wedgey him if he was standing beside me right now...hes so blinded by all the negative things reporters like him say in the media to see what a naturally gifted genius kobe really is on the court. The game has never seen a player so gifted not even MJ...Loren you'll see at the end of the career where he stands...just give him a supporting cast...and also "NOPE" who posted the first comment is also a homo

T-man wrote on Sep 13, 2007 12:38 AM:Some of you up in here talking about KB24 shooting the ball too many times, listen to yourself. If we pick you or some NBA players for that matter and put you in a gym with a ball and a basketball court, for 48 minutes (just you, the court and the ball) you wouldn’t be able to score 81 points. Kobe did that with multiple hands on his face, multiple bodies pushing up on him, while guarding somebody at the other end of the floor, most of his shots from long range, and still putting up some show for the viewers. Don’t also forget that Lakers were down by 14. He did what he did because he wanted to win. What about the FIBA qualifying games that was played in Vegas few weeks ago? What did that tell you about Kobe? What did the other great players of our era say about Kobe? What did the coaches say about Kobe? They said, He is the hardest working man they have ever seen, the best defender they have ever seen or played with and a team player. If KB24 does for the Lakers what he did for team U.S.A, the Lakers would be the worst team in the league. Guys what you don’t understand is the fact that numbers don’t lie. Two time in a row scoring champion, three championship rings, almost a dozen all star appearances, multiple times all NBA first team, multiple times all NBA DENFENSIVE team, All star MVPs, slam dunk champion, gold medalist for his country, 35points per game average for a season for this era, 62 points in three quarters, and many more. These are just a few from the top of my head. (Imagine if I look things up!). Kobe scores almost at will. He got killer crossovers, dunks over Mr. Ming and the likes. He loves challenges and pushes himself to be better everyday. Have you even noticed him going to K. Brown after a play or Lamar or S. Parker? He is a leader for the team, he plays to win, he is aggressive, he is competitive, and he has four more championships left in him (mark my words). He earned his name “the ASSASIN’ and I suggest you earn your name as a writer.

enz. wrote on Sep 25, 2007 1:45 AM:Kobe never got an MVP award. Do not compare him to the player who got 6 MVP awards in only 15 years.

lech wrote on Sep 27, 2007 2:51 AM:Yes it is true that Kobe is a great player, possibly the best basketball player in the NBA today, but please let's stop comparing him to Michael Jordan, let alone saying he's a better basketball player than MJ. People who do this are either too young to have watched MJ play, or are "MJ haters" because they were rooting for other players in MJ's time, players who had no chance of winning the championship because of MJ. Let me quote a post by someone comparing MJ and Kobe's stats from age 21-28, so that you'll see the light: "Fair enough, so long as we keep things in perspective (viz., the fact that the only reason Kobe had 3 rings before age 28 was because of Shaq; would he have had one ring if he were the franchise player with a team built around him? Possibly. But definitely not 3). Here you go, through age 28 (Kobe will be 28 this August): Career averages through age 28: Jordan: 33.0 pts, 6.4 reb, 6.0 ast, 2.8 stl, 1.1 blk (52.3% FG) Kobe: 27.6 pts, 5.9 reb, 5.3 ast, 1.7 stl, .6 blk (45.3% FG) Career playoff averages through age 28: Jordan: 34.6 pts, 6.8 reb, 7.1 ast, 2.5 stl, 1.1 blk (51% FG) Kobe: 26.1 pts, 5.4 reb, 5.1 ast, 1.5 stl, .7 blk (44% FG) # of All-NBA First Team selections: Jordan 5, Kobe 4 # of All-NBA First or Second Team selections: Jordan 6, Kobe 6 # of MVP's: Jordan 2, Kobe 0 # of Finals MVP's: Jordan 1, Kobe 0 # of championships: Jordan 1, Kobe 3 # of championships as the best player on his team: Jordan 1, Kobe 0 Average PER by age 28: Jordan 30.2, Kobe 24.4 Average EFF by age 28: Jordan 33.4, Kobe 24.9 # of seasons above 57% TS: Jordan 5, Kobe 0 # of seasons above 60% TS: Jordan 4, Kobe 0 # of seasons above 1.2 ppfga: Jordan 4, Kobe 0 # of top 3 finishes in MVP voting: Jordan 5, Kobe 1 # of DPOY awards: Jordan 1, Kobe 0 # of Defensive First Team selections: Jordan 4, Kobe 4 # of seasons above 2 steals/gm: Jordan 6, Kobe 1 # of seasons above 1 block/gm: Jordan 3, Kobe 1 # of seasons shooting over 50%: Jordan 5, Kobe 0 # of seasons shooting 48% or better: Jordan 6, Kobe 0 # of seasons shooting 4.5+% above the league average: Jordan 4, Kobe 0 # of seasons shooting 3+% above the league average: Jordan 5, Kobe 0 # of scoring titles: Jordan 5, Kobe 1 # of steals titles: Jordan 2, Kobe 0" Take note that MJ played in an era where Defense was the focus of the game. Again, Kobe is a great player, possibly the best in the NBA today, but please stop this nonsense about him being better than MJ because it's not even close, even after all of Kobe's recent scoring exploits.

Terry wrote on Oct 14, 2007 6:59 AM:lech, you are the man!!! so very well said I need to say no more!!!

beeks wrote on Nov 2, 2007 4:25 PM:kobe is a good player and will be remebered; Jordan is a legend.

john wrote on Nov 3, 2007 7:07 AM:Yeah i agree with lech, back when jordan played they let the defense do a lot more than they do today like the hand check rule. Todays NBA is tailored around the offense which is why it's easier for offensive players like kobe to just go off at will. I like how the people who back KOBE don't ever bring any crucial facts like lech did to the table to show who is truly better. Also jordan made his team better unlike mr. bryant which is why all the players on the bulls seemed so great because of jordan. What happened to steve kerr after he left the bulls????? NOTHING!!!!!!

C-note wrote on Nov 6, 2007 8:13 PM:First off Kobe needed everyone of those 81 to win that game.Any coach would tell you feed the hot hand, that boy was on fire.Before you call him a ball hog think about that he needed to score that much to beat the raptors. The RAPTORS.come on man.Everyone who is a real basketball fan watched the olympic team dominate.kobe's perfomance showed that if you get in the right spot when the double comes he'll get you the ball.wait until he gets another star in LA before you judge him.MJ and kobe can not be compared by championships(or else Horace Grant was a better forward than Karl Malone) or stats(John Stockton was a better Point than Magic).Jordan was the prototype for the his era.Its over.Kobe's time is now.Think about this since kobe was a SR in high school every one was tellin that him that he was the next Jordan. I can't imagine what thats like. He won his championships early.Then shaq left. If you think that the lakers have had anything close to a championship team since shaq left you should reach out as far as you can and try to touch your face to your palm as fast as you can. Micheal, Magic , Larry , KOBE WHAT?

Kathy wrote on Nov 23, 2007 9:46 PM:Kobe is not better than Micheal Jordan maybe in his dreams he is. Let's see why he is not first of all Micheal has six rings compared to Kobe's three. Almost every year when Micheal was in his prime his team made it two the second round or the east finals.While Kobe's team can not even make it out of the first round. Plus Micheal had good defense players on his team people like Scottie Pipen, Dennis Rodman, and Horace Grant something Kobe's team does not have.

Kathy wrote on Nov 23, 2007 9:58 PM:Kobe is not better than Micheal. Here's way Kobe has three rings while Mcheal has six rings.Kobe's team cannot make it out of the first round of the playoffs when Micheal was in his prime his team made it to the second round of the playoffs or the east finals.Kobe did not go to college while Micheal went to the University of North Carolina.

Scott wrote on Mar 19, 2008 12:22 PM:Just an idea, how many of you reading this blog and making comments believe that the Bulls would have had 8 straight Championship rings if MJ didn't take off the time he took after his father was killed. Now ask yourself do you ever see anyone, team, etc.. having a shot at 8 rings straight. I realistically can't see anyone that could have done it but MJ.

kameron wrote on Jun 1, 2008 7:32 PM:8 rings 4 mj if he didnt retire never impossible with injuries amongst other things u cant really compare because of different eras but say u could kobe can go rt or lt strong jordan preferred rt jordan defense better than kobe but hand checking was legal kobe been first team all defense for years allow him to hand check and you would have bruce bowen with a laker jersey jordan made team better which kobe has begun to buy in jordan relentless at all times whether offense or defense honestly kobe is the new version of mj i mean he blueprinted mj game with hes on flavor kobe numbers are lower than mj for a couple of reasons he was 18 in the nba he takes 3 point shots which jordan didnt do much of but i agree jordan might have the numbers but kobe legacy is still going no one stopped jordan he got the calls no one stops kobe if kobe is not on mj level now maybe later but he is the closest lebron never kobe was up 3-1 on phoenix wit smush and kwame the same kwame mj couldnt even deal wit so give both there props and just be patient for kobe hes only 29 with 3 rings hes story hasnt end

Shaq wrote on Jun 6, 2008 12:30 AM:After the sweep can we go back to the other debate, the Kobe can not do it without Shaq one?

SkyR wrote on Sep 28, 2008 9:34 PM:Skill is the same thing as potential. It means absolutely nothing without results. MJ has them and the hardware both individually and team-wise. Jordan led his team to titles without a legit center. Shaq was the one who led Kobe to those rings. And Wilt, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Kareem, and Magic Johnson, were better Lakers than Kobe.

NBA defense was tougher in Jordan's day, Kobe plays in the conference where everyone scores 100 pts/game and with a defensive 3-sec rule in place, it's not even a true zone defense today, just a watered-down man-to-man. Touch fouls are as common as ever and it's a lot easier for Kobe to drive the lane and get to the line.

Jordan may not have scored 81 pts in one game or 4 straight games of 50 PPG. He's just averaged 37.3 points in a season (over Kobe's 35), 41 PPG in one Finals (Kobe, not even close) 30.1 PPG overall in his career (tied with Wilt for #1) (Kobe....only 25) and 33.4 PPG career in the playoffs (#1 all time...Kobe..only 24.3 PPG) so Jordan is a more dynamic scorer than Kobe.

It's no question Jordan is better than Kobe. Phil's already said Jordan's the best interior player of all time and that he could average 40 PPG in his prime today. He averaged 20-25 PPG (still dropping 40 and 50-pt games) at the age of 40 with constant bad knees, imagine what he would have done in his prime.

SkyR wrote on Sep 28, 2008 9:37 PM:Rings are a team thing. Kobe can win 4-5 more of them and it wouldn't matter in the comparison to MJ, especially if he's not Finals MVP in any of them. He's a great player. Top 10-15, but he has a while to go before he even equals Mike. He's not winning 6 Finals MVP's and by the time he passes MJ in stats, he'll have been in the league longer than Mike, even if you throw out those Kobe's earlier years