Who’s Better: Kobe or Lebron?
by Derrick Isaiah Clyburn
The debate of who’s better Kobe or LeBron has been going on for years. Kobe and LeBron are arguably the best two players of this generation. The argument for LeBron is that he has better statistical numbers across the board and his impact on his team and the league is much greater than Kobe’s. LeBron also has been the most scrutinized player in the NBA and has exceeded expectations. He was the number 1 overall pick in his draft and has been the best player on all his teams, even during his rookie year, whereas Kobe did not start until his third season in the NBA. LeBron also took a team full of below-average players to the finals in 2007, whereas Kobe never went to the finals without another all-star.
LeBron to Seven Straight NBA Finals
Also, LeBron is the first player to ever lead his team to seven straight finals. He led the first team ever to come back from a 3-1 deficit in NBA Finals history. LeBron is also one of the most unselfish superstars of all time and is seen by many as the best passer in basketball today. His impact on the game is incredible and he brings the best out of all his teammates, whereas Kobe did not. Veterans take pay cuts just to play with him.
He is one of the few players in league history, where you can put him on any team and they are a championship contender. Lebron is already the all-time playoff’s leading scorer in his 14th season. And will be the playoff’s all-time assists leader and all-time steals leader. Top 5 in the playoff’s all-time rebound leaders, and top 15 in the playoff’s all-time block leaders. By the end of his career, he will be top two for most points of all time, top 10 in all-time assists, and top 15 in all-time steals.
The argument for Kobe is that he has more rings and has more of that killer mentality. Kobe is a great player, probably the closest thing to Michael Jordan we have ever seen. Whereas Lebron is more like Magic. He is a facilitator, a great scorer, and makes all of the hustle plays. He is always ready and willing to take over the game in the most pressured moments and take the last shot.
LeBron Distinguishes Himself
Some people argue that Kobe is a better scorer than LeBron even though he averaged fewer points than LeBron. Kobe is the league’s third all-time leading scorer. LeBron and Kobe are both great players. However, LeBron is a better overall player. Did a better job of making his teammates better, and has better stats across the board. He has more career accomplishments, and his impact on the game is much greater than Kobe’s. If you go by rings, you may side with Kobe, but Kobe was only the best player on his team on 2 of his 5 championship teams. On the other hand, LeBron has been the best player on all his championship teams.
In conclusion, both players are in the top 10 of all-time NBA basketball greats, but I would give the edge to LeBron over Kobe.
| Lebron James | ||||||||||||||
| 14 Years | MVP | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | Titles | All NBA First Teams | All Defensive Teams |
| Career | 4 | 1,061 | 1,061 | 38.9 | 50.10% | 34.2 | 7.3 | 7 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 27.1 | 3 | 11 | 6 |
| Playoff | 3 | 214 | 214 | 42.1 | 48.40% | 32.9 | 8.8 | 6.8 | 1.8 | 1 | 28.3 |
| Kobe Bryant | |||||||||||||||
| 14 Years | MVP | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | Titles | All NBA First Teams | All Defensive Teams | |
| Career | 1 | 1,346 | 1,198 | 36.1 | 44.7 | 32.8 | 7.3 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 25 | 5 | 11 | 12 | |
| Playoff | 2 | 220 | 200 | 39.3 | 44.8 | 33.1 | 8.6 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 25.6 |
I agree Lebron is the best all round player. But if I needed a closer I would take Kobe.