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Better than Mike? Kobe's game begs the ultimate question
Updated: Thursday May 24, 2001 8:04 AM
Are the Lakers that good? Seriously, are the Lakers really good enough to dismantle the Spurs, making them look like a junior-varsity team? Almost everyone thought San Antonio was primed to challenge L.A., or at least give the Lakers a tough test. The difference, however, has been Kobe Bryant. The Spurs have no answer for the strengths of Kobe. Or maybe it's that Kobe doesn't have any weaknesses. If he's that good, then we must ask the question: Is Kobe better than Michael Jordan? Don't laugh! Is Kobe better than Mike after his first four years in the league? Is Kobe better than Mike at the age of 22? It seems unfair to compare anyone to His Airiness, but the similarities make it impossible not to. We can all see that Kobe watched Jordan's "Come Fly with Me" tape over and over again. The fadeaways, the leaning dunks, the swagger and mannerisms all seem to be Jordan's. But many have tried to emulate or imitate Mike, and they've failed miserably. Remember Harold Miner, the Baby Jordan? Even some of today's stars who were given the title of "The Next Mike" -- Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse -- have fallen very short.
Kobe, on the other hand, not only has shown similarities to Jordan's game, but he's also demonstrated that he understands when to use those Jordanesque moves. And he's added some of his own personality as well. In all fairness, Kobe does have a clear advantage over Mike: He plays with the most dominant player in the league in Shaquille O'Neal. Mike always had to be the most dominant, as well as the most talented, but Kobe gets to defer a lot of the defensive attention, because he is the second option. Mike was never a second option. This freedom allows Kobe to roam offensively without always seeing double coverage. Mike always saw double coverage. It also allows him to play more aggressively defensively because of the luxury of playing alongside a great shot blocker and first-team defender. Jordan had Scottie Pippen, who became a great defender, but that wasn't until his later years. To see if the comparison is truly fair, we would have to strip Kobe of his clearest advantage -- Shaq. Maybe put him across town in a Clippers uniform and see if his development would have been the same. Back to reality, Kobe does have the rings, oh, excuse me, ring. I was a little premature. And again we can point to Shaq, or to the fact that the same man who watched and coached Jordan to his six rings, Phil Jackson, is mentoring Kobe. However, the undeniable will to win is there in both Kobe and Michael. One of the keys to it all is following a blueprint; imitation is not a bad thing. Mike had Julius Erving. He watched and studied what The Doctor had done, imitated it and added on to it. Think of the best singers: Doesn't Mary J. Blige sound like Aretha Franklin? R. Kelly sounds like Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band. The best in all fields imitate the best. It's a form of recognition; the past is not forgotten, but there's a new twist to it. It's a form of paying homage to the great players of the past while keeping your own identity. So is Kobe better? Maybe, maybe not. It's inconclusive. Mike did seem to be the first of his kind, and the magnitude of his impact on the game is unparalleled. Or was Kobe just born too late? Kenny Smith works as a studio analyst with host Ernie Johnson for TNT and TBS telecasts. He joined Turner Sports for the end of the 1997-98 regular season and playoffs, primarily as a studio analyst. Check out Kenny's sites: www.theusbc.com and www.carolinabasketballcamp.com.
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