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Reaction: Kobe Bryant We've seen MJ, and Kobe is no MJPosted: Monday May 21, 2001 7:51 PMUpdated: Monday May 21, 2001 8:07 PM Kobe Bryant has turned the NBA playoffs into his personal playground. Most recently, he scored 45 points in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against San Antonio, which prompted Shaquille O'Neal to say that Kobe is the league's best player and compared him to Michael Jordan. Apparently, most of you disagree. We asked for your opinion on this topic, and most of you think Kobe is no MJ. Keep reading for a sample of your responses. Kobe the best? Absolutely not! Kobe is not the best! Being the best entails making those players around you better. Everyone knows that the one player who carries the L.A. Lakers is Shaq. Can Kobe be the best? I believe he can, once he gets over himself and just plays the game with that love and heart that His Airness played with. But no matter what he does ... Kobe will never be Michael.
Quite simply, no. Kobe Bryant is not the best player in the league. He is in the top five, but he doesn't win games, Shaq does. Sure, he got 90-plus points in his past two games, but remember, without Shaq, he wouldn't be able to move. Iverson, Shaq and Garnett are all above Bryant right now. Bryant will be the best, but he's still too young. A few more years and he and Carter can battle for the top rank.
No, for one simple reason: He has not yet shown that he makes his teammates better. Kobe is, and will always be, Kobe first. He's basically an updated version of Dominique Wilkins, with a better outside shot, playing with the game's most dominating center.
Greatness encompasses more than points, more than rebounds, more than assists ... more than any statistic that can be displayed in the Sunday paper. This should serve as news to no one. In a season riddled with internal strife, caused most likely by the mammoth egos of two of the game's present-day greats, the answer to the question at hand should be evident. Put simply, that answer is no ... not yet, at least. To clarify my answer, I will define greatness as not only the ability to dominate the game itself, but something more; an intangible quality that stretches far beyond the boundaries of the basketball court. Greatness enshrouds the locker room as teammates race to embrace their clear-cut leader after a win. Greatness lingers over the media as they hover around that one player, that one presence that everyone with a microphone is craving to get close to, who will look the questioner in the eye and answer with their heart, regardless of whether the day proved to be triumphant or a let-down. Greatness pans out across the local community in which the player resides, but also the global community. Michael Jordan set the standard for greatness, and I have yet to see any one player capture the hearts and imaginations of young and old alike, basketball fans, as well as the casual onlooker, as he did (and still does, years after retirement). What we are witness to today in Kobe Bryant is the promise of greatness to come, the promise of a dream.
Is Kobe the best in the game? Of course, why? He's 22, has a ring and amidst all of the rumors including trade rumors, he has managed to shine bright. Heck, he made the Twin Towers look like Webster.
Kobe is NOT the best player in the game. He is the most hyped player in the game. Duncan and Iverson are far more dominant and more consistent. When was the last time Duncan didn't get 20 and 12? Kobe might have the most skill, but he is not the best player. Skill does not equal greatness; it's about how well you use it.
I truly think that Shaq made that statement only to make an amends with Kobe. If he didn't have all of that Purple & Gold in his locker, he would realize that Allen Iverson is truly the most exciting and best player in the NBA. And truly, I think Kobe falls behind Vince Carter. Kobe gets only as much attention as he does because he plays in L.A., with a good supporting cast.
Yes, Kobe Bryant is the best player that I have ever seen. Even if good players like Iverson, Duncan and Carter all guarded him at the same time, I think Kobe will be able to make his shots. No one can guard him, because he is like MJ.
All I have to say is "The Answer." No way Kobe is better than he is.
Ladies and Lizards of the jury, let me start my case by simply saying this: The Kid is only 22 years old. (Scary, huh?) He's already won a championship. He's already played in numerous All-Star Games. He's an All-Defensive teamer, which tells you about his complete game. He's probably one of the fiercest competitors in the game. He's already the most marketable player in the NBA, in the biggest of markets, Hollywood. For all of you player haters out there who say that Kobe wouldn't be this good without Shaq, I would point out to you that Jordan probably needed Pippen just as much. When the game is on the line, what player would you want to have the ball? The son of Jelly Bean that's who! So in 15, 20 years, CNNNSI.com will be asking, Is this kid the best? Is this kid the next Kobe? So, without further delay, my case is closed. Next case: the most dominant player ever. Guess who my pick is.
Bryant is a great player, but the most dominating player in the NBA is, without a doubt, Shaquille O'Neal.
Kobe is good! But he will not get the recognition he deserves while playing with Shaq. He will need to put up Iverson's numbers while playing for a team that has no other dominant scorer. Also, is Kobe as good as Jordan?! Please, don't insult Michael like that. The Kid is good, but nowhere near as good as Michael. Even with an extra 30 pounds and 15 years his elder, Michael could still come out of retirement and show teach Kobe, Vince, Allen, Tracy, Ray and every other youngster how to score, and how to win, and to win with class. Michael is Michael, and Kobe can only wish to "be like Mike."
There is no doubt that at the same point in their careers, I'd take Kobe over Michael Jordan. Though, I'd be curious to see what Allen Iverson would do with teams having to check Shaq vs. double-teaming Allen all the time. Kobe is contending for that title.
What makes Kobe so great is the talent that surrounds him. It's easy to score when the defenders have to worry about Shaq inside, Robert Horry and Rick Fox from the outside. Talent-wise, yes, Kobe is one of the best in the league. But how can you call him the best when a 6-foot, 170-pound guard wins the league MVP, on a team where he is virtually a one-man show?
I think compared to MJ, Kobe has a lot to learn. He is still immature in a way. I think there is not one person in the league that is comparable to MJ. Jordan had class; he carried so much more than just talent with him. For a final point though, if Vince Carter was in the same position Kobe is in (on the Lakers), this would be a totally different discussion: "Is Vince Carter as good as Michael Jordan?" Hmmm...
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