KOBE over LEBRON!!!

Who is better, Kobe or Lebron? The Black Mamba or King James? People that ask that question make me laugh…I just want to scream out "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" They just know absolutely zero about the game, because Lebron James does not even compare to Kobe or other NBA greats.

DEFENSE:

To be honest, Lebron James definitely takes on more defensive responsibility than Kobe does, but that is not to say that Kobe cannot defend. Lebron consistently gets more blocks, steals and forces for turnovers than Kobe, but there is not a coach in the league who wouldn't put Kobe on the list as one of the top five on-ball defenders in the league. Bryant's defense is often overlooked because of his tremendous offensive output…Nonetheless, Lebron 1, Kobe 0.

SHOOTING:

Hello? 81 points? Kobe Bryant can make shots from literally anywhere on the basketball court. He has the best shooting skills in the game; and I don't mean just shots he makes, but he uses every possible shot fake, step back, footwork to gain an extra inch of space for that unstoppable jumper. Yes, I know some of you are saying Lebron has a better shooting percentage. And yes that is true. But can he honestly shoot better than Kobe? No, he gets more layups and dunks and doesn't see as many double teams because he is surrounded by Dwyane Wade (another player that is possibly better than Lebron) and Chris Bosh. Truthfully he can't create shots like Kobe can and when he draws the fouls down low, he can't finish at the free-throw line. Before I thrash Lebron's jumper anymore…Lebron 1, Kobe 1.

ATHLETICISM:

I don't even know what I have to write about this. Lebron James is a freak of nature and there might never have been a more athletic player at his size in history. No argument here…Lebron 2, Kobe 1.

COURT VISION:

Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul and Jason Kidd…that is who Lebron passes like. Although Kobe is averaging about 5 assist per game and is no doubt a very skilled passer, he has been known as a "selfish" player for too long in his career to win this one. And passing to Bynum and Gasol down low means automatic assists much of the time…Lebron 3, Kobe 1

EFFICIENCY:

With many people saying in the past that Kobe's shooting selection has hurt his teams at times, this is a hard one to win for him. At times the Los Angeles Lakers offense has become stagnant due to the wild jumpers he has been known to take. Don't get me wrong though, Kobe more often than not can drill these acrobatic jumpers. Now this isn't as big of a runaway as some might think for Lebron as he averages almost 4 turnovers a game: ranking him among the league leaders. With a better shot selection, Lebron edges out Kobe here…Lebron 4, Kobe 1

DETERMINATION AND WILL TO WIN:

Jackson, Jordan, Johnson, Jabbar, all say that Kobe Bryant has possibly the best work ethic the game has ever seen. He has the most intense focus and determination on perfecting every aspect of his game. For example, he spent the summer with Hakeem Olajuwon understanding and perfecting his footwork that made the big man so feared among competitors. Furthermore, Bryant has the hardest daily workout of almost anyone in this world and his discipline and preparation are an obvious illustration of his maturation into one of the best ever, if not the best (we will save that for another day). On the other hand, Lebron has an amazing work ethic during the season, but his off-season activities have prevented him from fixing some of the more obvious flaws in his game. And don't get me started on will to win with Lebron- Last Year Boston Celtics…Lebron 4, Kobe 2

PERSEVERANCE, PERSISTANCE, TOUGHNESS:

Broken index finger, knee surgery, bad ankle, bad back, etc…Those are only a few problems Kobe Bryant has. If he can walk, he can score and he will play. Kobe Bryant plays with a broken index finger on his shooting hand that made him have to change his jump shot just to be able to deal with the pain. That is a warrior..Oh and by the way, Lebron bruised his elbow and decided to shoot with the other hand because his funny bone hurt :( 

Well this was easy…Baby Lebron 4, Kobe 3

LEADERSHIP:

Ask Cleveland how great of a leader Lebron James was! They are still probably burning his jersey over there. We have all seen what Lebron can do when trying to lead a team to a title: he fails, cries and runs to a super hero, Flash. Lebron is obviously a great leader and coach on the floor, but he needs to get fierce and put his teammates in place and carry them on his back at the right time…he just doesn't know when that is yet. Yes, Kobe has Jackson and Fisher along side him, but his leadership gives confidence to his teammates. Although not as loud as Lebron, Kobe leads by example with both work ethic and performance. He demands perfection from everyone in the organization…Lebron 4, Kobe 4

WHO'S CLUTCH & WHO'S SCARED?

Well this is the easiest one I have answered so far. Yes, people will always say that they both have a bad percentage in late game moments. Well very few people can make every late game shot…look at Jordan, his biggest highlight is an offensive foul on Bryon Russell. All I know is Kobe's late game moments have led to wins, records and championships. I can count Lebron's winners: 2007 against Detroit, one over Hedo Turkoglu a few years back, and about 1/10 this year…can you count Kobe's? Lebron 4, Kobe 5

BLING:

Last, but obviously not least, championships. I just LOL'd. Do you think Lebron knows what a championship ring looks like? I'm pretty sure Kobe knows what 5 different ones look like. He is one away from Jordan and right on pace with Magic. Lebron did make it to the finals once though! Then he was swept embarrassingly by the Spurs. Whoops! Game over…Lebron 4, Kobe 6

Lebron may have better overall stats, more triple-doubles and more athleticism. If that was all basketball counted as, then he is the best EVER! But truthfully, basketball is all about production and winning. Kobe has proven time and time again that he is the ultimate winner. I have never heard "who is the next Lebron?" I constantly hear "who is the next Kobe and will there ever be another like him?"