Via Laker Nation:
Some basketball fans get irritated that Kobe Bryant is constantly compared to Michael Jordan. However, you can’t dismiss the fact that Kobe has lasted the longest in the “Who’s the next MJ” debate. Many players have been compared to MJ, and failed. It started back in 1996 when Bryant was a rookie, and 15 seasons later, people still feel passionately on both sides.
Phil Jackson, who knows both players better then anybody on the planet, having coached both of them to each of their NBA championship’s, had this to say:
“I wouldn’t compare them,” said Jackson, who coached both. “I think Kobe’s as good as Michael.”
Commissioner David Stern even came out publically this week to talk about the Kobe and Jordan debate:
“If [Kobe] wins another championship they are going to have the same number aren’t they?…MVP’s depend on a bunch of media guys…[Kobe and Jordan belong in the same conversation] “
No matter what Bryant does there will never be a unanimous thought across the basketball world that he is better, or on the same level as Jordan. However, when Kobe retires from the league, don’t be surprised if the debate becomes “Who’s the next Kobe?”
If it hasn’t already started.
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Original Story:
Now he played them but he rarely had team success against Bird, McHale, Parrish etc etc and he had rarely had success against Magic, Kareem, Scott, Cooper etc etc !
He only started winning when Magic and Bird were nearing the end of their brilliant careers !
The Lakers and Celtics are the prime reason the 1980s 76ers never won more than 1 ring and the Sixers had great teams with Dr. J, Moses Malone, George McGinnis, Mo Cheeks, Andrew Toney etc and the best 6th man outside of Hondo Havlicek in Bobby Jones and yet they only won 1 ring in the 1980s !
If Michael Jordan had joined the NBA in the early 1980s and competed with the Lakers and Celtics of that era, would Jordan and the Bulls had won 6 rings ! I doubt it !
Bill Cartright, Bill Wennington, Luke Longley, Steve Kerr, B.J. Armstrong, Horace Grant etc etc etc would not have held a candle to the Lakers and Celtic teams of the 1980s !
McHale, Parrish and Bird would've carved the Bulls front line into shreds ! As would the Lakers with Kareem, Worthy, etc etc etc !
Best regards, Cujo468
Funny because I don't recall Kobe's rise to the top (and Shaq's as well) taking place until the great teams of the 90's faded out (Bulls, Rockets, Jazz). Jordan had as many rivals during this time as Kobe did.
As stated by Phil Jackson. So why should I believe you or anyone else here who disagrees? I'll just take Phil's word for it right now if that's OK with you.
Best Regards, Cujo468
Bryant is a great player who has been in the league 14 years and will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame when he does retire. Yet, Bryant will never be at the level of Jordan.
Looking at Jordan's accolades over his 15 year career, Bryant doesn't come close to measuring up. Jordan won the Rookie of the Year Award, a Defensive Player of the Year Award, five MVP Awards, and six Finals MVP Awards.
He also had 10 All-NBA First Team Selections, nine First Team All-Defensive selections, and one Second Team All-NBA selection.
Jordan's stats? He ranks first all-time in points per game with an average of 30.1, second all-time in steals with 2,514, third all-time in points with 32,292 points, third all-time in steals per game with 2.3, third all-time in field goal attempts, fourth all-time in field goals, fourth all-time in free throws, and ninth all-time in free throws attempted.
What about Bryant? What are his numbers like so far in his career, considering he's only played one year less than Jordan?
Bryant's accolades look like this: One MVP and two Finals MVPs.
He is an eight time All-NBA First Team selection, eight time All-NBA Defensive First Team, two time All-NBA Defensive Second Team, two time All-NBA Second Team, and two time All-NBA third team member.
For Bryant to even catch Jordan, he'd need a Rookie of the Year award (which of course he can't do), four more MVP awards, a Defensive Player of the Year award, and four more Final MVP Awards.
So in order for Bryant to match Jordan in terms of Finals MVP Award, he'd need to have nine rings.
In terms of ranking within the top 10 all-time of any category, the only one Bryant is a part of is free throws, where he's currently ranked 10th all-time.
Jordan scored 32,292 points in 15 years. Kobe? He has scored 25,790 points in 14 years. So, it likely won't be until Bryant's in his 17th year in the league before he passes Jordan for total points.
Even if you look at each player's best seasons, Jordan wins.
In the 1988-1989 season, Jordan averaged 32.5 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2.9 steals, while shooting 53.8 percent from the field, 27.6 percent from three, and 85 percent from the free throw line.
During Kobe's best year in the league he averaged 31.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.4 steals on 46.3 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from three, and 86.8 percent from the free throw line.
In all 15 seasons, Jordan averaged over 20 points per game. Kobe has only done that in 12 out of 14 seasons.
Need more stats? OK.
Jordan averaged 30 points or more eight times, while Bryant has accomplished that feat three times. Jordan averaged over six rebounds a game nine times, while Bryant has done that three times. Jordan averaged over five assists nine times, and Bryant has averaged over five assists eight times, and Jordan averaged over two steals per game 10 times while Bryant only has done that once.
As for playoff numbers, Jordan is number one all-time in points per game in the playoffs at 33.4, and leads a slew of playoff categories. He is also first all-time in points, first all-time in field goals attempted, first all-time in free throws, second all-time in free throw attempts, second all-time in field goals, second all-time in steals, sixth all-time in steals per game, and seventh all-time in assists.
Bryant currently ranks third all-time in field goal attempts, fourth all-time in points, fourth all-time in field goals, fourth all-time in free throws, fifth all-time in free throws attempted, and eighth all-time in steals.
In terms of averages in the playoffs, Jordan averaged over 30 points 12 times and Bryant has averaged over 30 in the playoffs four times. Jordan averaged over six rebounds 10 times while Bryant has averaged over six four times, and Jordan averaged over five assists eight times while Bryant averaged over five assists seven times.
The numbers make it clear—Bryant has never come close to being better than Jordan.
The all-time ranks and the awards do not lie. Jordan has always been the better of the two, and it's not even close.
I've seen kids sporting Air Jordans who are too young to have ever seen him play yet they support Jordan as if he still plays today !
As far as Michael's competition being watered down, look at the players who don't have or didn't win another championship because of Jordan: Barkley, Ewing, Magic, Divac, Drexler, Terry Porter, Kevin Duckworth, Dan Marley, Kevin Johnson, Danny Ainge, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Stockton, Malone, and Hornacek. Now that's not a list of NBA nobodies. There are alot of NBA hall of famers in that list.
One last thing. Michael Jordan never went to the finals and lost. He was six for six. Perfect. Kobe already lost one, so stop trying to tell people Kobe is anything close to Michael Jordan.
There is no comparison between these two players other than both have that champions will to win.
Jordan could not beat Bird, McCale and Parrish but Kobe and Shaq would have lost to them as well, we are talking about best front line in the history of the NBA.Jordan was far superior on defense, rememeber that last shot in the '98 finals was because Jordan STOLE the ball on the previous play.
Jordan never played with a dominant player like Shaq, Pippin was NO Shaq, not close.We better stop comparing the two, because if this continues, Jordan will come out of retirement AGAIN just to prove he's the greatest!
Doc is the only player I ever seen who could dunk at will on Bill Walton !
Why would anyone have to defend some second rate bench warmers because that's what the Bulls had on the starting five ! Outside of Jordan and Pippen, the rest of the Bulls were "role players" !
Michael was a better team player, individual player and a great role model. Championships are a team thing.