LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are both in the conversation for the GOAT, although the title still belongs to Michael Jordan. In 2023 though, a lot of fans would pick LeBron over Kobe.
That’s not the case for DeMar DeRozan, who has played against both these greats and learned from them. DeRozan was asked to choose between prime Kobe and prime LeBron by Serge Ibaka, and he knew what his answer was without a doubt.
“Imma be biased, I’m still answering your question,” DeMar DeRozan said on How Hungry Are You? “I’m biased cuz Kobe is my everything. So imma go with Kobe. I’m answering your question, I’m going with Kobe. Without Kobe, I don’t think I would be in the NBA, so I’m going with Kobe.”
(starts at 16:13 minutes)
DeMar DeRozan is from Compton California and he was 11 years old when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal won their first championship in Los Angeles. He was inspired by Kobe as a teenager and eventually saw him win his 5th championship during his rookie season. It stands to reason that he would choose Kobe Bryant, although an argument can be made that LeBron was better in his prime.
Comparing Kobe Bryant And LeBron James’ Primes
For the sake of this argument, we will consider the ages between 27 and 31 as a player’s prime. Both LeBron and Kobe came into the league young, so by the time they turned 27, they had lots of experience and were fully developed physically.
Kobe Bryant’s prime was from the 2005-06 season to the 2009-10 season. During this time, he averaged 29.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He was an All-Star all five years, won MVP in 2008, and won two championships in 2009 and 2010 to go along with two Finals MVPs. That is an incredible run.
LeBron James’ prime was from the 2011-12 season to the 2015-16 season. He averaged 26.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game. During this time, he won three NBA championships with two different teams, three Finals MVPs, and two MVPs in 2012 and 2013. He was also an All-Star and All-NBA First Team for all five years like Kobe.
Bryant averaged a higher number of points, and he had less help than prime LeBron James in Miami, but James did win more championships and Finals MVPs and MVPs in his prime. This is a question that has no right answer, and like DeMar DeRozan, most fans likely have their views on the matter that are tinged with a bit of bias.
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