There are many debates in the NBA that can never be concretely answered if we never saw them compete in a high-stakes game against each other. We never saw LeBron James face off with Michael Jordan, so that debate will always be hypothetical. But what about picking between LeBron and Kobe Bryant?
Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players of all time, but LeBron is no slouch. Kobe has won more championships, but LeBron James has seemingly surpassed Kobe in every individual category, be it regular season MVPs, Finals MVPs, all-time scoring, and more. Many would say LeBron has comfortably surpassed Kobe in 2022, but what about their primes in 2009?
Kobe still hadn’t won without Shaq in 2009, and LeBron was surging toward a title, but his chances looked doomed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jerry West picked LeBron over Kobe, a prospect he discovered and nurtured in 2009.
“Well to me it’s a no brainer, LeBron James…Even though it’s hard for me to be objective because I brought Kobe to Los Angeles, I do think LeBron has surpassed Kobe as a player”
– Jerry West on who we would pick between LeBron & Kobe. (2009)pic.twitter.com/JJTM2l7lAd
— Vic Raymone Jr (@BronsGoated23) December 27, 2022
“Well to me it’s a no brainer, LeBron James…Even though it’s hard for me to be objective because I brought Kobe to Los Angeles, I do think LeBron has surpassed Kobe as a player”
LeBron struggled mightily against the Lakers in the two games they played against each other in 2009. James also failed to meet Kobe in the Finals that year, as the Lakers won a title. It took LeBron many years to earn the accolades to compete with Kobe and then surpass him.
Is LeBron James Better Than Kobe Bryant?
In 2009, Kobe Bryant was arguably the best player in the world and ahead of LeBron for that time, according to people, though LBJ won MVP that year. Many people believed it at the time and can look back and arrive at that conclusion. However, using that to dismiss LeBron for achieving more than what Kobe did in the years since is not fair.
Better is subjective for everyone, but James has matched or broken almost every record Kobe had set. He is one championship shy of Bryant, but that is about it. It’s better to appreciate these legends instead of comparing them, but fans will never stop comparing them.
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