Michael Jordan vs. Kobe Bryant Career Highs Comparison

One of the most prominent comparisons within NBA communities is the one between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. The two star shooting guards had eerily similar careers, playstyles, and attitudes toward the game of basketball. Both players were consummate winners and fearful of nothing that stood before them on the hardwood. They respectively went down as the greatest players to ever play for a specific franchise in the Bulls and Lakers, and between them won 11 championships, 6 MVPs, 8 Finals MVPs, and made 32 All-Star appearances.

Today, we are going to take a look at Jordan and Kobe in a different light than usual. Instead of comparing their similar dominance from the mid-range or their similar obsession with winning that borderline psychopathic behavior, we are going to look at each of their career highs. By adding context to each situation, this gives us an opportunity to compare these 2 players like no one else has before. By looking at these very different game situations, we offer a unique perspective on the never-ending comparison between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

Let us take a look at the peak performances of 2 of the greatest players to ever play the game, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

Points

Michael Jordan: 69 Points (Bulls vs. Cavaliers, March 28, 1990)

Kobe Bryant: 81 Points (Lakers vs. Raptors, January 22, 2006)

Michael Jordan eclipsed the 60-point mark in a single game just 4 times during his 15-year career. He scored 61 twice during the 1987 season against the Pistons and the Hawks and scored 64 points in 1993 against the Orlando Magic. His best performance, however, came in the 1990 season against one of his more well-known rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Only Horace Grant reached double figures outside of Jordan in scoring during the game, as MJ went 23-37 from the field and 21-23 from the free throw line. The Bulls ended up winning the game 117-113 as Jordan added 18 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals.

Kobe Bryant had 6 career 60+ point games in his 20-year career, but none top what he accomplished on a January in 2006 against the team from north of the border. In a seemingly normal matchup with the Toronto Raptors, Bryant would make history with the second-highest single-game scoring performance of all time.

Bryant would score 81 points on 28-46 shooting and 18-20 from the foul line. Bryant played 42 of 48 minutes in the game and led the Lakers to a 122-104 victory. Bryant would have 4 of his 6 career 60-point games after this night.

Advantage: Kobe Bryant

Rebounds

Michael Jordan: 18 Rebounds (Bulls vs. Cavaliers, March 28, 1990), (Bulls vs. SuperSonics, March 18, 1997)

Kobe Bryant: 16 Rebounds (Lakers vs. Raptors, January 24, 2010)

Michael Jordan played in an era in which rebounds were dominated by the frontcourt. Big men like Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and many others dominated the paint and rebounds that came with the territory. That being said, Michael Jordan wasn’t just any normal shooting guard. On 2 occasions, Jordan grabbed 18 rebounds in a game. The first occurrence happened in his career-high 69-point game, as we already discussed. The other came in 1997 against Seattle when he recorded 32 points and 18 rebounds.

In his career, Kobe Bryant had just 3 games with 15 rebounds or more. Bryant clearly loved to play the Raptors as he recorded both his career-high in points and rebounds against the team. In 2010, Bryant’s Lakers faced off with Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors. Bryant led both teams in rebounds with 16 as the Raptors claimed victory 106-105. Bryant would only come close to breaking this career-high once with 14 rebounds in 2012 against Minnesota.

Advantage: Michael Jordan

Assists

Michael Jordan: 17 Assists (Bulls vs. Trail Blazers, March 24, 1989)

Kobe Bryant: 17 Assists (Lakers vs. Cavaliers, January 15, 2015)

One of the biggest misconceptions about both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant is that they hogged the ball and never passed. Considering Michael Jordan has averaged over 11 assists in a single Finals series, and Bryant had over 6,000 assists in his career, this narrative is false. In his career, Michael Jordan had 76 total games with 10 or more assists. His most assists in a game came against Portland in 1989, when he recorded 17. As Jordan battled rival Clyde Drexler, he led the Bulls to a blowout victory, 128-113. He recorded 33 points, 17 assists, and 6 steals in the win.

Bryant was also a very willing passer when he needed to be. His career as a playmaker goes heavily overlooked and underrated. Bryant accumulated 10 or more assists in a game 86 times in 20 seasons and tied Jordan as far as a career-high in a game. Bryant recorded 17 assists in a game in 2015 against the Cavaliers. 

The Lakers would waste Bryant’s efforts despite his 19-point, 17-assist double-double. I sincerely hope that the narrative about these 2 as passers is dashed as time goes on.

Advantage: Even

Steals

Michael Jordan: 10 Steals (Bulls vs. Nets, January 28, 1988)

Kobe Bryant: 7 Steals (Lakers vs. Jazz, February 13, 2006)

Both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are known, or should be, as two of the best defensive players at their positions. Michael Jordan is a former Defensive Player of the Year and a 9-time All-Defensive Team selection. In 1989, one year after winning that Defensive Player of the Year award, Jordan recorded his career-high steals in a game with 10 against the New Jersey Nets. The Bulls embarrassed the Nets in this game, winning 120-93 behind Jordan’s 32 points on 14-18 shooting and his 10 steals.

As for Bryant, he was a warrior on the defensive side of the ball. Bryant holds the record for most All-Defensive Team selections by a guard with 12. His on-ball defense was smothering and made for long nights and bruised mornings for his opposition. Five days prior to recording his career-high 7 steals, Bryant had a 6-steal game. In a 94-88 win over the Jazz, Bryant led the Lakers with his defensive efforts while also contributing 23 points on a rocky 30.0% shooting.

Advantage: Michael Jordan

Blocks

Michael Jordan: 6 Blocks (Bulls vs. SuperSonics, December 2, 1986)

Kobe Bryant: 5 Blocks (Lakers vs. Grizzlies, December 11, 1999), (Lakers vs. Hornets, February 2, 2001,), (Lakers vs. Sixers, February 20, 2000)

Another part of Jordan and Bryant’s defense was the way they could block shots. Most of their blocks were off of weakside help or chase downs on fast breaks but nonetheless important. Michael Jordan was the NBA’s all-time leader in blocks by a shooting guard until Dwyane Wade came along and shattered his record. In 1986, Jordan recorded 6 blocks in a game against the Seattle SuperSonics. Jordan’s stat line in the 115-109 win was ridiculous. He recorded 40 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 6 blocks.

Bryant was also a great help defender and transition stopper in his day. Bryant recorded his career-high 5 blocks in a game on 3 separate occasions. As a young man in 1999, Bryant recorded 5 blocks along with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in a win over the Grizzlies. He had 18 points, 7 assists, and 5 blocks in a win over the 76ers in 2000 as well. The final time he recorded 5 blocks in a game was in 2001 against the Hornets. The Lakers prevailed 93-87 as Bryant had 44 points and 9 rebounds on top of his 5 blocks.

Advantage: Michael Jordan

3-Pointers Made

Michael Jordan: 7 3-Pointers Made (Bulls vs. Warriors, January 18, 1990)

Kobe Bryant: 12 3-Pointers Made (Lakers vs. SuperSonics, January 7, 2003)

One of the biggest knocks on Michael Jordan’s game, especially by the younger NBA fans, is his inability to shoot from beyond the 3-point line. First, Jordan always stated that the 3-point shot was never a part of his game, and he could dominate in other ways. Second, when he wanted to, Jordan could shoot the lights out. Just ask the Trail Blazers about the 1992 NBA Finals. Jordan’s 7 three-pointers in 1990 against Seattle was his best regular season output ever. He knocked down 7 threes and had 44 points in a 132-107 whooping of the Golden State Warriors.

As for Kobe Bryant, he was much more likely to let it fly from beyond the arc. Bryant made over 1,800 3-pointers in his career and ranks 21st on the NBA’s all-time list. On a January night in 2003, the rim Bryant was shooting on was bigger than ever as he knocked down 12 threes in a blowout win over the Seattle SuperSonics. Bryant was 12-18 from three and had 45 points in the 21-point victory. Bryant had 7 career games with 7 three-pointers made and 3 games with 9 three-pointers made in his career.

Advantage: Kobe Bryant

Field Goals Made

Michael Jordan: 27 Field Goals Made (Bulls vs. Magic, January 16, 1993)

Kobe Bryant: 28 Field Goals Made (Lakers vs. Raptors, January 22, 2006)

It is no secret that Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant weren’t afraid to let the shots fly every time they stepped on the court. When you ascend to the superstar heights that they did, you earn the right to take more than your fair share of shot attempts. This was the case on January 16, 1993, when Michael Jordan squared off against the Orlando Magic. Jordan attempted 49 shots on this night and connected on 28 of them for a total of 64 points. Unfortunately for him, this effort came in a loss as the Magic beat the Bulls 128-124.

As for Bryant, he never had a night as he did on January 22, 2006. Bryant came into Toronto with the weight of a franchise on his shoulders as the team sought out its first NBA championship since Shaq was traded to Miami. On this night, he made every basketball fan stop what they were doing and tune in to watch NBA history unfold. Bryant would attempt 46 shots and connect on 28 of them in his 81-point output. The Lakers would take home a 122-104 victory as Bryant recorded the 2nd0 most points in a single game in NBA history.

Advantage: Kobe Bryant

Free Throws Made

Michael Jordan: 26 Free Throws Made (Bulls vs. Nets, February 26, 1987)

Kobe Bryant: 23 Free Throws Made (Lakers vs. Cavaliers, January 30, 2001), (Lakers vs. Knicks, January 31, 2006)

We have spoken about nearly every which way that these 2 NBA icons were able to score the ball except for their work from the foul line. Michael Jordan is one of the best in NBA history at getting any shot he wants at the rims while being able to finish through contact. Despite this ability, Jordan only had 5 games in his career in which he made over 20 free throws. His most in a game came in a game against the Nets in 1987. Jordan was sent to the foul line for 27 shots and was able to sink 26 of them. He ended the game with 58 points as the Bulls beat the Nets 128-113.

Just as Jordan could draw contact and finish through, Kobe was able to manipulate defenses and work his way to the foul line, almost as an art form. Bryant had 7 career games in which he knocked down at least 20 free throws and twice hit his career-high with 23. In a 2000 game against the Cavaliers, Bryant knocked down 23-26 free throws in a 40-point performance. In 2006, Bryant knocked down 23 free throws out of 26 attempts once again in a 33-point win over the Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

Advantage: Michael Jordan

Turnovers

Michael Jordan: 9 Turnovers (Wizards vs. Bulls, January 19, 2002), (Wizards vs. Magic, March 11, 2003)

Kobe Bryant: 11 Turnovers (Lakers vs. Pistons, January 31, 2008)

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant both played extremely ball-dominant playstyles. When you have the ball in your hands as much as Jordan and Bryant did, chances are you are going to commit plenty of turnovers. For Jordan, he never had a bad enough showing to turn the ball over in double-digit figures, but he did commit a career-high 9 turnovers in a game twice as a member of the Wizards. As a member of the Bulls in his best seasons, Jordan turned the ball over 8 times in a game on 4 different occasions.

Kobe Bryant’s tendency to turn the ball over was just slightly higher. In his 20-year career, Bryant had 4 different games with at least 10 turnovers in his career. Bryant also had 9 different games with exactly 9 turnovers. His career-high in turnovers came in 2008 against the Detroit Pistons. Bryant turned the ball over 11 times during the game and the Lakers fell to the Pistons 90-89. Coincidentally, this poor performance came during his 2008 MVP season as Bryant led the Lakers to a 57-25 record.

Final Score

Michael Jordan vs. Kobe Bryant 5-3

Just as every other comparison goes, this one comes out in favor of His Airness. This takes absolutely nothing away from Kobe Bryant as a basketball player but just as it usually goes with Jordan, he came up a bit short. Nothing can take away Bryant’s contributions to all 5 of his NBA championships or the way he became an icon for an entire generation of NBA fans around the world for 2 decades. Bryant made the transition from MJ easier as he morphed into a slightly lesser version of himself.

Michael Jordan is one of one. No matter how close and similar we say somebody is, it always seems their resume and talent fall short of matching the GOAT. Jordan took a fairly domestic game and made it explode on a global scale. Brand deals, shoe deals, and superstardom changed with Jordan’s rise to the top of the NBA hierarchy. No matter how many comparisons we draw or how many we say come close, nobody will ever compare to the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan.

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