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| Kobe Bryant |
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| Lebron James |
This
blog post marks the grand opening of "The Eclectic Muse"! I thought
that the best way to start things off would be a post on one of the most
controversial issues of the 21st century: who is a better basketball player...
Kobe Bryant or Lebron James?
When it comes to debates on ESPN, Facebook, web forums, and YouTube videos, this question has never been unequivocally answered. That's because both of these players are so good at their particular skillset that's its really difficult to conclusively determine who's better. Currently in his 16th season in the NBA, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is currently considered the most "clutch" and hard-working player in the NBA, someone who you can always count on to hit those buzzer-beater shots. He's considered the closest player to Michael Jordan in terms of closing the game and has won 5 championship "rings" to prove it. However, Kobe is also incredibly streaky and holistically more inaccurate than the vast majority of the top players in the league, producing as many as 81 points or usually even as few as 8 at a very low field goal percentage. On the other hand, in his 9th season, Lebron James of the Miami Heat is known for his sheer basketball talent. Unlike Kobe, he consistently plays at an NBA-high level of accuracy, rebounding, assists... you name any statistical category on an NBA stat sheet and Lebron is almost always near the top. Lebron is a fantasy god, as he practically carries any team that he's currently playing on to the first seed of the NBA. However, although Lebron has proved his talent during regular season games, he is infamous for "choking" during critical moments and has not proven himself by winning a championship ring, as the meme below illustrates.
Conducting a quantitative analysis of each player's statistics should provide us with a clearer picture of each player's aptitudes and vulnerabilities. Disregarding the statistical outliers when they were both just starting their basketball careers, Kobe typically averages around 27 points per game at 45% field goal accuracy, while Lebron averages around 28.5 points per game at 50% field goal accuracy. Kobe grabs about 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game, while Lebron grabs around 7 rebounds and 7 assists per game. Kobe is an 84% free-throw shooter while Lebron shoots them at about 75% accuracy, and they both generally shoot at around 33% 3-point accuracy, log about 38 minutes in playing time, and 3 turnovers per game. From these numbers, it looks like Lebron trumps Kobe at pretty much every single aspect of the game except for free throws. However, it is important to analyze the rebounding statistic to a greater depth. Both average 1 offensive rebound, while Kobe grabs 3 defensive rebounds and Lebron grabs 6. But it is important to note that Kobe has always played on teams with big men like Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum, while Lebron is usually the principle rebounder on both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. This has to do with the position the play. Kobe is a shooting guard who typically is positioned in the backcourt, while Lebron is a small forward who is supposed to stay in the front court. Additionally, defensive rebounds are usually much easier to grab, as the other team usually is already running back to their side of the court. These factors make Lebron's supposed rebounding advantage pretty much moot. Yet the nearly 5-10% disparity (10% this season) in Kobe and Lebron's field goal percentage is most certainly a bigger factor than Kobe's 10% free throw advantage, as field goals provide you with either double or triple the amount of points than what you get from free throws. Additionally, Lebron's 2 assist advantage points to the conclusion that he is a better ball-distributor and passer than Kobe. Thus, Lebron has a clear statistical advantage over Kobe, which makes him very clearly, on average, a better all-round player during the season (although free throw shooting is critical in end-game situations).
Yet most respected basketball players like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Kevin Durant still pick Kobe as the better player, with 12 of 17 NBA General Managers agreeing. An ESPN poll is even more extreme, with 85% claiming Bryant would win a one-on-one game against Lebron. Why is this true? Lebron's team usually beats Kobe's when they pair up in the regular season. It is important to note that although he continues his normal style of play during the postseason, Lebron's remarkable field goal percentage shrinks, along with a trend to not make many shots in the fourth quarter. In contrast, 3-point ace Reggie Miller says, "It's amazing, the degree-of-difficulty shots that [Kobe] makes with guys hanging on each arm, and being able to split double teams and create." In other words, Kobe is considered a clutch player much like Michael Jordan and is the leading scorer in the game in the 4th quarter and overtime, which many argue explains the disparity in the number of championships between him and Lebron. Statistics show that Lebron is clearly a better player in the first three quarters, but Kobe is currently the best closer in the game.
It is important to note that in-game statistics do not necessarily dictate who would win in a one-on-one game, the outcome of which is very hard to predict due to Kobe's ability to hit tough jumpers vs. Lebron's extreme strength and speed. It would really depend upon the specific rules of the game and even just pure luck (how often each player's shots are falling on that day).
What is even more universally agreed upon is that anyone would pay major bank to watch these two superstars square off in a one-on-one game.
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