Anyone saying that Kobe is as good as Jordan is a fucking idiot....

[BlooInBloo]

That is all.

[erpowers]

1. Not Idiots, But Wrong

People who claim Kobe Bryant is as good as Jordan are probably wrong, but they are not idiots. If you look at just stats Jordan has Kobe beat. However, any Kobe fan can make the argument that Kobe is just as good or better than Jordan. Kobe has taken more threes than Jordan but was still able to reach a number of point milestones before Jordan. Any Kobe fan can argue that Kobe's shooting percentage is lower than Jordan's because Kobe shots more threes than Jordan.

In my opinion Jordan is better than Kobe, but I think people, especially if they do not know all that Jordan accomplished and how he accomplished it can say or think Kobe is just as good or better. I think a number of people fail to realize that during Jordan's prime he stayed away from the NBA for about three years. In addition, when he did come back the second time he came back with the Wizards. I contend if Jordan had decided to come back with a contending team he could have won two more rings. However, Kobe is a really good basketball player.

[insanity]

2. He is good, but not Jordan good.

[MrSlayer]

3. Kobe is the best player in the game today.

But he's not MJ. I'm not even a BB fan but I was able to recognize greatness. Jordan was nearly the Gretzky of his sport. Kobe is really, really good though, probably the closest you'll see to Jordan in this era. He may even end up with more rings. I hate the guy but what is, is.

[insanity]

4. nope

Sorry, but LeBron is better than Kobe.

[MrSlayer]

5. I don't know about that.

Seriously, I don't. Most of the people I know and trust on the subject say Kobe is the guy.

[Awsi Dooger]

6. He can do some things Jordan couldn't do

Not nearly as explosive as Jordan, but more fluid which leads to greater variety of shots. I've routinely seen Kobe adjust his upper body to create angles that Jordan never used. I have plenty of tapes from Jordan's prime and almost every shot was in the same basic form, the jumpers looked the same, etc. Kobe has considerably more variety, but that can also get him into trouble since he tries to force things through small creases. Jordan in a situation like that would simply elevate and fire.

Jordan also had Pippen, a guy who caused the opponents' points per minute to suffer, in comparison to when he was on the bench, more than any player in history. The numbers are staggering. That's not a knock on Jordan but it demonstrates the type of comfort level and margin for error he enjoyed, with Pippen on the same team.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Sort Of Agree

Scottie Pippen was the best second guy on any team i've ever seen. But, as good as he was as a defender, look at your numbers again. Jordan's point reduction (of the opponents) was nearly as great as Pippen's. From a statistician's POV, they're nearly identical.

Jordan was actually a better off-the-ball defender than Pippen, but not quite as good as Scottie man-up. Good, just not as good as Pippen. That's why their perimeter defense was so good. One guy is outstanding at guarding the ball. The other guy is brilliant at disrupting the passing lanes. Then it gets inside and either Rodman or Grant were there.

Kobe is a superb player, but even though he is getting better and better on "D", he is still not the defensive player Jordan was. And, Jordan played going to the basket in a more physical era of play. Geez, look at the old Pistons and their "Jordan Rules". The goal was to knock him down on every drive. Kobe doesn't face that to nearly the same degree, if only because of the "no charge" circle right at the basket.
The Professor

[SpiralHawk]

7. Paul Pierce has got it all over Kobe

Deal with it: The New Reality.