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A few nights ago I was getting wild, playing board games with a few of my boys and inevitably, we came to the point in the night when it was time to debate some sports-related topic.
This evening the discussion was on who, in 10 years or so, will be regarded as the best player in NBA history. I was debating two traditionalists who informed me that “MJ is just MJ, nobody is better than him.”
It’s a tough stance to take, having to argue against Michael Jordan in a greatest of all-time debate, but I dug into the ground and held my position, contesting that when he retires Kobe Bryant will have the more impressive resume and thus be considered the best player in NBA history.
It is necessary to mention that the iconic centers Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell were introduced into the discussion. Chamberlain once averaged a ridiculous 50 points per game for an entire season, and Russell won 11 titles in 13 seasons with the Celtics. Both men will forever have their iconic, almost mythical status’ firmly rooted among those who follow the game — but considering the era in which they played and their positions, they must be excluded from the rest of the discussion.
Looking at their games, numbers aside, Kobe and Jordan share many similarities. Both are capable of elite defensive play — Kobe has been on the NBA’s all defense team eight times, Jordan nine. Both are capable of unleashing a frenzy of points and when talking about players who you want taking the last shot, it’s Kobe and MJ in no particular order.
Phil Jackson, the man who coached both players for the majority of their respective careers, has acknowledged the two are in the same category. When asked to judge Kobe through MJ-tinted glasses, Jackson responded, “He’s comparable,” which is as far as the savvy Jackson will comment on this issue.
In terms of numbers, the two men differ in where they are great. Jordan is the superior scorer, having averaged 30 points per game for his career and ending with a .497 field goal percentage. In comparison Kobe has 25 ppg with a .455.
When Jordan retired, he held the record for highest career points per game, but when Kobe retires, he will likely pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the game’s all-time leading scorer.
This debate always seems to make its way back to championships. To a certain extent this is important to consider because in basketball the influence of one player on a team is far greater than in other pro sports.
For instance, it isn’t fair to judge the quality of a player based solely on their Lombardi Trophies, World Series Rings or the number of times they’ve hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup simply because individuals are much more dependent on the team around them.
In basketball, at least in quick bursts, one player can take over an entire game — see: Reggie Miller, game one of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Knicks.
Therefore, one player can mean more to a championship team in basketball than in any other sport. Kobe has five rings and Jordan has six, but trumping them both is Jackson who, as a coach, with 11 combined championships, was the mastermind of the Bulls’ dynasty of the 90s and the Lakers’ dynasty of the 2000s. It is reasonable to say that Jackson, not Kobe or Jordan, is the key proprietor of those championships.
Focusing the discussion not on how many titles each man has, but on the impact each player had on winning those titles, Jordan won his six rings between the ages of 28 and 35 — the prime years of his career — with an unmatched supporting cast.
Scottie Pippen, who boasts a Hall of Fame résumé, played second fiddle to Jordan his whole career. Dennis Rodman is arguably the greatest rebounder the game has ever seen — and to go with it — he brought a level of intensity and competition that perfectly complimented Jordan’s dominance.
When you sprinkle in role players like Tony Kukoc, Horace Grant and Steve Kerr, those Bull rosters of the mid-90s are in the discussion for some of the most successful single season teams in history.
Bryant’s early championship years will always associated with Shaquille O’Neal. During the early 2000s, O’Neal was the most dominant player in basketball and together he and Kobe delivered three straight titles from 2000-2002.
Those teams were laden with role players like Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Robert Horry, but besides the 2000 team that won 67 regular season games, the Bulls’ teams from the 90s were superior based on win totals. However, Kobe was still a pup and his role to Los Angeles was not as crucial as Jordan’s was to Chicago. It can be said though that Kobe and Shaq were the driving forces behind that run.
In this sense, Kobe did as much with less while playing a smaller role, and Jordan had the better team around him while playing a much larger role.
The past two seasons have rekindled Bryant’s championship success. With back-to-back titles bringing his total to five, he silenced all the critics who said he couldn’t win without Shaq.
For those pointing at Pau Gasol as Kobe’s “modern day Shaq,” it should be noted that Gasol is a great player, but not nearly as dominant as O’Neal was. Every championship team has superb players, including Gasol, but Kobe spearheaded the title runs.
Kobe was far more valuable to his team in these recent back-to-back championships than Jordan was to the Bulls simply because Kobe was doing it alone. For these reasons, the championship discussion as it stands today is moot. If one player has the advantage over the other in this category, it is only by a minimal matter of preference.
But the key phrase is “as it stands today.”
This is a perfect time to compare the two because their work is at an equal point, Kobe only having played four fewer career games than Jordan. Throughout those games Jordan has outscored Kobe by over 5000 points.
As of today, the two careers are comparable with a slight advantage to Jordan in virtually every category — but Jordan tallied his final point at age 40 while Kobe just turned 32. He still has at least another five years of dominance.
The longevity of Bryant’s career when he retires will be his crowning achievement and he will eventually surpass Jordan in most cumulative statistical categories. He is only one off the pace in championships and the Lakers will be a contender this season once again.
Some people might be reluctant to pass the torch, some may have their opinion clouded by the “23” brand and some — like my editor — will always put “his airness” over “the Black Mamba.”
But the fact remains — at the time of his retirement, Kobe will have the most impressive résumé of any player to ever play the game. To go with that, he has been as— if not more — influential as Jordan was both to their respective eras, and in shaping their respective teamss dynasties.
Good enough for the greatest of all time. in my book.
