Bill Simmons Ends Kobe vs. Lebron debate

Pro Sports 48 replies 2,687 views
N
Nate
Posts: 3,949
Jan 20, 2010 11:41am
A great non-biased opinion on why Lebron > Kobe.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100120&sportCat=nba
sleeper's avatar
sleeper
Posts: 27,879
Jan 20, 2010 12:36pm
Look, Lebron is way better than Kobe, but this article is dumb.
Skyhook79's avatar
Skyhook79
Posts: 5,739
Jan 20, 2010 12:59pm
Non Biased? and the Pope isn't really Catholic and Barney Frank is the most Conservative Congressman on the Hill.
Sage's avatar
Sage
Posts: 2,070
Jan 20, 2010 1:04pm
Kobe is more skilled. LBJ is probably more talented at this point.

----------------------

Bill Simmons is completely biased against Kobe. He is an all-time great, who plays on his teams' most hated rival, who also won 4x the amount of rings in a decade than his team won in the last twenty+ years.
jordo212000's avatar
jordo212000
Posts: 10,664
Jan 20, 2010 1:06pm
I read Simmons all the time and I have read his books, let me just say this... Simmons isn't "non-biased" haha. Keebler must be a Simmons rookie or something, because Simmons busts on Kobe's balls any time he can.
Hesston's avatar
Hesston
Posts: 516
Jan 20, 2010 3:46pm
I'd take em both, their both pretty good
september63's avatar
september63
Posts: 5,789
Jan 20, 2010 3:48pm
Hard to keep up with the 4 threads discussing the same article.
Hb31187's avatar
Hb31187
Posts: 8,534
Jan 20, 2010 3:51pm
lol Bill Simmons has perfected deepthroating LBJ via article
jhay78's avatar
jhay78
Posts: 1,917
Jan 20, 2010 4:16pm
I'll agree with the "physical freakiness" part and the "command of the room" part. LeBron is way ahead in both of those.

Simmons did say LeBron lacks that intense desire to win that Kobe, MJ, and others had.
SQ_Crazies's avatar
SQ_Crazies
Posts: 7,977
Jan 20, 2010 4:20pm
Hesston wrote: I'd take em both, their both pretty good
Fact is, they're both top 5 ever and we as NBA fans should all appreciate that for what it is.
D
DaBrowns41
Posts: 1,304
Jan 20, 2010 4:23pm
SQ_Crazies wrote:
Hesston wrote: I'd take em both, their both pretty good
Fact is, they're both top 5 ever and we as NBA fans should all appreciate that for what it is.
I'm glad somebody realizes this.
C
cview
Posts: 351
Jan 20, 2010 4:30pm
SQ_Crazies wrote:
Hesston wrote: I'd take em both, their both pretty good
Fact is, they're both top 5 ever and we as NBA fans should all appreciate that for what it is.

This. Maybe not top five yet for either one but top ten easily. I think both could retire as top five players but there will never be a consensus on this type of thing. I think it's safe to say both will be consensus top ten players...in my opinion both will be top five.

Considering the vast amount of people that have played in the NBA throughout the years (probably over 10,000) to claim one or the other is "without a doubt" better than the other when both are in the top ten is dumber than fuck. People will argue until they're blue in the face about which one is better but the fact is that whichever side you're on, you're splitting hairs.
Skyhook79's avatar
Skyhook79
Posts: 5,739
Jan 20, 2010 4:33pm
cview wrote:
SQ_Crazies wrote:
Hesston wrote: I'd take em both, their both pretty good
Fact is, they're both top 5 ever and we as NBA fans should all appreciate that for what it is.

This. Maybe not top five yet for either one but top ten easily. I think both could retire as top five players but there will never be a consensus on this type of thing. I think it's safe to say both will be consensus top ten players...in my opinion both will be top five.

Considering the vast amount of people that have played in the NBA throughout the years (probably over 10,000) to claim one or the other is "without a doubt" better than the other when both are in the top ten is dumber than fuck. People will argue until they're blue in the face about which one is better but the fact is that whichever side you're on, you're splitting hairs.
I don't see either of them cracking top 5 ever.

IMO the top 5 to ever play the game are in no order:

Wilt
Jordan
Kareem
The Big O
Magic
and Bill Russell #6
2quik4u's avatar
2quik4u
Posts: 4,388
Jan 20, 2010 4:37pm
Skyhook79 wrote:
cview wrote:
SQ_Crazies wrote:
Hesston wrote: I'd take em both, their both pretty good
Fact is, they're both top 5 ever and we as NBA fans should all appreciate that for what it is.

This. Maybe not top five yet for either one but top ten easily. I think both could retire as top five players but there will never be a consensus on this type of thing. I think it's safe to say both will be consensus top ten players...in my opinion both will be top five.

Considering the vast amount of people that have played in the NBA throughout the years (probably over 10,000) to claim one or the other is "without a doubt" better than the other when both are in the top ten is dumber than fuck. People will argue until they're blue in the face about which one is better but the fact is that whichever side you're on, you're splitting hairs.
I don't see either of them cracking top 5 ever.

IMO the top 5 to ever play the game are in no order:

Wilt
Jordan
Kareem
The Big O
Magic
and Bill Russell #6
No Bird? Averaged 24/10/6/1.7 for a career
Tiger2003's avatar
Tiger2003
Posts: 15,421
Jan 20, 2010 4:40pm
Bird is the 6th man coming off the bench getting alot of playing time and averaging 22 ppg
Skyhook79's avatar
Skyhook79
Posts: 5,739
Jan 20, 2010 4:41pm
2quik4u wrote:
Skyhook79 wrote:
cview wrote:
SQ_Crazies wrote:
Hesston wrote: I'd take em both, their both pretty good
Fact is, they're both top 5 ever and we as NBA fans should all appreciate that for what it is.

This. Maybe not top five yet for either one but top ten easily. I think both could retire as top five players but there will never be a consensus on this type of thing. I think it's safe to say both will be consensus top ten players...in my opinion both will be top five.

Considering the vast amount of people that have played in the NBA throughout the years (probably over 10,000) to claim one or the other is "without a doubt" better than the other when both are in the top ten is dumber than fuck. People will argue until they're blue in the face about which one is better but the fact is that whichever side you're on, you're splitting hairs.
I don't see either of them cracking top 5 ever.

IMO the top 5 to ever play the game are in no order:

Wilt
Jordan
Kareem
The Big O
Magic
and Bill Russell #6
No Bird? Averaged 24/10/6/1.7 for a career
He would be #7 on my list.
jordo212000's avatar
jordo212000
Posts: 10,664
Jan 20, 2010 4:43pm
Who's spot would Bird take? haha. Bird was one of the greats but give me all of those other guys before him
M
mallymal614
Posts: 3,746
Jan 20, 2010 4:50pm
Lebron may not even be the best player in his own conference (Wade). King James is good but not the best.

Kobe 4 rings
Lebron 0

End of discussion.
Lovejoy1984's avatar
Lovejoy1984
Posts: 5,277
Jan 20, 2010 5:09pm
mallymal614 wrote: Lebron may not even be the best player in his own conference (Wade). King James is good but not the best.

Kobe 4 rings
Lebron 0

End of discussion.
Robert Horry 7
Michael Jordan 6

End of Discussion.
2quik4u's avatar
2quik4u
Posts: 4,388
Jan 20, 2010 7:00pm
^^^^

D
devil1197
Posts: 6,220
Jan 20, 2010 7:10pm
HighRoller74 wrote:
mallymal614 wrote: Lebron may not even be the best player in his own conference (Wade). King James is good but not the best.

Kobe 4 rings
Lebron 0

End of discussion.
Robert Horry 7
Michael Jordan 6

End of Discussion.
Owned
Lovejoy1984's avatar
Lovejoy1984
Posts: 5,277
Jan 20, 2010 7:24pm
Just making the point, that having more or the most rings doesn't automatically the best player in the world, or your own conference, case in point.....

Darko-1
Bosh-0
Lebron-0
Chris Paul-0
Carmelo-0

By the ring argument Darko is the best young player in the league aside from Dwayne Wade. But we all know that is not the case.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

If you want to prove Kobe is better because the number of rings he has, I can also prove Robert Horry being almost Twice the player Kobe is and better than MJ.
2quik4u's avatar
2quik4u
Posts: 4,388
Jan 20, 2010 7:27pm
HighRoller74 wrote: Just making the point, that having more or the most rings doesn't automatically the best player in the world, or your own conference, case in point.....

Darko-1
Bosh-0
Lebron-0
Chris Paul-0
Carmelo-0

By the ring argument Darko is the best young player in the league aside from Dwayne Wade. But we all know that is not the case.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

If you want to prove Kobe is better because the number of rings he has, I can also prove Robert Horry being almost Twice the player Kobe is and better than MJ.
your missing the point its the ring argument on top of everything else
Cleveland Buck's avatar
Cleveland Buck
Posts: 5,126
Jan 20, 2010 7:53pm
On top of what? Other than rings, Kobe is inferior to LeBron in every way.
Lovejoy1984's avatar
Lovejoy1984
Posts: 5,277
Jan 20, 2010 8:02pm
You're missing the point. The rings should have no bearing on this whatsoever. Rings are a team award, 1 player has never, nor will they ever win a championship by themselves.

Give Lebron the teams Kobe's played on and he'd have the same amount if not more rings. If Kobe played on the same teams that Lebron has had, and he'd be sitting at zero rings. And I mean this really isn't even a debate.

'00-'02
Lakers Key Players
Shaq
Kobe
Fisher
Horry
Fox
Brian Shaw
Glenn Rice
Ron Harper

'09
Lakers Championship Starters
Pau Gasol
Kobe
Ariza
Fisher
Bynum

with Lamar Odom, who would start on every other team coming off the bench.

'06 Cavaliers
Z
Gooden
Lebron
Eric Snow (Seriously)
Larry Hughes.

There isn't an NBA player dead or alive that could've won being the lead man on that Cavs team.

You honestly cannot blame Lebron for not having superstars put around him like Kobe has had his whole career. Nor can you blame Kobe for being given them, it just illustrates why the rings have absolutely no value when trying to determine who the better player is.