Best NBA Player

[wrx_junki]

At this point in time, I believe Kobe is better. In the future who knows maybe Lebron will become better than Kobe and MJ but not yet. On the stat sheet, Lebron is definitely better but Kobe can take over a game better than anyone in the league.

[CG031]

At this point in time, I believe Kobe is better. In the future who knows maybe Lebron will become better than Kobe and MJ but not yet. On the stat sheet, Lebron is definitely better but Kobe can take over a game better than anyone in the league.

I agree. Kobe is a better on-ball defender and shooter as well.

[MI Rob]

I agree with everything thats been said.
Kobe is the best right now, James will become better over the next few years though and will most likely become better then Jordan. Time will tell.

[wrx_junki]

Lebron needs more fundamentals. He definitely needs to improve on free throws and his mid range jumper. Lebron fans complain that he gets triple teamed but that's mainly due to the fact that his midrange jumper is almost non-existant. If he takes it to the hoop, he is obviously going to be met by a mob of other guys. He does not have the tenacity and focus that Kobe has. Of course all this has come to Kobe through the many years he has played. Just hate the fact that people are jumping on the Lebron wagon a little too early. Kobe has still got some miles left in the tank and he is showing it this year.

[Jay-Bird]

Kobe is the best. He's got more all around game than anyone.

Ever.

[TheNatural]

NBA. Didnt they lose to Argentina or Croatia 5 years ago in the Olympics?

HAHA

The end of the dream team was the beginning of the end for the NBA, even baseball will trump them once their scandals are resolved, Soccer isnt far behind.

The more I watch the NBA the more I like watching golf.

[CG031]

Kobe is the best. He's got more all around game than anyone.

LOL. No. Jordan was leaps and bounds better. You can't measure six NBA Championships without a dominant big man (before Jordan, if you did not have a big man, you weren't even considered a contender.) to Kobe's three with arguably the greatest center of all time, Shaq. Jordan changed how the game was played. He revolutionized basketball to a degree. Kobe has not. (With that said, Kobe is the closest thing to Jordan since MJ played.)

I agree with everything thats been said.

LeBron would have to win many titles to be considered on Jordan's level. As you said, time will tell. He's certainly young enough to win at least a few.

NBA. Didnt they lose to Argentina or Croatia 5 years ago in the Olympics?

We won the gold in the 2008 olympic games. Where have you been?

[PEZGolf]

At this point in time, I believe Kobe is better. In the future who knows maybe Lebron will become better than Kobe and MJ but not yet. On the stat sheet, Lebron is definitely better but Kobe can take over a game better than anyone in the league.

Kobe is very good. You know what? I am a HUGE basketball fan, and have NOT watched a single minute of the NBA Playoffs or the regular season this year. However, I did watch many hours of the college games in March Madness. Ever since MJ, Magic, and Larry Bird left the scene, I have had no interest in the NBA. When Clyde Frazier, Willis, Dollar Bill Bradley, Earl the Pearl, Tricky Dicky Barnett, and THE MAN---Dave Debushcere played for the Knicks, I watched every game. They played great defense, team offense, and were very smart. That is the type of basketball that I enjoy. The NBA is too physical, and too much playground offense.

[denver_nuggs_15]

I agree with everything thats been said.

I don't know about that.

But, right now I'd say Kobe is the best. I've never been a huge LeBron fan at all, so I'm a little biased. I like Wade's game better than LeBron's and I think that Wade is the best player in the league when he's on. CP3 is also pretty good. It's tough to compare a point guard to a small forward, but I think I'd rather have CP3 than LBJ...just because of the defense and great (possibly best in the league) passing ability. Top players in the league IMO: Kobe, Wade, LeBron, CP3. Wade over LeBron because of defense and I think Wade is a much better passer. If you ask this question in five years, I would say that Dwight Howard will be the best. He's so raw offensively when compared to any other star in the league. He's already a great rebounder and shot blocker. Once he gets a good post game, he'll be unstoppable. And if he keeps up this 70% freethrow stuff, I don't think they can "Hack a Shaq" him.

[Comeback City]

LeBron.

I think you can turn to the numbers alone here. In the playoffs, LeBron averaged 35.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 7.8 assists.

[CG031]

LeBron.

Yeah, but I think you SHOULD turn to where he is right now:

On his couch.

[wrx_junki]

LeBron.

Only if numbers told the entire story.

Also, Dwill > CP3 but that's for another thread. I also like Devin Harris over CP3 but don't thin he's at his level yet.

[TheNatural]

We won the gold in the 2008 olympic games. Where have you been?[/QUOTE]


Umm WE SHOULD WIN EVERY DAMN TIME

Yes I am aware and laughed at the victory in 08

The mere fact that we even lost a single game(04) is disgraceful, its like the US losing in golf to Jamaica.

BTW I played basketball all of my life, I can dunk to this day. Ive played with college players (IA) all of the last 10 years. The NBA is a dying breed full of thugs and creeps, just ask Kobe! What a role model he is.

[Comeback City]

Yeah, but I think you SHOULD turn to where he is right now:

That's true and everything but look back to the first 3 games of the ECF...LeBron shot around 60%...his teammates shot about 30% for the first 3 games of the series and the Cavs kept it pretty close (game 3 was winnable, gm1 they had a big lead and blew it). Honestly, I feel bad for LeBron...he goes out and gives his heart out for the game of basketball and all he needed was someone to hit a couple jumpshots...

Only if numbers told the entire story.

It's not just the numbers man, watching him in each of the 14 playoff games - he was just on another level from everyone else. The game comes so easy to him while nearly everyone else needs to have a high level of focus and intensity just to perform reasonably well (and that's not to say LeBron's not focused, he's focused man.). The numbers can only interpret how well he played. You have to watch the ball games themselves...

As for the DWill > CP3 argument, that's a heck of an intriguing argument. I remember watching Game 1 of the Jazz-Lakers this series and I was just blow away at the number of open looks, layups DWill got his teammates in a playoff game. I was just like wow, that's exactly what a PG should be...on the other hand CP3 is no slouch himself...

[wrx_junki]

It's not just the numbers man, watching him in each of the 14 playoff games - he was just on another level from everyone else. The game comes so easy to him while nearly everyone else needs to have a high level of focus and intensity just to perform reasonably well (and that's not to say LeBron's not focused, he's focused man.). The numbers can only interpret how well he played. You have to watch the ball games themselves...

I give you one prime example why he's not focused and the dumb things he does. The game where the Cavs were up by 20+ in the first quarter. On the last possession, he dribbles around 26 feet out and then shoots a 24-25 footer from the outside. He becomes complacent, I'm sure that kind of thing will not happen in the future. He is the #1 player in AND 1's, he should use that to his advantage and draw more fouls in the every quarter and especially the fourth quarter. He needs to put big men like D12 in foul trouble in order to weaken the interior defense. D12's back up is Gortat who is nowhere near the inside prescence.

As for the DWill > CP3 argument, that's a heck of an intriguing argument. I remember watching Game 1 of the Jazz-Lakers this series and I was just blow away at the number of open looks, layups DWill got his teammates in a playoff game. I was just like wow, that's exactly what a PG should be...on the other hand CP3 is no slouch himself...

CP3 doesn't break my top 3 or possibly even top 5 PG's that I would want in the postseason.

[ks8829]

Kobe has more experience but LeBron is more athletic, my 14 year old son and basketball player commented for me says.

[Comeback City]

I give you one prime example why he's not focused and the dumb things he does. The game where the Cavs were up by 20+ in the first quarter. On the last possession, he dribbles around 26 feet out and then shoots a 24-25 footer from the outside. He becomes complacent, I'm sure that kind of thing will not happen in the future. He is the #1 player in AND 1's, he should use that to his advantage and draw more fouls in the every quarter and especially the fourth quarter. He needs to put big men like D12 in foul trouble in order to weaken the interior defense. D12's back up is Gortat who is nowhere near the inside prescence.

Come on, you're going to pull up one example? This is a golf forum for Christ sake, we see mental errors all the time on the PGA Tour, and they're not even susceptible to the kind of physical fatigue NBA players are put through. Also you're talking about game 1, right? The man shot 20-of-30 from the field including 3-of-6 from 3PT range in game one with 49 points, 8 assists (and honestly, he should have had 10-12 assists that game...he was getting his shooters wide open looks), 6 rebounds, 3 blks, 2 steals. I have no problems if that is the only negative he had that game...

There's a Cavalier beat writer (you might of heard of him, Brian Windhorst, who has basically covered James throughout his HS and his entire time with the Cavs and regularly writes pieces of ESPN.com) who said at the End of Game 1 that LeBron was exhausted to the point where he was "overheated" and had bags of ice over his entire body. Windhorst said he never seen James like that...ever. (This was actually said over Twitter). If you remember LeBron even had problems getting of the court in game one. Still, I do agree with the general sentiment - there are times where LeBron will pull up with a Jumper and not attack. There's also parts of his game that he needs to work on more - like his post up game. It worked reasonably well in game 4 (frees up teammates and LeBron can score on that low block, he's a physical mismatch for anyone) but after that I don't even recall James posting up again. But LeBron worked hard on his jumper throughout the entire playoffs. There's numerous articles (even from opposing teams' writers) that are just kind of surprised to see him as the first player on the court on gamedays, working up a sweat shooting jumpshots. On every single gameday LeBron was seen shooting jumpers at like 10 in the morning as the first one on the court. Say what you want, but the man works hard.

[st0wgolf08]

Compare lebron's supporting class to Kobe's. Pretty big difference here. Kobe has 3 very good big man, whereas lebron has 0, as Z is afraid to dunk the ball even though he is 7 3.
Lebron is a better overall player, i don't know about the person that said kobe was a better defender but what? Lebron is a beast, have you seen him swat the ball? He is a much better defender than kobe. Kobe is just a better shooter and scorer, but your comparing two different types of players. Lebron is a much more paint-oriented player than Kobe, so why would he have as good of a jump-shot as Kobe?
Overall, I still think Lebron is better now, especially as he is like 6-7 years younger than Kobe.