Jordan vs. Bryant vs. James

[Bobber]

MJ was the best I've ever seen and probably the best I'll ever see. Not only was he a great player, he was a great team player who made his team mates around him better.

Kobe and James are great player no doubt, but seems to be more about them than the rest of the team.

It's like comparing Bill Russel to Wilt Chamberlin.

 

[DJK15]

I hate hearing that Jordan had a way better cast, Jordan made that cast of players great.

No kidding, MJ didn't have the benefit of a top 5 big man like Kobe has/does (Shaq, Gasol, Bynum).

 

[ISUcy08]

I would say Jordan for everything except rebounder and dunker. Lebron is a good rebounder. It's a toss up for dunker between LBJ and Mike. Mike had some awesome dunks, but LBJ is a powerful dunker!

 

[nickwc]

Until Lebron can fill his hands with rings, he doesn't even belong in the conversation with these two.

 

[Clones85']

Out of the three...

Best scorer: Jordan
Best pure shooter: Kobe
Best rebounder: Lebron
Best defender: Kobe/Jordan
Best distributor: Lebron
Best ball handler: Jordan
Best dunker: Jordan
Best in the clutch: Jordan w/ Kobe close
Most athletic: Lebron

Best all-around: Jordan

This is correct

 

[Clones85']

No kidding, MJ didn't have the benefit of a top 5 big man like Kobe has/does (Shaq, Gasol, Bynum).

He had a top 50 player of all time in Pippen and the best rebounder of all time in Rodman. Jordan's team were more stacked than any of Kobe's teams have been. When Jordan retired the Bulls still won over 50 games. How many you think the Lakers win without Kobe?

Jordan is the best, but this talk about him not having a great team is ridiculous.

 

[Rhoadhoused]

I hate the rings argument, one person can't win a championship. Anyway, what does postseason play have to do with anything except clutch performance? Remember when LeBron scored 25 straight points to beat Detroit in the playoffs? No championship, but is that his fault? Jordan is the GOAT no doubt, but I think rings are overrated when comparing individual performance.

 

[hawkeyeguy85]

He had a top 50 player of all time in Pippen and the best rebounder of all time in Rodman. Jordan's team were more stacked than any of Kobe's teams have been. When Jordan retired the Bulls still won over 50 games. How many you think the Lakers win without Kobe?

Jordan is the best, but this talk about him not having a great team is ridiculous.

He only had Rodman the second time around...not first three.

Not saying you didn't remember, but I've seen a lot of people lately that toss out Rodman as having been there all along.

 

[Clones85']

He only had Rodman the second time around...not first three.

Not saying you didn't remember, but I've seen a lot of people lately that toss out Rodman as having been there all along.

And Kobe only had Gasol the last 2...what does it matter?

MJ had great supporting casts. Great. To say otherwise is false.

 

[mcblogerson]

lebron is the best rebounder of the three, jordan everything else.

 

[RING4CY]

MJ. Period.

 

[Istater4life]

I would like to see Kobe try and win a title with Luc Longley, Bill Wennington, and Jud Buechler.

 

[mtowncyclone]

Out of the three...

Best scorer:
Best pure shooter:
Best rebounder:
Best defender:
Best distributor:
Best ball handler:
Best dunker:
Best in the clutch:
Most athletic:

Best all-around:

seriously?

 

[Clones85']

I would like to see Kobe try and win a title with Luc Longley, Bill Wennington, and Jud Buechler.

You are forgetting the other guys. Pippen, Grant, Paxson, Armstrong. When Jordan retired the Bulls went 55-27 and were 2nd in the East. Don't tell me that Jordan had no help as they were damn good without him.

This talk that MJ didn't have the supporting cast is laughable.

And I still say that MJ played in the weakest talent period in NBA history. No other stars to push him

 

[Clone9]

phil jackson says otherwise, and shaq is not even close to a complete player, so no it wasnt his team, he was a supporting cast

Did you really just say that Shaq was supporting cast? Shaq is one of the top 50 players of ALL TIME. Kobe was young during those championships. He was not the leader of the team. Shaq was the leader, without question. Shaq was the best player on those teams.

For the last 2 titles, Kobe is the unquestioned leader of the team. He also has a great supporting case in Pau, Odom, Fisher, etc.


IMO, Jordan was the best ever. He could take over a game whenever he wanted to and do anything he wanted. Kobe doesn't do this as consistently as Jordan did. Therefore, Jordan is better. In fact, Kobe isn't even the best Laker ever.

 

[cyclonenum1]

You are forgetting the other guys. Pippen, Grant, Paxson, Armstrong. When Jordan retired the Bulls went 55-27 and were 2nd in the East. Don't tell me that Jordan had no help as they were damn good without him.

This talk that MJ didn't have the supporting cast is laughable.

And I still say that MJ played in the weakest talent period in NBA history. No other stars to push him

Both excellent points that I agree with. The NBA was very strong in the 80s...lots of top talent. However, it dropped off dramatically in the 90s. I think the NBA today is much stronger overall than in the 90s...in large part due to the tremendous influx of very good foreign players.

 

[cyclonenum1]

Did you really just say that Shaq was supporting cast? Shaq is one of the top 50 players of ALL TIME. Kobe was young during those championships. He was not the leader of the team. Shaq was the leader, without question. Shaq was the best player on those teams.

For the last 2 titles, Kobe is the unquestioned leader of the team. He also has a great supporting case in Pau, Odom, Fisher, etc.


IMO, Jordan was the best ever. He could take over a game whenever he wanted to and do anything he wanted. Kobe doesn't do this as consistently as Jordan did. Therefore, Jordan is better. In fact, Kobe isn't even the best Laker ever.

Yeah...I agree...what a comical comment to call Shaq a "role player". He might be that at this point in his career but there was a time he was the most dominant player in the league. In fact, he was so dominant that the only way you could really stop him was using the "hack-a-Shaq" technique and just count on him missing half of his free throws.

 

[michaelrr1]

jordan was great, now doubt about that. Me and my dad used to eat dinner in the living room to watch every game. The thing about Jordan is he had literally the perfect team surrounding him. Part of me wonders what would of happened if rodman/pippen/kerr/longley werent around.

jordan had better competition, but he also had a much better team. Thats why i put kobe next to jordan. Lebron, albeit a lot more physical talent, his name will be forever scarred because he could never win it in cleveland.


my favorite memory of jordan is when mutumbo tried to dunk on jordan and he stuffed it entirely. Running back he turned around and waddled his finger back at mutumbo.

That question has already been answered. These players, save Pippen, were only with him for the last 3 championships. The first 3 came with an entirely different roster - Paxson, Armstrong, Grant, Cartwright.

 

[Istater4life]

You are forgetting the other guys. Pippen, Grant, Paxson, Armstrong. When Jordan retired the Bulls went 55-27 and were 2nd in the East. Don't tell me that Jordan had no help as they were damn good without him.

This talk that MJ didn't have the supporting cast is laughable.

And I still say that MJ played in the weakest talent period in NBA history. No other stars to push him

I wouldn't say that was a weak talent period with the likes of Karl Malone, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, Shaq, David Robinson, Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Reggie Miller.

 

[Clonefan94]

Yeah...I agree...what a comical comment to call Shaq a "role player". He might be that at this point in his career but there was a time he was the most dominant player in the league. In fact, he was so dominant that the only way you could really stop him was using the "hack-a-Shaq" technique and just count on him missing half of his free throws.

When you stop having to compare people to Jordan, that's when you know they'll be the best. If there is a doubt, sorry, it's still Jordan.