1. Too much ring counting
Too many people feel like rings are the only argument they need. I’m not going to imply that rings should be discounted, but can we chill with the ring counting? As is way too often the case, the number of rings is considered the quintessential element of debates on who’s better without any proper context. Michael Jordan, largely considered the GOAT, made some news when he stated that Kobe is better than Lebron simply due to ring count; as he stated recently, “There’s something about five that beats three”.
I presume anyone who has passed grade school knows that five is greater than three – no argument there – but can we all be slightly less elementary in these debates? Even though a player’s ability to lead their team to a championship is a major factor, it is not the only factor. Winning a ring definitely bolsters the argument of one player being better than another; however, other factors such as teammates, competition, coaching, rule changes, individual performance and other factors come into play.
2. Everyone is a professional psychologist
Another vexing argument that is all too prominent in these debates is who had more of a killer instinct or who was mentally tougher. This argument is a favorite of Kobe fans because he is perceived to be one of the most mentally tough players of all time. While I can agree that Kobe is an exceptionally confident player – Mamba mentality is a thing after all – what makes us think LeBron is so far behind?
Any player who has achieved half of what LeBron has to be mentally tough. The dude has been hyped as the “The Chosen One” since high school and has exceeded all expectations. If LeBron truly lacked a killer instinct, he would be void of any moments in his career that would make him worth comparing to Kobe, and he would not put up the stats he has put up in the playoffs. Both Kobe and LeBron have already proven their ability to be great in the biggest moments. Just search either player’s name on YouTube with the word clutch and you’ll see why it’s fruitless to claim either player was obviously more clutch than the other.
3. No one knows what qualifies as a skill
For some reason, people like to attribute most of LeBron’s athleticism to his success; as if becoming one of the greatest players of all time is based solely on elite athleticism. Kobe and LeBron are both extremely skilled players, but many give the edge to Kobe when it comes to skill level. While Kobe is obviously a better ball handler with superior footwork, there are numerous skills LeBron that LeBron performs better than him.
For one, many experts agree that LeBron displays better vision and passing ability than Kobe; though he isn’t a terrible passer, Kobe is not in the same stratosphere as LeBron in this aspect. LeBron will likely go down as one of the best passers of this generation – if not all time. Yet his passing skill still doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves. LeBron is also a superior rebounder to Kobe. While he does have an advantage due to sheer size and strength, rebounding is a skill which requires timing, aggressiveness and awareness. To undermine rebounding is to undermine the skill that made players like Charles Barkley and Dennis Rodman stand out.
This may surprise people but the skill LeBron likely receives the least credit for is his shooting ability. While he will never likely be considered an elite shooter when comparing both players through their 14th season many will be surprised to see that both players had nearly identical shooting percentage from the three point line with Lebron shooting a higher percentage from the field overall. Even if you think Kobe is a more skilled player there are too many areas LeBron surpasses him to make it clear cut.
The Kobe vs. LeBron debate has and will always be fun. But can we at least try to add some logic to it? There are plenty of things that we can mention which do not include: ring count, killer instinct and who looks better on the court. Maybe we can discuss how both players did when there was not much talent around them. How about comparing the eras in which each player played and how they performed compared to their peers? Look at their performances in the playoffs and their impact on the success of their teams, as well as the teams they faced. Let’s make the LeBron vs. Kobe debate more interesting than it has been in the past. There’s no need for the same tired discussions we have already had before.
