Who was better – Kobe or MJ?
MANILA, Philippines – It’s a debate that won’t end with a conclusive decision. Who was the better basketball player? Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant? Their paths crossed in eight games when they played in the NBA. Jordan won twice with the Chicago Bulls and once with the Washington Wizards while Bryant was victorious in five games with the Los Angeles Lakers. Jordan retired at the age of 40 after playing in 15 seasons. Bryant hung up his sneakers at 37 in his 20th season.
Jordan ended his career in 2002-03 with six championships. Bryant walked away 13 years later with five rings. MJ led the league in scoring in 10 seasons, including seven in a row, and dropped at least 60 points in five outings. Bryant was the NBA’s scoring champion in four seasons and averaged 35.4 points in 2005-06. Jordan averaged 37.1 points in 1986-87, the fifth highest clip in NBA history.
Writer Michael Grange paid Jordan the highest compliment when he said, “anyone lucky enough to see him at the height of his power, playing for everything or nothing at all, wished he never had to go.” Bryant went straight from high school to the NBA and became the youngest ever to start a NBA game in 1997 at the age of 18 years, 5 months and 5 days. Bryant didn’t only want to be like Mike, he wanted to be better than Jordan.
On Twitter (@TheDeanQuinito) and Instagram (@therealdeanquinito), we asked netizens whom they thought was the better player. We said the best answer on Twitter and the best answer on Instagram would each receive a 2016 NBA playoffs Los Angeles Clippers T-shirt, a Clippers blue ballerband and a multi-color flashing Clippers wide wristband.
Here are some samples of the comments.
@edwinallenmariquit. Jordan was better for three reasons. 1. He was a reliable scorer and during clutch time, you passed the ball to him for a sure basket. 2. Good leader, he led the Bulls to six championships. 3. He was competitive in every game, he always gave 100 percent and even when injured, he played.
@homerduterte. Kobe Bryant, kasi isa siyang inspiration sa lahat ng basketball fan saan man sa mundo, hindi sa sinasabi ko na hindi rin inspiration si Jordan, napakagaling ni Jordan pero sa akin, si Kobe pa rin. Sa mga championship at MVP awards niya lahat yun katas ng pagiging magaling at very humble na katauhan. @haha_harold. Jordan over Kobe. Won championships without a dominant center (in that era, dominant centers were the thing with Ewing, Olajuwon, etc.), 5-time MVP compared to Kobe’s 1. Won six championships as Batman/Alpha Dog on his team compared to Kobe’s five, three of them being Robin to Shaq and the other two as the Alpha Dog. @xianrem. MJ over Kobe. Michael proved to everybody in the league despite not being selected as the No. 1 overall pick during the 1984 NBA draft that he could lead his team to the playoffs against the much tougher East teams in his first year. MJ won six rings with five league MVPs and six Finals MVPs. He also gained the respect of Bird and Magic who recognized MJ as the greatest basketball player of all time.
@louisjunel. I’m going for MJ. I’m not going to talk about scoring titles, MVP awards and championships. MJ was more efficient than Kobe and efficiency while playing that kind of standard in basketball means you’re not playing good but you’re playing great. @rapaeng13. They’ve changed so many lives through their game. They set the tone for the game we all love. They’ve dedicated half of their lives to the game. They’ve accomplished so much and we can’t ask for more. I don’t want to pick between the two. Hats off to the legends of the game, GOAT to GOAT.
@ronwillfy. There is no proper metric to compare greatness or game changers. MVPs? MJ has more. Championships, MJ. Who played longer consistently? Kobe. Who had more points scored? Kobe. In the end, MJ was better than Kobe the same way Kobe was better than MJ. @mglcris. I’m a die-hard Kobe fan but MJ is the GOAT. Kobe is arguably the second GOAT but MJ did it first. Kobe copied MJ’s moves. Based on statistics, winnings and personal accomplishments, MJ is clearly above Kobe.
@peterpogi. MH was top dog in all of his championship teams. In three of his five championships, Kobe played sidekick to Shaq. MJ was a better defender, had higher career points per game average and got his teammates involved. MJ made more contributions in offense and defense compared to Kobe. MJ did all these and even led his team to 72-10 despite the fact that there was a more physical and punishing style in the NBA during his time.
@russelperalta25. Making everyone around him a much better basketball player is what made MJ better than Kobe. Everyone knows that in a crucial situation and dying seconds of the game, MJ was going to get the ball. But twice, he deferred to an open teammate to hit the winning shot in a championship game. That showed his character. Basketball is a five-man game and MJ, with his individual skills, truly made basketball very easy for his teammates unlike Kobe who was known to demand every possession.
@nardge. MJ then, Kobe now. For those who witnessed both players actually play and based on stats, one of them will definitely be better. For me, I will base my choice on the intangibles. Their relationship with teammates, team officials, opponents, the NBA and particularly the fans. I will include their performance in their farewell games. For me, it’s Kobe.
@movesbybalete. Kobe had a better support cast overall but MJ had a higher championship success rate. MJ had more MVPs than Kobe. MJ was the Finals MVP in all his championships, led team to 72-10 with six MVPs. Better defender, higher career points and assist average.
@mam0rds. Kobe is better because he made me love basketball which I didn’t know before until I saw him play. @kramkramCFerrer. What separates these stars from the other is their heart, dominance and ability to win. Jordan never lost in the Finals, was Finals MVP in all six. Kobe lost in the NBA Finals twice. @JCVillaruel15. MJ was the better player. Kobe is a product of MJ. Jordan inspired the generation of Kobe, Vince, McGrady, AI. @noel2987. MJ is still the better player because he revolutionized the game and made it global. Kobe just continued Jordan’s legacy.
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