Better built for longevity: Mike or Kobe?

Laimbeer · Post #1 » by **Laimbeer** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 12:29 pm

Assuming no premature retirements or major injuries, who would have the better longevity?

Post #2 » by **NO-KG-AI** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 12:38 pm

Mike is a bigger framed guy. (stronger, bigger hands, more naturally athletic), with stronger skills and IQ. He can slip more in any category than Kobe can and still be very efficient because he took ridiculously good care of the ball(especially in comparison).

D.Brasco · Post #3 » by **D.Brasco** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 1:39 pm

MJ and his game seemed built pretty decently for extended longevity. For whatever reason though he had this mental thing about wanting to get out while he still believed he was on top?

With both the first and 2nd retirement being about him retiring while he still felt like he was the best. So his career path was very different from other high longevity players in history. It would have been interesting to see how his career would have played had he gone straight from '84 to 2000 say?

Dr Pepper · Post #4 » by **Dr Pepper** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 4:56 pm

Chicken vs the egg. Kobe is going to want to beat MJ's stats so he'll play until then, and has modern medicine to get there. However MJ was the more physically and mentally gifted player. Both want to play through a stupid amount of minutes

Exodus · Post #5 » by **Exodus** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 4:59 pm

Kobe

Thinner, not as much pressure on them knees. More lighter and fluid in body rotations. Kobe is a magician in stretching, taking care of his body, eating right, hard work. Kobe game is better suited. I will take quickness over bulk all the time, when it comes to longevity.

D.Brasco · Post #6 » by **D.Brasco** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:04 pm

Exodus wrote:Kobe

Thinner, not as much pressure on them knees. More lighter and fluid in body rotations. Kobe is a magician in stretching, taking care of his body, eating right, hard work. Kobe game is better suited.

How can you mention Kobe's knees and how he "takes care of his body" without bringing up the special treatments he has to fly to germany to get for those knees?

Obviously something MJ didn't have access to in his time.

Exodus · Post #7 » by **Exodus** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:08 pm

D.Brasco wrote:
Exodus wrote:Kobe

Thinner, not as much pressure on them knees. More lighter and fluid in body rotations. Kobe is a magician in stretching, taking care of his body, eating right, hard work. Kobe game is better suited.

How can you mention Kobe's knees and how he "takes care of his body" without bringing up the special treatments he has to fly to germany to get for those knees?

Obviously something MJ didn't have access to in his time.

Kobe started in the league when he was 17. He didn't take a few years off to play baseball. I wouldn't try to pretend that they have equal amount of wear and tear at a certain age.

oaktownwarriors87 · Post #8 » by **oaktownwarriors87** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:21 pm

Exodus wrote:Kobe

Thinner, not as much pressure on them knees. More lighter and fluid in body rotations. Kobe is a magician in stretching, taking care of his body, eating right, hard work. Kobe game is better suited. I will take quickness over bulk all the time, when it comes to longevity.

This

D.Brasco · Post #9 » by **D.Brasco** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:27 pm

Exodus wrote:
D.Brasco wrote:
Exodus wrote:Kobe

Thinner, not as much pressure on them knees. More lighter and fluid in body rotations. Kobe is a magician in stretching, taking care of his body, eating right, hard work. Kobe game is better suited.

How can you mention Kobe's knees and how he "takes care of his body" without bringing up the special treatments he has to fly to germany to get for those knees?

Obviously something MJ didn't have access to in his time.

Kobe started in the league when he was 17. He didn't take a few years off to play baseball. I wouldn't try to pretend that they have equal amount of wear and tear at a certain age.

I see that argument brought up a lot as if Jordan from 18-21 was just lounging on his mom's couch and not playing high level NCAA ball. Also Kobe his first 2 seasons was playing far from high minutes: 15.5 mpg and 26 mpg respectively.

I'm more of a believer in age vs mileage.

Although I will grant that the experience Jordan had coming back for the partial season in '95 rusty, is what motivated him for '96 and the next 3-peat.

bballcool34 · Post #10 » by **bballcool34** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 7:25 pm

Exodus wrote:Kobe

Thinner, not as much pressure on them knees. More lighter and fluid in body rotations. Kobe is a magician in stretching, taking care of his body, eating right, hard work. Kobe game is better suited. I will take quickness over bulk all the time, when it comes to longevity.

Kobe wasn't quicker than MJ though...

Biddy77 · Post #11 » by **Biddy77** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 7:55 pm

I laugh a lot at the "entered the league earlier" argument.

When I was 14-22, I probably put more wear on my body than active NBA players do. Through high school, it's a revolving door of leagues, working out 5 days/week, and playing pick up games constantly, for as many hours as possible. It wasn't uncommon for my best friend and I to go from off season league games, straight into multiple hours of pick up games. Not lackadaisical play, either. Being competitive, we wanted to destroy everybody. I didn't want 1 point scored on me, ever, so I hounded everybody on D, pressed full court in off season leagues, etc.

MANY players are like that. I can tell you with certainty that a lot of the guys from Oregon who play in the NBA are out here killing each other in the off season, and have been since middle school. They aren't adding wear in the NBA. They're probably easing up a little.

Where the NBA is more rigorous isn't extra running or jumping. It's travel and jacked up sleep schedule. Mental fatigue skyrockets. Free time disappears.

Many of these guys love the game so much, they play constantly before being drafted, regardless of the season's official game count.