David Stern: Kobe in Conversation with Jordan as Best Ever

[madmaxmedia]

1. It doesn't matter how much the 2nd leading scorer got, whether Shaq got 30 or Pippen got 22 or whatever (this goes both ways, for both players.) But your point about each player's points as a percentage of total team scoring is valid, and is useful IMO. There are other variables at work, but it is a useful data point anyway.

2. Whether MJ could average 30 with Shaq, who knows. I think it completely depends on the rest of the team. If MJ needed to drop 30 every night for the success of the team, I think he probably could. I mean both of these guys (MJ and Kobe) could just about do anything they set out to do on the basketball floor. Kobe in particular impressed me in the last Olympics, it often seemed like he was clearly the best player on the floor, the obvious go-to-guy that you want taking the crunchtime shots (even though guys like Wade are obviously great scorers too.) It's not so much ability that separated him, as it was floor presence and command (which MJ had in spades while dominating the NBA for many years.)

3. You final statement that you honestly feel Kobe is on par with MJ, I can totally respect. But you're turning people off with hyperbole, its easy to get the impression from your posts that you think Kobe is a much greater player than MJ.

Personally, I always though MJ's FG% set him apart from other great perimeter players. But to compare that, you do have to take into account 3 point shooting which is lower percentage but gets 3 points instead of 2. Points per FGA is a decent way of taking it all into account- 2 pt, 3 pt, getting to the line for FT, etc. And for their careers their points per attempt is almost identical. So I definitely have to give props to Kobe for that.

[The_Trade_Seer]

1. It doesn't matter how much the 2nd leading scorer got, whether Shaq got 30 or Pippen got 22 or whatever (this goes both ways, for both players.) But your point about each player's points as a percentage of total team scoring is valid, and is useful IMO. There are other variables at work, but it is a useful data point anyway.

Thank you.

2. Whether MJ could average 30 with Shaq, who knows. I think it completely depends on the rest of the team. If MJ needed to drop 30 every night for the success of the team, I think he probably could. I mean both of these guys (MJ and Kobe) could just about do anything they set out to do on the basketball floor. Kobe in particular impressed me in the last Olympics, it often seemed like he was clearly the best player on the floor, the obvious go-to-guy that you want taking the crunchtime shots (even though guys like Wade are obviously great scorers too.) It's not so much ability that separated him, as it was floor presence and command (which MJ had in spades while dominating the NBA for many years.)

I agree.

3. You final statement that you honestly feel Kobe is on par with MJ, I can totally respect. But you're turning people off with hyperbole, its easy to get the impression from your posts that you think Kobe is a much greater player than MJ.

I understand and for the record I definitely do NOT think Kobe is "a much greater player than MJ". I feel they are incredibly similar and on par with each other. If the game was on the line and I needed a 2 I'd go to Jordan and tell him to drive to the whole ... if I needed a 3 I'd go to Kobe. I will say that I do feel Kobe was "better, faster" as in better at a younger age, but this is not a greatness argument as noone has been as good as fast as Lebron imo and he isn't on Kobe or MJ's level yet.

Personally, I always though MJ's FG% set him apart from other great perimeter players. But to compare that, you do have to take into account 3 point shooting which is lower percentage but gets 3 points instead of 2. Points per FGA is a decent way of taking it all into account- 2 pt, 3 pt, getting to the line for FT, etc. And for their careers their points per attempt is almost identical. So I definitely have to give props to Kobe for that.

Great point and I agree 100%

[Wile E. Coyote]

Maybe we should ask JordansBulls to come in here with his document and post it.

[Doormatt]

Meh.


I was going to write something about how disingenuous it is to compare players, but I figured, why bother?

I think it can be fun, and I like posting on the player comparison board, but really, it's feels like banging your ahead against a wall. I'm kinda done with it.

We should just appreciate greatness instead of trying to weigh it.

[madmaxmedia]

I think this can make for an interesting DISCUSSION, but the flat-out arguments are pretty pointless.

It's easier to compare guys at the same position (roughly speaking). To have an argument about whether MJ or Wilt was greater is generally useless.