Game seven, crunch time - prime LeBron or prime Kobe?

[Laimbeer]

I'll put in a disclaimer and say I consider prime LeBron to be a clearly better overall player. But this may be a different discussion.

From what you've seen of their primes, would you prefer LeBron or Kobe in crunch time of game seven?

[GSP]

Ppl overrate scoring in crunch time. Lebron still gives u the whole package and makes the right plays. If we're saying they both have equal cast give me the King

[ardee]

Well if you're talking about the last few minutes, I'd go with Kobe, yeah. People can claim that the 'clutch' concept is a fallacy, but I don't buy it... It's got nothing to do with stats, it's just a psychological thing. There is more pressure at that time, and Kobe deals with pressure as well as anyone. Not saying LeBron is a bad choice, but Kobe's range is more helpful if you need a three, plus there's more chance of a second shot considering his isos are pretty quick.

[mademan]

I'll take Lebron. He just does more than Kobe. He'll defend the best opposing player, 1-4, and make the right basketball play. If you double team Kobe, he's probably still gonna put up the shot.

[lorak]

It's not even close. Of course James.

Just near his prime LeBron had 45-5-6 (with only 2 TOV and 60 TS%) game 7.

Prime Kobe had 6/24 (23-15-2, 4 tov, 38 TS%) game 7 and 24-4-1 (3 tov, 66 TS%) with no show in 2nd half.

[Dr Pepper]

Ppl overrate scoring in crunch time. Lebron still gives u the whole package and makes the right plays. If we're saying they both have equal cast give me the King

IIRC LeBron's Cav clutch numbers destroyed Kobe's, although Kobe is of course older and worn down.

Not to mention there's a lot of ways to define go-to scoring and playmaking in the last minutes of a game which is basically what being clutch is about. Kobe gets the hype and is more skilled especially at making tough jumpers, but LeBron is more effective and has better IQ. LeBron can also simply physically dominate in a way Kobe never was able to either, imo.

[colts18]

LeBron consistently outperformed Kobe in these last few minutes clutch situations. LeBron is probably GOAT at it. He had one season where he averaged 66-16-8 with great efficiency in the clutch.

[Texas Chuck]

my brain says Lebron. My heart (and this is weird because I hate the guy) says Kobe.

[Shot Clock]

Easy choice Lebron. Kobe has never passed the eye test or the stats test in crunch time. He's more likely to take a low percentage or challenged shot. Because of that people think he's good at making them. His percentages are low because he can't, if he was a master of them he must be missing all the easy ones.

[Texas Chuck]

Easy choice Lebron. Kobe has never passed the eye test or the stats test in crunch time. He's more likely to take a low percentage or challenged shot. Because of that people think he's good at making them. His percentages are low because he can't, if he was a master of them he must be missing all the easy ones.

The problem for me is Ive seen Lebron shy away at crunch time in big games multiple times. Ive never seen Kobe do this. There is no question all the stats are going to say Lebron, but its hard to forget Lebron's big disappearing acts. He hasnt done enough yet to erase those thoughts from the back of my mind. Trying and failing is one thing but failing to try is much worse.

[Woodsanity]

Lebron handily. Nothing suggests to me that Kobe is really all that in crunch time outside of misguided hype.

[Woodsanity]

Easy choice Lebron. Kobe has never passed the eye test or the stats test in crunch time. He's more likely to take a low percentage or challenged shot. Because of that people think he's good at making them. His percentages are low because he can't, if he was a master of them he must be missing all the easy ones.

The problem for me is Ive seen Lebron shy away at crunch time in big games multiple times. Ive never seen Kobe do this. There is no question all the stats are going to say Lebron, but its hard to forget Lebron's big disappearing acts. He hasnt done enough yet to erase those thoughts from the back of my mind. Trying and failing is one thing but failing to try is much worse.

More like trying to make the right play vs playing hero ball and taking a dumb shot and making it 1/5th of the time.

[lorak]

Easy choice Lebron. Kobe has never passed the eye test or the stats test in crunch time. He's more likely to take a low percentage or challenged shot. Because of that people think he's good at making them. His percentages are low because he can't, if he was a master of them he must be missing all the easy ones.

The problem for me is Ive seen Lebron shy away at crunch time in big games multiple times. Ive never seen Kobe do this. There is no question all the stats are going to say Lebron, but its hard to forget Lebron's big disappearing acts. He hasnt done enough yet to erase those thoughts from the back of my mind. Trying and failing is one thing but failing to try is much worse.

I guess you never watched G7 vs Suns.

[mademan]

Easy choice Lebron. Kobe has never passed the eye test or the stats test in crunch time. He's more likely to take a low percentage or challenged shot. Because of that people think he's good at making them. His percentages are low because he can't, if he was a master of them he must be missing all the easy ones.

The problem for me is Ive seen Lebron shy away at crunch time in big games multiple times. Ive never seen Kobe do this. There is no question all the stats are going to say Lebron, but its hard to forget Lebron's big disappearing acts. He hasnt done enough yet to erase those thoughts from the back of my mind. Trying and failing is one thing but failing to try is much worse.

I still don't understand why people think passing to an open teammate is worse than taking a contested shot.

[An Unbiased Fan]

Kobe by far. Lebron wrote the book on bad decisions in crunch time. Taking fadeaway 3s instead of driving to the rim. RUNNING away from the ball for a 4 year span.

I love how people bring up 6-24 as a negative. Kobe's shot wasn't falling, so he crashed the boards and got 15 rebs. he attacked and got to the FT line. Since when is 23/15 not a solid game? Isn't Kobe something like 5-1 in game 7s

[mademan]

Cause crunch time is 1 shot....

[Texas Chuck]

Do you guys really think what Lebron was doing in the 2011 finals? Because as a Mavs fan I have watched all those games countless times and there is no way that was Lebron making the correct basketball decision. He also left Cleveland playing some terrible basketball. I guess you guys will come back and tell me those werent game 7s or make some other excuse for his play, but his play went beyond being unselfish.

[yitur]

The thing is, Kobe's choke jobs are bad shot selections that shows in the stat sheet, Lebron's choke jobs are shying away, passing the ball to someone else. Kobe's biggest ability is also his biggest deficiency, which is he can make shots from anywhere on the court. Lebron is better all-around offensive player but if a shot has to be taken I would go with Kobe.

[mademan]

He did play terrible in the whole Dallas series. Whether it was mental/physical, doesn't matter. Dude was passive and they lost because of him. That series doesn't capture his whole career though, and over his 10 years he's played extremely well in the clutch. And all the numbers support that.

[nikomCH]

The funniest thing to me is how people claim Kobe being clutch is a myth and then back it up with pedestrian stats but if you actually look into it at a greater depth (as in more than just shots in the final 24 seconds) you'd see that Kobe has been an excellent crunch time player in numerous seasons.

So the notion that Kobe being clutch is a myth is actually the real myth.