[MrVJP]

Fair enough. He's definitely better than Stockton, Garnett, Drexler, and Rick barry right now imo. But you're right he has a couple more seasons to go let's see how he does.

DOM, how many times must we explain that there were inflated stats during that time because of the game pace, lack of defense, up and down tempo. 50 rebounds is more like 18-20 rebounds in today's game...

I'll admit I was stretching a bit there at the end but I'll still easily take Garnett and the total overall effect he has on the teams he plays on. 2001-2008, you throw that Spurs team around him and he may as well have almost replicated what Duncan had done. I joke all the time about how if he went to LAL instead of Boston in 2007 we might have seen the Lakers give some sort of effort 2007-now. We can all agree as hard-working as Bean is, this team does just not try at all half of the time and are in cruise control 75% of the time.

[tullamore21]

Lebron James will finish as 1 or 2.

You just lost your reputation.

[MrVJP]

Shaq? Where would he stand lol

Top 10 easily for me but as to where, its sort of fluid because he was so great without giving a damn.. how many times did he come into the season out of shape etc

[JM92]

I jsut needed to come here and say Bryant has been terrible defensively and his, just as Lebron, probably the most overrated defensive players since I've watched the nba (past 12 years).

[The Architect]

The level of difficulty of Bryant's shot cannot be compared to anyone in history. The guy takes the most difficult shots I've ever seen. Bryant is not as efficient as Jordan and never was. D Wade shoots almost 50% from the field from his career. Is Wade the offensive player Bryant is? No, it's not even close.

Bryant has 9 defensive first teams, the most ever. And will continue to get more.

Bryant has 9 defensive first teams, most ever in a tie with Michael Jordan. also had 9. Jordan has DPOY in an era dominated by big men.

the fact that kobe takes and makes difficult shots really has no implication in the argument at all. Are you going to say that Jordan didn't take tough shots? Come on bro that's ridiculous. If Kobe has to take such difficult shots, the counter argument to that is that he just simply couldn't get as good as looks as Jordan could..I would never argue that but thats what you'd make me say...thats an absurd point. The facts are that he is not as good a scorer as Jordan. period. Kobe beat boston in the finals, but they went to game 7 (something you alluded to that Jordan never did) and honestly if k. perkins had played, who knows if the lakers would have even won.

Kobe did score 81, best scoring performance i've ever seen. But michael scored 63 IN Boston garden vs the celtics in the playoffs. when has kobe scored 60 in the playoffs? The two are both the most amazing scorers in thehistoy of the game. Jordan is and always will be better though. I don't care how many rings or award Kobe gets. Jordan was the definition of dominance.

[The Architect]

You just lost your reputation.

Okay, let me throw some stats at you then.

LeBron needs to avg 23 for next 10 years to become NBA's all-time leading scorer.
He will eclipse 30,000 as the youngest ever, and he will do so by 2 full years, and then some.
He already has 3 MVPs, a finals MVP, and a championship ring.

And right now, he is about to turn 28, entering the physical and mental prime of his career.

If you seriously can't see Lebron finishing as a top 3 player of all time, then you simply do not know basketball, plain and simple. The guy is an evolved Magic Johnson, physically unmatched in this sport and he literally can play AND defend 4 positions - something kobe, MJ could not do. Statiscially speaking, his numbers will blow away the rest when he retires. thinking anything other than that can only be attributed to ignorance.

[MrVJP]

Okay, let me throw some stats at you then.

LeBron needs to avg 23 for next 10 years to become NBA's all-time leading scorer.
He will eclipse 30,000 as the youngest ever, and he will do so by 2 full years, and then some.
He already has 3 MVPs, a finals MVP, and a championship ring.

And right now, he is about to turn 28, entering the physical and mental prime of his career.

If you seriously can't see Lebron finishing as a top 3 player of all time, then you simply do not know basketball, plain and simple. The guy is an evolved Magic Johnson, physically unmatched in this sport and he literally can play AND defend 5 positions - something kobe, MJ could not do. Statiscially speaking, his numbers will blow away the rest when he retires. thinking anything other than that can only be attributed to ignorance.

While I agree with most of everything you said chances are LeBron isn't going to play 10 more years. But "he literally can play AND defend 5 positions - something kobe, MJ could not do."? LeBron would not be able to guard Hakeem, Robinson, O'Neal, etc.. what are you talking about, the hybrid washed up position it has become nowadays?

[The Architect]

While I agree with most of everything you said chances are LeBron isn't going to play 10 more years. But "he literally can play AND defend 5 positions - something kobe, MJ could not do."? LeBron would not be able to guard Hakeem, Robinson, O'Neal, etc.. what are you talking about, the hybrid washed up position it has become nowadays?

He prob won't play 10 years, you're right. but that's with him avg only 23...
and that was a typo on my part, i meant to say 4. Lol.

[Goat Milk]

Lebron's scoring will continue to go down every year as he ages. He just doesn't have the offensive game like Bryant or Jordan. The two sickest fadeaway jumpers of all time. Lebron is already getting slower. I remember 4 5 years ago Lebron was the fastest player I had every seen in the open court. It was insane. He's put on like 20 pounds of muscle though so that's probably why. He needs to develop a midrange game.

I don't see Lebron surpassing Bryant all time points but it's possible for sure. I think as he gets older and older he will go more into the triple double mode and wouldn't even be surprised if he averaged a TD for an entire season...


As a side note, when they erect a statue of Kobe in LA, which will happen, I think it should be of him taking a sick fadeaway jumper with the scissor kicks legs. Sick!

[Celtics08]

Durant better than Lebron, bye.

[The Architect]

Isn't it fun to talk ball with people that actually know the sport? Lol, I could argue this all day.

[tullamore21]

Okay, let me throw some stats at you then.

LeBron needs to avg 23 for next 10 years to become NBA's all-time leading scorer.
He will eclipse 30,000 as the youngest ever, and he will do so by 2 full years, and then some.
He already has 3 MVPs, a finals MVP, and a championship ring.

And right now, he is about to turn 28, entering the physical and mental prime of his career.

If you seriously can't see Lebron finishing as a top 3 player of all time, then you simply do not know basketball, plain and simple. The guy is an evolved Magic Johnson, physically unmatched in this sport and he literally can play AND defend 4 positions - something kobe, MJ could not do. Statiscially speaking, his numbers will blow away the rest when he retires. thinking anything other than that can only be attributed to ignorance.

I don't know basketball, plain and simple.
But you cannot defend yourself at all. Good Luck though...

[The Architect]

I don't know basketball, plain and simple.
But you cannot defend yourself at all. Good Luck though...

those stats weren't good enough for you? pretty sure I did a better job of "defending" myself than you did of even making an argument.

[JR007]

not really sure that you can be( objective) with all due respect, because of different eras involved,

you could say George Mikan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, etc

think it impossible given the different eras

[The Architect]

hey, goat milk. this is a great read on kobe. thought you'd appreciate it

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...-kobe-question

[Ambition]

Top 10 in order:

Jordan, Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Magic, Kobe, Bird, Oscar, Duncan, Shaq.

The first 5 are the top 5 though.

Also, no one will ever be better than Jordan. Ever.