[WannaBeLikeMike]

Let's hear them people because I'm sure most of you are idiots and I need a good laugh!

[WannaBeLikeMike]

Personally, I don't believe it's close. Name one top center that Michael ever played with. He had Scottie...but that was just to get him to the top. No guard has ever been more of a catalyst to a championship program than Michael. For example, only 8 times has someone ever led the league in scoring as well as won a ring in the same year...Lew Alcindor, as that was still his name at the time, Shaq in 2000 when the Laker's won their first of three...and then Michael the other 6 times. Also, people talk about killer instinct, what happened in last year's game 7. Save all of the staying with the gameplan ****. Save me the scored 23 in the first half and still down 15. Save your breath. Michael would've never stood at the 3 pt. line and passed the ball and point his hand...watch that 2nd half and tell me he wasn't trying to prove a point. I may agree with the point he was trying to make, but I'm not trying to prove I'm the greatest basketball player ever, and that's not how Michael would've ended the season. Period!

[EmpireWF]

MJ was the face of the league for a good 6-7 years. He was the clear #1 guy in the game during that stretch. When people think of sporting greatness, they think of MJ.

Jordan is a brand name.

Kobe is a great player, and may have been the best in the NBA for a couple of years...but did not have the longevity that Jordan had.

And besides, Jordan was a much better all-round player.

[azrael492]

There is no reason why Kobe is better than Jordan. He isn't. I think what demonstrates Jordan's dominance the best are his championships. Not the number of them, but the timing. He won 3 then quit. The Bulls didn't win another. He came back and the Bulls won 3 more. He carried that team. I would compare Kobe to Pippen more even though he is better than Scottie. He needed Jordan to win the title, Kobe needed Shaq.

[WannaBeLikeMike]

See, I hate Kobe, but I think comparing him to Scottie is even more of an insult than I'm willing to throw at him. Yes, if you had to call somebody MJ and someone Scottie on those three championship teams then it's Kobe that's Scottie and Shaq that's MJ. But, look at the number's from that era and the games that were played and how, Scottie wishes he was Kobe! And that's coming from a diehard Bulls Fan!

[ThePundit]

Welcome to GoTeams Go WannabeLIkeMike.....Jordan is the best player to ever lace up a pair of NBA shoes. To mention Kobe in the same sentence with him is an insult to Jordan. Kobe isn't even close to being the best player in the game today, much less putting him on the same level with Jordan.

[Basketball Jesus]

Originally Posted by azrael492

There is no reason why Kobe is better than Jordan. He isn't. I think what demonstrates Jordan's dominance the best are his championships. Not the number of them, but the timing. He won 3 then quit. The Bulls didn't win another. He came back and the Bulls won 3 more. He carried that team. I would compare Kobe to Pippen more even though he is better than Scottie. He needed Jordan to win the title, Kobe needed Shaq.

Jordan needed pippen and shaq needed both Kobe and Wade. All Five of these guys needed Phil and Riley. We could play this silly little game all day!

No one in History ever one a ring by themselves. Mikan Came the closest.

Although I am a Laker fan I do not think that Kobe is a better basketball player than Jordan. (please check other messages I have left in this Forum). I do believe he is more talented, and his skill set is one that only Jordan Rivals. Kobe is the best Scorer We have ever seen (yes I do remember Wilt, but the range Kobe posseses is unmatched. He is just as dangerous at 30 feet as he is a 3 feet)! In this area of the game Kobe stands above Michael. This though is the only area.

A lot of people will tell you that michael was a better defender, but the rules were different when he played and we have heard Pippen (Clearly the superior defender of the 2) state openly that in light of the new rules he would be almost ineffective on the perimeter. So we can't blame his slack defense completley on him. Besides I believe although michael is much better one on one defense situations, Kobe is a much better Help defender and seems to clog passing lanes better.

Kobe is even beginning to trust his teamates. A trait synonymous with MJ's name. MJ is clearly superior in this category, but it did not start that way. Mj was a one man show in the beggining then changed it to win. This is where Mj surpasses kobe in terms of basketball player. His basketball IQ is unmatched and his spur of the moment decision making skills were so great that he looked as if he was making decisions without thinking about it. the decision making process and flow of the game were things that came naturally to Jordan. Kobe still is no match for him in this aspect and I am not sure he will ever catch him!

I do believe that if you locked the 2 players in a gym in a game of one on one Kobe would come out one top 8 times out of 10...

BUT if the two had to play against eachother in a 7 game series with the same exact rosters Jordan is not losing more than 1 of those games. Jordan's team in 5 games would be the safest bet. When you think about it, what matters more?

I personally would like the team wins because although Kobe is the best show on earth... at the end of the day Jordan is the legend.

[rmays06]

Because he is MJ all that needs to be said a classy guy and an ambassador for the leaugue for many years! He flaked out but made up for it by winning 3 more rings

[Basketball Jesus]

Originally Posted by WannaBeLikeMike

Personally, I don't believe it's close. Name one top center that Michael ever played with. He had Scottie...but that was just to get him to the top. No guard has ever been more of a catalyst to a championship program than Michael. For example, only 8 times has someone ever led the league in scoring as well as won a ring in the same year...Lew Alcindor, as that was still his name at the time, Shaq in 2000 when the Laker's won their first of three...and then Michael the other 6 times. Also, people talk about killer instinct, what happened in last year's game 7. Save all of the staying with the gameplan ****. Save me the scored 23 in the first half and still down 15. Save your breath. Michael would've never stood at the 3 pt. line and passed the ball and point his hand...watch that 2nd half and tell me he wasn't trying to prove a point. I may agree with the point he was trying to make, but I'm not trying to prove I'm the greatest basketball player ever, and that's not how Michael would've ended the season. Period!

Jordan was not the only one to win without a top center. Thomas did it and the last 3 that magic won Kareem was only posting 16 points and 6 rebounds so that does not qualify as a premier center either.

At all times jordan was playing with not one but 2 other all-stars. Remember Cartwright, Paxson, Grant, and Rodman. Without Rodman's lock down defense (not to mention the 15+ rebounds per night) he would only have 3 rings. I know everyone remembers those Utah Series. Rodman's assignment was rebounds and Malone and he took care of both.

As I have Clearley stated Before No one does it by themselves.

I do also believe that Kobe sold Out a bit Last year in the Phoenix series. But I also Believe that Jordan would have Choked Kwame out (like he did to Kerr) for giving up that game 6 3 pointer. Kobe had that game won and his team gave it away. Can anyone think of anything else he could have done short of making his next 30 shots in a row as well as personally shuting down the whole team (for the entire 2nd half) in order to win that game? Michael would have went down also were he in the same situation, but I do agree that he would have went down with much more class!

[WannaBeLikeMike]

Originally Posted by Basketball Jesus

Jordan was not the only one to win without a top center. Thomas did it and the last 3 that magic won Kareem was only posting 16 points and 6 rebounds so that does not qualify as a premier center either.

At all times jordan was playing with not one but 2 other all-stars. Remember Cartwright, Paxson, Grant, and Rodman. Without Rodman's lock down defense (not to mention the 15+ rebounds per night) he would only have 3 rings. I know everyone remembers those Utah Series. Rodman's assignment was rebounds and Malone and he took care of both.

As I have Clearley stated Before No one does it by themselves.

I do also believe that Kobe sold Out a bit Last year in the Phoenix series. But I also Believe that Jordan would have Choked Kwame out (like he did to Kerr) for giving up that game 6 3 pointer. Kobe had that game won and his team gave it away. Can anyone think of anything else he could have done short of making his next 30 shots in a row as well as personally shuting down the whole team (for the entire 2nd half) in order to win that game? Michael would have went down also were he in the same situation, but I do agree that he would have went down with much more class!

Ok back to your arguement, one grant was never an all star with chicago, only with orlando...cartwright was no where near his all star year, a whole decade removed in fact as he got their his rookie year in 1980 and never again, was averaging 7.8 pts and 5.0 reb.s during the first three-peat(oh **** I owe Riley a nickel)...john paxson never went to an all star game and Rodman played in his last all star game in '92...and as for shutting down malone, in '97 he avg.'d 27 pts. 9.9 reb on 52% shooting and against rodman in the playoffs that year he avg'd 23.8 pts. and 10.3 reb on 44% shooting. So while Rodman frustrated Malone who had a worse % then his avg. that year, but the bulls won by an average of 9 pts. so Malone had help in not contributing enough and as for '98...Malone avg'd 27 pts. 10.3 rebs on 54% shooting and against Rodman it was 25 pts. 10.5 reb's they lost by an avg. of 6 pts. Rodman's avg's during the playoffs those years:
'97-4.2 pts and 8.4 rebs
'98-4.9 pts. and 11.8 rebs
sounds like he got punked to me
and who had to steal the ball from Malone in game 6 in '98 to get a chance at the game winning shot at the other end after driving to the basket on the play before to bring them within one, that was Michael!

[MJHMarc]

I can't argue that. Mike dominated B-Ball Jesus with numbers on this argument.

[legend]

Remember though if you truly want to be like Mike you need to lose millions gambling and then make a fool of yourself attempting to be an NBA front office executive.

[WannaBeLikeMike]

Not to mention have your father killed because you refuse to pay your gambling debt's and ruined possibly the greatest dynasty since the celtics because Mr. Stern forced you out of the league for two years and you had to go play minor league baseball just long enough for the fans to miss you and have all of the "hoopla" die down. Could've won 8 straight!

[WannaBeLikeMike]

I may love the man, but we got to keep it real, right?!?

[MJHMarc]

Originally Posted by WannaBeLikeMike

Not to mention have your father killed because you refuse to pay your gambling debt's and ruined possibly the greatest dynasty since the celtics because Mr. Stern forced you out of the league for two years and you had to go play minor league baseball just long enough for the fans to miss you and have all of the "hoopla" die down. Could've won 8 straight!

Why must we dredge up all the conspiracies regarding one of the world's best ballers?