Jordan obviously has the edge here, but he did not have the individual players competing against him who are at or near the level of talent that are in the NBA right now.  Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowiztki, etc. just to name a few.  Not to discount anything Jordan did at all, but right now, even though he should have probably 1-2 more MVP's trophies to his name, the level of competition in the league now for that award will make that almost impossible. 

I do think it is pointless to compare Kobe to MJ, but it will inevitably happen well after Kobe retires, regardless of what else he accomplishes.  MJ is number one and on his own tier, but Kobe is at least in the discussion for who is at the top of the next tier.

Also let's not forget about MJ's early retirement. He very well could have 8 rings and 8 finals MVPs.

edited for poor taste (on my part)

I just want to say I did mention that. And I agree, he'd be 8 for 8 in all likelihood.

Hahaha, yes, yes I did.

I'd agree that the NBA is a much more athletic league today and that, top to bottom, the league is more talented now that it was in Jordan's hey day. But MJ did have to deal with entire teams that were built to stop him (Detroit) and he did play in the league with legends like Magic, Bird, Barkley, Ewing, Hakeem the Dream, Stockton, Malone, Wilkins.... so it's not as if Jordan didn't go against talented players in his time too. Sure, some of those guys I just named aren't as athletic as some of the guys on your list... but whatever... that's my argument and I'm sticking to it.

That PQ is from me...ya bastard.  Jordan was no saint himself, having several bouts with a gambling addiction as well as committing adultery while paying the woman hush money to keep her mouth shut.  Thanks to that, MJ recently got divorced from his long-time wife Juanita.  Sticking to on the court accomplishments, Kobe needs to do a bit more to get near the realm that MJ currently and ultimately resides in.

That's a good point, and we also would probably look at Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in a different light as well.

 well for the record - I respect what Kobe has done. I was trying to be funny...and did debate whether or not to put it in there...

I'm going to echo your sentiments. Also Clyde Drexler, David Robinson and Isiah want a say in here too.

No worries, and it was a joke on my part as well.  The thing with being the top guy in the league is that there is more temptation as well as more public/media scrutiny.  How these gentleman act and recover from both in the public's eye and the league's eye is the important factor.  Kobe has repaired his image for the most part, and MJ did long ago as well.  As more and more time passes by, the accomplishments these guys have achieved will make these few negatives disappear.

All very valid and solid points.

.

I know you were but it was still in poor taste on my part. My aim isn't to piss people off (at least intentionally....).

and I completely agree with you on your point about being in the public spotlight - I think there are a ton of athletes who make mistakes and do certain things that just don't happen to get caught b/c they aren't the top in the league. 

Ya you did. I somehow forgot to read that part.

Not to mention the hand check rules and physicality of the game in Jordan's day.  Both great players but there is a reason every great player is compared to MJ.  He is simply the GOAT.

oh my god. how many articles are comparing kobe to mj since the lakers won the championship?? c'mon people just drop it already.

I wish more people would actually look at the stats than throwing out their poorly informed opinion.  See http://www.newsy.com/videos/entitled for an amalgamation of some of the amazing in-depth analysis disseminated to the general populace; mind-boggling.  *shakes head sadly*  Kobe is no doubt a good player; probably even a great one but there is no way he will ever pass MJ, even if he wins another title or two.

i agree MJ and Kobe whatever anyone says Kobe finally won w/out shaq i may not like Kobe but i respect the fact he has done it but we all know(kobe fans too) its MJ regardless his numbers dont lie same for kobe but MJ has the final say so and Kobe still hasn't came close to compare himself to the REAL BLACK MAMBA MJ23

this is my statement and im sticking to it

Let's not forget that Kobe only got this ring playing with Pau Gasol who is arguably the best center in the world curently.  Let's just say if I need to win a seven game series starting today I'm taking Pau over Howard,  Yao or Shaq no question.  Look at the centers that Jordan played with.  Longley, Cartwright, and Will Perdue.  The day Kobe wins his sixth Championship without a dominant center there MAY be a discussion here...

As one who's watched Magic v. Bird, Jordan, and Kobe, the competition isn't even close.  MJ is by far the greatest basketball player to ever play the game.  Jordan didn't just have a facet or two of brilliance, he was the most complete player, and one that played each aspect of the game far beyond what any player in basketball history has ever done.

I think this article and many negative onces toward Kobe are just examples of people who do not like him. Shaq going to the Cavaliers is cheating. The Caveliers were sweeping every team but not Orlando. So Shaq is almost being given another title shot if he goes to the Cavaliers.  Kobe to me had a harder road to another title than Shaq. Shaq is a center and that position is pivotal to most guards, which there are many. Not many as good as Kobe, which is why Shaq won his titles with great guards like Kobe and Wade, which does not diminish them, it just says Shaq is pivotal to a team-strong in the post. Kobe earned his title and saying he should get another one without Shaq to prove something is saying that the writer liked having Kobe to have to earn one without Shaq, now that he has he is bitter than Kobe is free from Shaq so he wants to put him back in that prison. But we all know that Kobe is free now. And Shaq is trying to cheat to get to the title again with Lebron. And how does it help Lebron to win one with Shaq?  He will still have to do the same thing Kobe did and win a title without Shaq. Shaq is just overrated.  He is a great center, but in a way the best piece to most teams need to win a team championship. But Kobe is the great player. 81 points. MVPs heart drive. Kobe is now free from Shaq. I guess now Wade and later Lebron will have to do the same thing Kobe did and win one without Shaq.  Ridiculous.  I thought Kobe was great when he won those 3 titles, and he did win them. Shaq was not winning anything until Kobe matured and started to play well.

One thing I think which people have to respect is that Kobe has won a 4th title, and one without Shaq, and with a team which is not the best really. Odum and Ariza and Gasol are good but not great.  Shaq won a title with Wade who is great. Kobe took very good players and made them exceptional. That is a great player. No doubt. Yes he freed himself from Shaq last night and now he is on his own.  I think he surpassed Shaq. Shaq goes around picking teams he would be pivotal towards. He couldn't even get the Suns in the playoffs this year. I still say,  Shaq did not win a title with the lakers until Kobe matured and started playing well.  It proves that Kobe was pivotal. Kobe won a title with Gasol and Ariza and Odum and Fisher. Shaq could not have done it. Nash is probably better than all of those guys, and Shaq didn't do it with him. I think Kobe passed Shaq and winning another title means he can put Shaq behind him.  Wade and soon Lebron will have to win another someday. And can Lebron win a title with Shaq? Sure.  Lebron almost made it all the way.  Adding Shaq to an already great team who swept everyone to me is cheating. But Shaq gets to pick and choose. Kobe had to make a team out of mediocre players who had guts.

You can make Gasol great but you know he is good, but he did not get anywhere without Kobe.  He is not better than Yao or Howard.  He has a great guy passing to him and involving him. I think people have to give Kobe credit. In someway now Kobe might be underrated.  One thing is for sure. People for years now have been saying Kobe has to win a title without Shaq or he would not be great. Well, he did it last night. So you cannot go back and question it. He won the NBA title. I know people did not want him to win it so they could keep saying he could not win it without Shaq. But he did. So instead of being bitter and trying to take away the win, best thing is to accept it and give him credit. If you can't , then it shows you are more personal about your feelings towards him then about being objective in rating a great player. The finals proved he was great as the other three titles also proved. But he had to win one without Shaq and he did. He now had his legacy free without Shaq and he can try to win a 5th title maybe. I am glad he is free from Shaq. I am sure Shaq hates it.

I think the injustice of the Lakers getting an in-his-prime Gasol from Memphis for the Kwame Brown pu-pu platter pales in comparison to the Cavs getting a 37-year-old Shaq no matter how lopsided the deal ends up being

Kobe can't fill MJ's shoes or probaly his jock strip

This is one of the most annoying things that people say while having a Jorgasm. Maybe that break, after winning the first three championships, was the only reason he was able to win three more. MJ only retired for one whole season then came back towards to end of the next season, where he and the Bulls were eliminated by the Orlando Magic. Then the Bulls brought in Denis Rodman to help them back to the Finals. Without Rodman, the Bulls could not have gotten past Shaq and the Orlando Magic.

I think it's unfair (to Kobe) to compare them, but thinking about their "sidekicks" is interesting.  I think Kobe played with the best "other" player (Shaq), barely edging out Scottie Pippen. 

I hope you are joking. Jordon won all of his titles with a teammate who was known as "the best all around player in the world." MJ never won without the help of some other great players.

Jordan's got him, but it's not by that much. I would love to have seen Kobe play in the offensive era that Jordan dominated. Not saying he would have been as good, but with the defensive mindset the NBA has used over the past few seasons (teams routinely averaged 105, 106 points in the late 80s and early 90s as opposed to around 96 or 97 at best right now), Kobe hasn't really had the opportunity to, well, "be like Mike."

Funny, almost everyone I knew referred to the Bulls as, "the Michael Jordan Bulls"; I haven't heard any reference to the Kobe Bryant Lakers....  Jordan was the Bulls entire offense (allowing the others score when the opportunity arose).  The only time he really needed the other 4 players was for defense.

Overall though, Jordan played with a pretty damn good team.

1992: John Paxson PG, Michael Jordan SG, Scottie Pippen SF, Horace Grant PF, Bill Cartwright C, & BJ Armstrong PG

1996: Ron Harper PG, Michael Jordan, SG, Scottie Pippen SF, Dennis Rodman PF, Luc Longley C, Toni Kukoc SF

Some of the guys aren't world beaters in their own right, but good enough to be voted as two of of the ten teams to be selected as the Top 10 Teams in NBA History.  I'm not saying that this years' Lakers aren't a very good team, but  I don't think they will be voted onto this list when it is added to and reassessed down the line.  And what is most amazing about the Lakers this year, is there is no one you could argue at this point as being a HOFer outside of Kobe.  Gasol, sure maybe if he continues putting up these type of numbers for another 10 years, but everyone knew Pippen was.  But I think the league is always changing, and it is difficult to compare one era to the next.  Inevitably it will happen, but it's not really fair to diminish the greatness of each player or team when the game has changed to dramatically.

ROFL....yea, Jordan made them look better than were.  Pippen went to Portland and was mediocre, Rodman went all over because he wore out his welcome, Horace Grant did nothing without Jordan, and where's Kukoc after Jordan's departure as I never heard of him after that time.....  Sorry, Jordan was a once in a lifetime NBA player; Kobe is good, but not even close to Jordan.

Really good points, Dave.  I think Kobe would have loved to play with Pippen and Rodman, while Michael would have been helped by Shaq and (later) Gasol.  Kobe's place in history is secure, no doubt about it.   

 Plus you have to look at the era the played in. Jordan days was wayyy more tougher than the nba that is being played now, but still he dominated the game and I cannot say  that kobe has dominated his era. 

Kobe needs 2 More Championships, and a couple more pieces of MVP Hardware...Other than that, he's getting pretty close to MJ's legacy! Not there yet, but he's creeping up there over time. Kobe may not win another MVP or FINALS MVP because everyone will say he needs to get his teammates involved more which also means Kobe's PPG will remain lower than Michael...But Kobe could play 6-7 more years and easily pick up 2 more NBA Championships and sneak another Regular Season and NBA Finals MVP onto his reume. Until then, MJ reigns supreme!

If you haven't heard anyone say, "Kobe and the Lakers" or "Kobe's Lakers" or whose team is it "Shaq or Kobe's?" then you don't even follow the NBA. It's got to the point where Kobe Bryant has been criticized night after night day after day by even his own fans for trying to make the Lakers "Kobe's" team. You're just flat out lying or like I said, you don't watch the NBA.

Assumption and innuendo

ok here we go again kobe won't ever stack up to mike. !!!    mike is like the next dr.j as doc was like the next hawlk. like shaq was the next wilt? kobe will just be  kobe a good player when its over for him. top 10 i dont think  so.his stat's for  one dont stack up. but the main thing is he has not done anything great to change the game.dr.j did wilt did shaq did mike did kobe i don't think so it seems that kobe fell between the cracks, kevin garnett changed the game. but kobe just do enough to win the games he play .  when kobe do something to change the game. that will be the point  he will become close to being a great player. and not just a good player sorry  i feel kobe  just a good player. i guess once he is able to improve his stat's during a whole  three nba play-off's year's in a row then he will become a  great nba super star and not just a good nba player

Your never going to get Homer fans west of the Mississippi to agree that MJ is greater then KB. Including me.  Never ever going to happen. So yes greatness is to each his own.

damn it! yeah kobe might have won 4 titles.. MJ is still the greatest.. beat 6 titles black mamba! but take a bow for kobe bryant for having a great season.. He proved something, definitely. Still need to do more, to beat MJ.

i just cannot compare green apple with red apple... they are both from two different.. err.. decade?

to me, MJ was just too special

yeah MJ was just too special.. at least to me ;)

I am not even going to begin to argue this, there is no point. If you don't realize MJ is the best ever, then you really arent worth my time.

its true MJ is and will be the best in basketball :)

yes--he probably will./

It is posts like this that makes any discussion on the topic impossible. Yes, Michael Jordon was, IMO, better than Kobe, but this is almost like watching SNL and the Superfans saying one mini-MJ would beat the Celtics 155-10. Posts like this one are absurd. Kobe Bryant definitely deserves mention in the discussion of best guards of all time.

Can we stop pretending that Jordan was playing with a bunch of stiffs that couldn't have beaten me and 4 other IQ'ers??? The Jordan-less Bulls went 55-27 the season after Jordan left. Hardly a collapse.

Someone mentioned that Pippen wasn't heard from after Jordan. Well, again, it was Pippen that led the Bulls to 55 wins in 93-94. And he only left Chicago after 11 seasons, well on the downside of his career.

BASKETBALL IS VRY NICE GAME?!!!

I LOVE TO LEARNE HOW TO PLAY IT!

^^^
This post, + 1,000,000

Very solid points IlliniBob72.

If Jordan was in his Prime the Players he played against were in there prime and they played Kobe and who he plays with today I think Jordan will and the players he had to play would win you don't forget Miller and a few other players that are great

you are wrong.  Lebron is on a team which swept the two previous series rounds, then came up against a good team in Orlando who had a strong inside man. Lebron's team could have gone on to win the championship, so Shaq would be going on a team which is already championship bound. The Lakers which Gasol went to was not championship bound  From Gasol or Shaq's perspective, Shaq would get a much better deal and an almost guaranteed ring.  Which is not fair.

I do not think putting Shaq in the Cavaliers and then Shaq winning another ring is that great an accomplishment.  Sort of like Biden becoming VP. If you have a great candidate like Obama, most guys as an addition might fit nicely.  Shaq does not deserve it. He could not get the Suns into the playoffs. It is not fair. Kobe worked hard to get the Lakers to win another title.

That should prove that Kobe does not need Shaq.Congrats Lakers players and fans.Kobe should have recieved the season mvp as well as finals mvp.

Nothing to say

gravesdigger say ditto for the most part entertainer have a hard time with tempation though we know Kobe is good but MJ is the man.  I followed Mj in playing with his team while Kobe was the main attraction until recently he began playing team and that is what won the finals!

MJ is the best ever; period; end of discussion. btw DR.J ROCKS!!!

What would have happened had shaq and kobe stayed together....

I understand what your pointed out, but also remember that mj's era have more big man that always want to defend and block him. There's Ewing, mutombo, robinson, mourning, young o'neal, olajuwon, malone, kemp, abdul jabbar, bil walton, moses malone, robert parish,  mchale, barkley, murresan, manute bol etc. They are the best blocker and play physical. For kobe there's old shaq, garnett, howard, ben wallace, duncan, yao ming, camby, gasol, stoudamire, bosh etc. For the likes of lebron, dwade, melo, cp3, pierce, tmac, carter, allen, roy, nowitski, rose, durant,nash etc.  Jordan also have a bunch of best players played againts. The likes of magic, bird, drexler, barkley, isiah thomas, grant hill, penny hardaway, payton, miller, richmond, tim hardaway, stockton. And add for that jordan have a bunch of good defenders that is not center like stacey augmon, michael cooper, ac green, rodman, dumars, payton, starks etc. And kobe, battier, artest, bowen, prince, gerald wallace etc. Just comparing them on my opinion, its up to people if they will accept it or not. Have a nice day and congrats lakers for winning championship, nice job to PHIL JACKSON the real reason for lakers winnings.

READ AND ANALIZE
Jordan:
91 bulls champ,agaainst lakers, opponent magic johnson(hall of famer),finals mvp,jordan with help from  pippen
92 bulls  champ, against blazers ,opponent drexler( hall of famer) finals mvp, jordan, with help from pippen
93 bulls champ, against suns,  opponent barkley (hall of famer) finals mvp, jordan w/ help fom pippen
96 bulls champ,  against sinics, opponent kemp and payton, finals mvp,jordan w/ help from pippen and rodman
97 bulls champ,  against jazz, opponent stockton and malone( hall of famers0 finals mvp, jordan with help from pippen and rodman
98 bulls champ,against jazz,  opponent stockton and malone( hall of famers0 finals mvp, jordan with help from pippen and rodman
Bryant:
2009 lakers champ, against magic, opponent howard( proves nothing yet) mvp,bryant w/ help from pau
I DID NOT INCLUDE 2000, 2001 2002, BECAUZE THAT CHAMPIONSHIP IS FROM THE SWEAT BLOOD AND TEARS OF THE GREAT BLACK SHAQ, He is the mvp that time, just a help from bryant,
so I conclude (my own conclusion) that bryant only have 1 championship from his effort, only 1 championship from his effort, therefore 1 CHAMPIONSHIP FO HIS CREDENTIALS!

All 6 championship rings of Michael Jordan are genuine, bcoz he's d mvp of those rings from hes effort,
in my oppinion, kobe needs 5 genuine rings(be the mvp of that finals to come) to tie MJ, he only have 1, Bryant 4 fingers has only 1 real, 3 are fakes, he just achieved it because of Shaq he is d mvp of that finals,  so Kobe do 4 more! b MVP of 4 finals to come!
beat hall of famers, like magic johnson, drexler,barkley stockton, malone, in finals,AND FOR YOU WHO SAID THAT JORDAN DONT HAVE WORTHY OPPPNENT, THOSE UNDERES!TIMATE THOSE NAMES

i don't think so, kobe is a star in his own right, mj is a legend! he's the greatest! his dad got killed bcoz of it.

lol THERE NO SUCH THING AS A BS CHAMPIONSHIPS you win your a CHAMP OR YOUR NOT KOBE A CHAMP MIKES A CHAMP BUT MIKES WIN LOST RECORD IF FAR BETTER IN THE PLAY OFF FINAL HE WAS PERFECT KOBE LOST TWO EVEN WITH SHAQ EVEN PLAY OFF RECORD PERIOD JORDAN NEVER SCORED UNDER 20 POINTS IN A PLAYOFF GAME A FEET THAT NO ONE WILL EVER GET UNLESS THEY HAPPEN TO BE BETTER THEN JORDAN IT WILL HAPPEN JUST NOT IN THIS ERA OF BASKETBALL, BUT JORDAN IS A CHAMPION LEGITLY AND EVEN KOBE A CHAMPION A 4 TIME CHAMPION ALL LEGITLY YOU THINK IT JUST SHAQ TO BE CHAMPION YOU NEVER WATCH BASKETBALL THEN ITS A TEAM SPORT

lol if Jordan's on his game no one can defend him no matter how many people you use to block him but i think Jordan played with better all stars then what Kobe played Jordan won his Gold with ease and Kobe won his after years and years of defeats

Jordan is the best

kobe is a shadow of jordan.shadows overtake only temporarily. his airness jordan reigns

He's the closest to Jordan I have seen!!! But there is only one Mike!! Mike was unreal on the court!!! Kobe is a BEAST!!!

that cant be men.jordan wins he is basketball but kobe makes basketball what it is

kobe can catch michael jordan but what can i say michael is the greatest basketball player of all time!!

talent-wise...he surely can catch up with michael, but he still has to earn more championship rings.

no one can ever match michael jordan his aireness lead him to the top of what he is right now, they may be some play that kobe did for the sake of his team but only jordan can carry his team toward championship......mj will always remain michael jordan nothing less nothing more!!!!!

Jordan is not the best in the NBA. His years is over. Now that a new and better person like kobe step in, there's no need for everyone to watse their time talkin bout how MJ is still the best. Of course, he may not had lost none of his skills and can still play, but its time for other people to shine. Kobe is one of the best so far, and years down many more will say this too. MJ been playin for years. and so had Kobe, but I don't think that anyone of them is going to give up. Especially Kobe. Therefore, I think that Kobe will outstand MJ and once again make the playoffs. But until then we'll just have to wait and see

i agree mj is the best and kobe it 1 of the top 10 good job

kobe and pau are the best for me " of course coz pau is from barcelona.....

i love chicago bulls wit all my strength n in mind 2 become a star like them

Yeah! but we are not talking bout a team, we're talking kobe and jordan, and their  individual achivementsi ,if our topic are chicago bulls and la lakers, chicago bulls are too  far behind from la's 15 championship banner, bulls only got 6,but all of that 6 championships are from the effort of his airness Michael Jordan, and LA's 15, only 1 of those from Kobe, coz that 3 are from the hardworks of Shaq, He's the main man during that 2000.2001 2002, nba finals(MVP)

Ok lang they win

Adding comment..they work and play for the team.

Adding comment...they try hard to win the game

Adding comment...In the over all they win!!!

I agree with you that Mike a better player but all im saying is that Kobe isn't a bullshit player but look Kobe was Shaqs Pippin and Jordan nor Shaq wouldn't win rings without a second all star but even the Phil Jackson even said Jordan the better player lol so he is the best Judge he coached them both and both Mike and Kobe both didn't win anything until Phil coach them

ok Agree! JORDAN STILL THE BEST!

PROVE! He's just Shaq's Pippen during 2000,2001,2002 finals, so He only have 1 genuine ring on his fingers, 3 are fakes, not included as his credentials in race for greatness with His Airness! those 3 rings from sweat blood and tears of THE GREAT BLACK SHAQ!, (finals mvp 2000,2001,2002)

what? if kobe play in the 80's or 90's the detrioit or knick at that time i dont think he can score 81 points. if you compare him with mj23 i don't think he kobe can beat micheal.

President Barack Obama was asked straight out on Thursday: Kobe or Michael?

As in, who's the best? Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, a four-time NBA champion? Or the basketball legend to whom he is most often compared, Michael Jordan, who retired as a six-time champ with the Chicago Bulls and is widely regarded as the best player of all time?

"Oh, Michael," Obama answered in an interview with The Associated Press.

"I mean, Kobe's terrific. Don't get me wrong," Obama said. "But I haven't seen anybody match up with Jordan yet."

Obama, a basketball fan who hails from Chicago, is certainly no Lakers hater.

He picked Bryant's team to defeat the Orlando Magic in the finals this year, and he was right.

jordan is the GOD of basketball. kobe beef is just a imitator or a pirated of micheal jordan. that's the truth man. some people here comment about kobe that he is the best but they don't what they are talking about. i'm sorry but its the truth. mj23 is still the best. if micheal jordan and kobe has the same age right now. i don't think kobe can defend mj.

Our economy increased since Mchael Jordan returns to play basketball! - US President Bill Clinton

well i guess now Kobe is MJ , Ron Artest is Rodman, and Lamar is Scottie lol jp hope Artest will make something happen lol

i don't think so...

fortza dinamo

mj already in history that nobody can erase what he did

SOO TRUE...

Whatevs. Michael J s THE BEST!!! Kobe can never beat him.

no he can't ,he has no charisma like my idol,yes its true mike is the best.

Kobe can if he contiues at the pace he already started.....in time he will or may even proceed him eventually.

yawwn i wouldn't hold my breath

i agree dude.... epectus you rock...

maybe

No & No LeBron won't catch him either MJ was a once in a Lifetime Player like Michael Jackson was a once in a LIfetime Performer there will never be@ more like them many will imitate but never ever duplicate what they accomplished in their selected fields

I hope KB24 slows down as I'm a big Michael fan.  I got the posters still hanging up and I think he transcended the game of basketball.  He was the ultimate competitor and refused to lose. Good point about him being 6-0 in the finals, whereas KB is 4-2.  Right now MJ is 3rd on the all time scoring list with 32,292, KB24 is 17th with 23,820 and climbing.  It's going to be close as Bryant can always score.  Having Ron Artest helps his chances a lot as Artest brings the toughness and he's also a good passer which he doesn't get too much credit for.   

Most assuradly so

Jordan's time is past...so Kobe now is the best player in the league!

i love jordan

jordan is a legend. kobe is soon to be

kobe is the best hands down

Your Crazy Kobe isn't even close to Jordan

raider Dave is right KOBE's competition is alot harder that what jordan had to go against. Jordan never played aginsat guys that could jump and run like him. thats why what he did looked amazing. Kobe plays against guys bigger and stronger but he has the skills and the talent to over match them. Just ask the rap tors, knicks, dallas, and all those teams that hes has lit up. KOBE RULES

No player have ever won the championship without good help. You point is entirely invalid.

LOL Your Crazy he played Magic Johnson,   Reggy Miller, Shaq, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, John Stockton, David Robinson,Hakeem Olajuwon,Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Isiah Thomas,    These are better All Stars then what Kobe has to play with hands down and Michael Beat these guys in the playoffs and didnt lose to and all star less Pistons team in the finals

we can't compare Jordan with Kobe right now...Jordan already achieve the highest level in term of accomplishments and Kobe still trying to catch up with him...Kobe have a few years to go...Lets just see what can he prove in his remaining years....after Kobe retires maybe we can debate on this...but right now Jordan still on top.

Jordan still No. 1!

Jordan is still the all time Best but Kobe also deserves a spot among the very best

kobe is the best in the league NOW compared to all of players playing right now.  But Michael is the best EVER.  Kobe stop playing as if you can still catch up with what Mike has achieved.  Can't you see we're still talking about Mike after he's retired 6-7 years ago, Kobe's name will just be talked about for days after he retires.    Do you still remember, Mike retired his jersey several times, and the world mourned everytime. 

players in MIke's era were far better and he beat them all.  just compare dream team 1 (almost every player are hall of famers) to the we had last olympics (more athletic but sad to say they have no heart) , compare their average margins againts other countries.  also, every team mike faced in the finals have great players (magic and baarkley, drexler to name a few) and he stood tall, for kobe who? dwight....  nothing more to say    

no 1 and i mean no 1 can beat MJ!. he's the greatiest basketball player of all time and in the whole wide world... and still.. i don't see any one in the NBA has the potential to be like MICHAEL JORDAN.. when just MJ retired and its time for him to let go the ball. that's the only time for other NBA players rose to stardom... but they are just a star. not like MJ.. MJ is a SUPERSTAR!!!

you absolutely right!

jodan will always be king. if he had not retired he would be uncatchable

M Jordan is my idol!

Michael Jordan..........superstar of Basket Ball..........he surely made me love the game. don't think Kobe will......!!!!???

MJ why because who do you think looks up to him Kobe and Lebron. The nba rules are so differnt know.But you can't put lebron in the same catergory. Everybody has differnt positions.

   

kobe has not passed mj but he has the chance to!...why do you act like mj did it all by himself scottie pippen was top 50 nba all-time and dennis rodman was in my opinion best rebounder to ever play....mj had a strong supporting cast just like all championship teams do.  now this is a long shot but kobe can play another 6-7 years and if he can win 4 more championships he will finish with 8....i think that is the only way he can be put above mj! and he can reach that point with development of andrew bynum and solid vetts like artest gasol and odem....so no kobe has not passed mj but it is possible.....i dont know if it will happen but it is possible.

KOBE is the man anytime...

jordan time is over

No need to compare the two. they are from different era. Jordan best of his prime, Kobe un match of his prime.

jordon wil b d greatest...but this season kobe will again get close...its d first time he has rested after d post season........

I can't even reconize Kobe, in the League of "Jordan".

 kobe wont d jordan....thts a no discussion topic...
but atleast he's KOBE.... 
he's still d best n his generation...........and one of d best guards...

KOBE is the best for me......ever!!! keep up the good work! im your avid fan....

Jordan is Jordan, Kobe is Kobe. Nobody can erase the fact that Jordan did win 6 straight NBA championship, winning MVP in all of them. This cemented his status as one of the greatest player to play the game and the best player in my book hehe..On the other hand, Kobe has defined his stature as a clutch player with memorable shots and exciting dunks that netted him 3 NBA championship with the Big Fellah, Shaq O'Neal. The main similarity between Jordan and Kobe is that both assumed leadership role to drive their team to the championship..Jordan did it six times while Kobe showed it in winning the 2009 championship. Its Jordan hands down

 u r correct wit tht statement...i too feel that way....better not compare two of them...both are two of the greatest and jordan being d best....its just that the hatred for kobe for many of his off court antics seems to be seen in the way people see him as a player....thts a bad way 2 judge smene with d class of kobe...

 THere s a gap between generations......u cant n actual compare jordan with magic....
simply because they never played at d same time...one cannot simply make a judgement about one being a better overall player than d other or being a better shooter,, unless had they played together....

There is a difference b/w being one of the "greatest ever" and being "the greatest n ur generation"...the former s wat every player strives 2 achieve.....and probably all those players names that are mentioned n d argument for d greatest player ever can b put n tht former group and not b compared......

kobe has my idol but jordan 1st like me kobe idol is micheal jordan also

The fact of the matter is that jordan is considered the great because of the totality of his career.  team accomplishments, mixed in with his personal accolades won't be matched anytime soon.  that being said, for those who think the talk of kobe and mj is even close, I have a few interesting numbers for you.

AFTER 13 SEASONS FOR KOBE, AND 15 SEASONS FOR MJ HERE ARE SOME CURIOUS STATS:

complete 82 game seasons:
MJ 9   Kobe 3 (after 13 seasons!!!)

Seasons with at least 80 games played:
MJ 11  kobe 5

Seasons with less than 75 games played:
MJ 3   kobe 7

complete seasons as a starter (all 82 games):
MJ 8  kobe 3

seasons with at least 80 games as a starter:
MJ 10 Kobe 5

3000 minute seasons:
MJ 12  Kobe 5  (more durable?)

seasons with at least 1000 field goals made:
MJ 3   kobe 0

seasons with at least 900 field goals made:
MJ 9   kobe 1

seasons with atleast 800 field goals made:
MJ 11 kobe 4   (just as good/consistent scoring?)

seasons with at least 200 turnovers:
MJ 7  kobe 8 (better ballhandler?)

seasons with at least 100 blocks:
MJ 2  kobe 0

seasons with at least 80 blocks:
MJ 3  kobe 0

seasons with at least 70 blocks:
MJ 4  Kobe 0

seasons with at least 60 blocks:
MJ 7  kobe 2 (better defender?)

seasons with at least 200 steals:
MJ 6  kobe 0

seasons with at least 150 steals:
MJ 9  kobe 2

seasons with at least 100 steals:
MJ 12 kobe 9  (again, better defender?)

seasons with at least 3000 points:
MJ 1  kobe 0

seasons with at least 2500 points:
MJ 6  kobe 1

seasons with at least 2000 points:
MJ 11 kobe 6  (again, better/more consistent scorer?)

seasons with at least 600 assists:
MJ 1 Kobe 0

seasons with at least 500 assists:
MJ 2 kobe 0

seasons with at least 400 assists:
MJ 7 kobe 4

Seasons with at least 300 assists:
MJ 12 kobe 10  (better passer?)

Seasons with shooting percentage of 50% or more:
MJ 6  kobe 0   

seasons with shooting percentage of 45% or more:
MJ 13 Kobe 9   (better decision making?)

seasons with win shares of 20 or more:
MJ 2  kobe 0

seasons with win shares of 15 or more:
MJ 10 kobe 2

seasons with win shares of 10 or more:
MJ 11 kobe 9   (better winner?)

Playoffs averaging 40 or more (the real season):
MJ 1  Kobe 0

Playoffs averaging 35 or more:
MJ 5  Kobe 0

Playoffs averaging 30 or more:
MJ 12 kobe 4   (again, better scorer in the clutch?)

Field goal percentage of .50% or more playoffs:
MJ 5  Kobe 0

Field goal percentage of .45% or more playoffs:
MJ 11 Kobe 5    (better in the playoffs?)

Playoffs with 700 points or more:
MJ 1  Kobe 0

Playoffs with 650 points or more:
MJ 3  kobe 1

Playoffs with 600 points or more:
MJ 3  kobe 2

PLayoffs with 550 points or more:
MJ 8  Kobe 2

Playoffs with 500 points or more:
MJ 8  Kobe 3  (notice a trend?)

Playoff Total Points Lakers Threepeat:
     Shaq     Kobe
2001 707      471
2002 487      506 (if you saw shaqs complete stats, you'd see mvp #s)
2003 541      385

Playoff total points Bulls Threepeat:
      MJ      Pippen
1991 529      368
1992 759      428
1993 666      381
1996 552      305
1997 590      365
1998 680      353
Is there any question who carried the larger load for their respective threepeats, or why MJ was the MVP of all six finals?

Now all that said,notice the trend, for every category I have to lower the standards for kobe to come into the conversation. these are season long statistical averages across their careers.  Does kobe have some marks that mj doesn't? yes he does, but they are very few and far between.  The only clear cut category that kobe beats MJ in is 3 pt shooting, and percentage, and even in that, kobe's best year was his rookie year where he shot at .375%... what did MJ shoot that same year from three?.374%.  So again, this conversation of Kobe being in the same stratosphere as MJ really doesn't hold any water.

hell no he cant catch the king

the most complete player in the world during that time was MJ not scottie pippen my friend.  read my earlier post, and compare scottie's contribution vs. shaq's contribution to their respective threepeats.  there is a clear reason why mj was the mvp of all six titles, and shaq was as well.

MJ cannot be equaled by anyone, he revolutionized the way basketball could be played.

That being said, the NBA is a lot more stacked now, and Kobe Bryant has the most complete skill set of any individual player.

Kobe will never reach, match or bypass Michael, because he is the best to play the game and putting him in the hall of fame before Kobe can even get close just reiterate the fact that Michael is still flying, and Kobe is on the ground still trying. I give Kobe his props as being good but great or greatest he's not.

I agree with very word u said because it is the truth
MJ was and is a all star1# he has sat trends for the Kobes that come along
that init self is no match
he learned how to be a teamplayer and he played the game outstanding
he made his teammates all shine he had a great love for the game called basketball
and great respect for other players and the game being played and still do today
there will never be another MJ .
love what u wrote and how u wrote it

In order to win in any game u must play as a team or no matter how many shots u make it won't matter
because one man cannot make a team that is called pride and u are a loser before u became a winner
in any game,
So one must learn the skills of this game to even play it
It is called teamwork because one man cannot bet a team
Kobe is good but he has to learn to play more with his team mates
and that is the truth and have  more respect for the game that is being played
if u respect the game it will have to respect u back MJ learned that is what made him shine
others not himself

don't go saying he would have had 8, the two years you are talking about the rockets were in the finals, and the rockets for the entire time MJ was playing had a winning record vs the bulls. so you can not say the rockets would not still have the 2 championships that they have.

that is one of the dumbest things i have ever read. you say the only way a championship is real is if you have a mvp. come on the mvp is an award that is voted on, which means the most popular player gets the trophy, not the best. the rings on the other hand that is real. if you put jordan on the court all by himself in his championship games and told the other 4 guys to sit on the bench, guess what, jordan loses. one guy can not win a championship, it takes the whole team. so no mater whther shaq was on the team or not koby has 4 rings and they are all real.  

once agin a very dumb post, are you saying that if shaq was on the floor all by him self aginst 5 players from any team he would have won 3 rings????? or if jordan was on the court by him self aginst 5 players from any other taam he would have still won 6 rings??? as soon as you bring up championships you are talking about teams. and as far as rings go koby has 4 jordan has 6. koby is still playing and will will be for at least 10 more years unless he gets hurt. jordan is not playing any more. this means that koby can still win while jordan is done.


the argument is stupid to begin with . and every few years we have the same argument. is MJ better than
Dr. J? is Koby better than MJ? in a few years we will be asking is player "x" better than Koby. we will never know, you can throw all the stats out you want but mj (in his prim) never played dr. j (in his prime). and mj (in his prime) never played koby (in his prime).

no one in their right mind compared dr. j and M.j.  doctor J was never considered the best player on the planet at any one given point.  the only similarity there was athleticism, but nothing more.  now, on your post earlier about mvp being a popularity contest, that couldn't be further from the truth.

Playoff Total Points Lakers Threepeat:
               Shaq     Kobe
2001       707      471
2002       487      506 (if you saw shaqs complete stats, you'd see mvp #s)
2003       541      385

Playoff total points Bulls Threepeat:
              MJ      Pippen
1991      529      368
1992      759      428
1993      666      381
1996      552      305
1997      590      365
1998      680      353
Is there any question who carried the larger load for their respective threepeats, or why MJ was the MVP of all six finals?  Kobe can get all the rings he wants, but he was not the main cog during his first threepeat, and has not had the two way dominance that mj exibited through out his career.  and at this age, his game isn't going to change dramatically so that he will start doing it either.


AFTER 13 SEASONS FOR KOBE, AND 15 SEASONS FOR MJ HERE ARE SOME CURIOUS STATS:

complete 82 game seasons:
MJ 9   Kobe 3

Seasons with at least 80 games played:
MJ 11  kobe 5

Seasons with less than 75 games played:
MJ 3   kobe 7

complete seasons as a starter (all 82 games):
MJ 8  kobe 3

seasons with at least 80 games as a starter:
MJ 10 Kobe 5

3000 minute seasons:
MJ 12  Kobe 5  (more durable?)

seasons with at least 1000 field goals made:
MJ 3   kobe 0

seasons with at least 900 field goals made:
MJ 9   kobe 1

seasons with atleast 800 field goals made:
MJ 11 kobe 4   (just as good/consistent scoring?)

seasons with at least 200 turnovers:
MJ 7  kobe 8 (better ballhandler?)

seasons with at least 100 blocks:
MJ 2  kobe 0

seasons with at least 80 blocks:
MJ 3  kobe 0

seasons with at least 70 blocks:
MJ 4  Kobe 0

seasons with at least 60 blocks:
MJ 7  kobe 2 (better defender?)

seasons with at least 200 steals:
MJ 6  kobe 0

seasons with at least 150 steals:
MJ 9  kobe 2

seasons with at least 100 steals:
MJ 12 kobe 9  (again, better defender?)

seasons with at least 3000 points:
MJ 1  kobe 0

seasons with at least 2500 points:
MJ 6  kobe 1

seasons with at least 2000 points:
MJ 11 kobe 6  (again, better/more consistent scorer?)

seasons with at least 600 assists:
MJ 1 Kobe 0

seasons with at least 500 assists:
MJ 2 kobe 0

seasons with at least 400 assists:
MJ 7 kobe 4

Seasons with at least 300 assists:
MJ 12 kobe 10  (better passer?)

Seasons with shooting percentage of 50% or more:
MJ 6  kobe 0   

seasons with shooting percentage of 45% or more:
MJ 13 Kobe 9   (better decision making?)

seasons with win shares of 20 or more:
MJ 2  kobe 0

seasons with win shares of 15 or more:
MJ 10 kobe 2

seasons with win shares of 10 or more:
MJ 11 kobe 9   (better winner?)

Playoffs averaging 40 or more (the real season):
MJ 1  Kobe 0

Playoffs averaging 35 or more:
MJ 5  Kobe 0

Playoffs averaging 30 or more:
MJ 12 kobe 4   (again, better scorer in the clutch?)

Field goal percentage of .50% or more playoffs:
MJ 5  Kobe 0

Field goal percentage of .45% or more playoffs:
MJ 11 Kobe 5    (better in the playoffs?)

Playoffs with 700 points or more:
MJ 1  Kobe 0

Playoffs with 650 points or more:
MJ 3  kobe 1

Playoffs with 600 points or more:
MJ 3  kobe 2

PLayoffs with 550 points or more:
MJ 8  Kobe 2

Playoffs with 500 points or more:
MJ 8  Kobe 3  (notice a trend?)

Now all that said,notice the trend, for every category I have to lower the standards for kobe to come into the conversation. these are season long statistical averages across their careers (kobe 13 years MJ 15, the averages don't lie).  Does kobe have some marks that mj doesn't? yes he does, but they are very few and far between.  The only clear cut category that kobe beats MJ in is 3 pt shooting, and percentage, and even in that, kobe's best year was his rookie year where he shot at .375%... what did MJ shoot that same year from three?.374%.  So again, this conversation of Kobe being in the same stratosphere as MJ really doesn't hold any water.

let me start off by saying i can not stand Kobe, but the only thing you got right is Kobe is the best player in the league NOW. just like MJ, was the best player in the league in the late 80's to late 90's. just like Magic and Bird were the best players in the late 70's to mid 80's just like Dr. J was the best in the 70's. you get the point. you can not compaire any of them by stats. championships mean you were on the best team, not that you were the best player, all star games and mvp are both voted on, which means you were the most popular, not that you were the best. Mike did not retire his jersy several times, he did it twice, which means he quit on his team once, kobe has not quit on his team. what does all this mean?? nothing, when Jordan was playing everyone said he was the next Dr. J, and when Kobe started everyone said he was the next Jordan. you say people still talk about mike because he was great, you are right, just like Dr. J is still making Dr. Pepper comercials because he was great. unless MJ (in his prime) were to play one on one with Kobe (in his prime) you will never be able to say one is better than the other. If you say Mike is better because he won more championships than Kobe, then Robert Horry must be the best of all time becaue he has 7 rings.    

amen

pippen. rodman, horace grant, all made mike look better as well. you can say pippen went to portland, and houston, and did nothing, and you can talk about all the places rodman went, but i remember mj went to washington and did nothing as well. mj was great because he played on really great teams, jordan was not a once in a lifetime player (unless you are a bulls fan) he was a once in a generation player. the nba game today is much different than the game mj played. back in the mid 80's to mid 90's when mj was in his prime it was almost every game where the scores were well over 100 points, where as today most games are in the 80's to 90's. so how many points would mj score in today's defensive game? or how many points would kobe have scored in the offensive game that mj played in?? there is no way to guess. we can compare the two forever but because they never played each other when they were in there prime the question will never be answered.

one con only hope to be better then the teacher

anybody saying that todays game has less overall points because of defense, does not know basketball.  today's game has overall less points because the players are overall less skilled.  players today are overall more athletic then back in MJ's prime, but the overall skill level is lower.  Look at the shooting percentages of players today, and compare to the shooting percentages back then.  That is the difference in scoring, not defense.  today's "defense' is set up to make it easier for perimeter players not harder.  No handchecking, defensive three second rule, flagrant fouls, blocking lane violations, etc. etc. did not exist in MJ's prime.  what today is a flagrant foul, back then was a normal foul.  So do not give me the  harder defense today song and dance.  rod thorn, president of nba basketball operations is on record saying that the rule changes were implemented to make it easier to score, and open up the game.  the fact is that the generation that grew up watching the magic show time lakers, larry's celtics, and later on jordans bulls got used to players with really great shooting percentages putting up great numbers, and when that slowly started disappearing the league made the changes it has in place today, to make it easier for offenses.  during the mid to late 90's and early 2000's the league saw an influx of high school and one and done college players that physically were ready for the nba, but at a skill level were not.  That is why today teams do not score like back then. period.

here we go agin jordan won his gold with eas and kobe won after years of defeats....are you kidding? jordan was drafted in '84 and did not win his first championship untill '90, that is 6 years of defeats mj had to work hard for his gold just like kobe had to work for his.

jordan did not land on a team with all stars from day one, like kobe did.  and his first championship was in 91, that would be 7 years.  in 90 detroit won the title.  it's becoming apparent to me how much you really know about the game.

that is funny, you do realize president obama is from chicago don't you?? you don't really think he would pick aginst his hometown bulls do you??? oh, and you say kobe would not score 81 in the 80's or 90's aginst the knicks or pistons of that era. i say jordan would not have done what he did aginst todays lakers, mavricks, spurs, rockets, the defence that is played today is much toughfer than what mj faced.

I love it when guys ignore the strong posts, and go after the weak vocabulary and minded posters.  again like I said earlier, anybody saying that todays game has less overall points because of defense, does not know basketball.  today's game has overall less points because the players are overall less skilled.  players today are overall more athletic then back in MJ's prime, but the overall skill level is lower.  Look at the shooting percentages of players today, and compare to the shooting percentages back then.  That is the difference in scoring, not defense.  today's "defense' is set up to make it easier for perimeter players not harder.  No handchecking, defensive three second rule, flagrant fouls, blocking lane violations, etc. etc. did not exist in MJ's prime.  what today is a flagrant foul, back then was a normal foul.  So do not give me the  harder defense today song and dance.  rod thorn, president of nba basketball operations is on record saying that the rule changes were implemented to make it easier to score, and open up the game.  the fact is that the generation that grew up watching the magic show time lakers, larry's celtics, and later on jordans bulls got used to players with really great shooting percentages putting up great numbers, and when that slowly started disappearing the league made the changes it has in place today, to make it easier for offenses.  during the mid to late 90's and early 2000's the league saw an influx of high school and one and done college players that physically were ready for the nba, but at a skill level were not.  That is why today teams do not score like back then. period.  If you think today's basketball is tougher on offensive players, you obviously have not been watching the league very long.

o.k. jordan has scored more points than kobe, what that shows me is kobe is a better team player than mj was. kobe makes the players around him better and trust them to score, where mj kept the ball for himself. it also shows me that kobe plays in an era where there is more defence being played than when mj played. if the nba teams today played defence like the teams did when mj played kobe would score much more.

again, better teammate?  mj has three seasons over 500 assist, and one over 600, kobe's highest assists in a season are 481, and that was in 03.  last year, the new and improved kobe bassed the balanybody saying that todays game has less overall points because of defense, does not know basketball.  today's game has overall less points because the players are overall less skilled.  players today are overall more athletic then back in MJ's prime, but the overall skill level is lower.  Look at the shooting percentages of players today, and compare to the shooting percentages back then.  That is the difference in scoring, not defense.  today's "defense' is set up to make it easier for perimeter players not harder.  No handchecking, defensive three second rule, flagrant fouls, blocking lane violations, etc. etc. did not exist in MJ's prime.  what today is a flagrant foul, back then was a normal foul.  So do not give me the  harder defense today song and dance.  rod thorn, president of nba basketball operations is on record saying that the rule changes were implemented to make it easier to score, and open up the game.  the fact is that the generation that grew up watching the magic show time lakers, larry's celtics, and later on jordans bulls got used to players with really great shooting percentages putting up great numbers, and when that slowly started disappearing the league made the changes it has in place today, to make it easier for offenses.  during the mid to late 90's and early 2000's the league saw an influx of high school and one and done college players that physically were ready for the nba, but at a skill level were not.  That is why today teams do not score like back then. period. l 399 times, so wrong again.  sure doesn't look like you hate kobe to me, at least not from your posts.  again,