The Mamba vs. The King

Alright lets do it! I've been hearing quite a bit of chatter going around about who is better Kobe or LeBron. Here's the climate: It's playoff time and the Lakers lead the Rockets 3-2 in the Western Conference Semis after beating the Jazz 4-1. The Cavs are spectators momentarily as they have gone 8-0 through the postseason and have won every game by double digits. That's just so you can see where everyone's head is.

So let's breakdown Kobe first, after all "K" comes before "L". Kobe is what many would call a virtuoso, he excels at every facet of the game. From beyond the arch Kobe can spot up as well as create his shot off the dribble, mid-range yields the same results. As far as the painted area he can post up with efficiency as well as slash. Offensively he covers the entire gamut. Defense, this is going the undercard of the argument for both of these guys because neither of them actually buckles down and plays great defense on a consistent basis. When Kobe "feels" like it he plays better than average one on one perimeter D against guards and forwards. Now onto a very important litmus test, does he make his teammates better? The answer is a very soft "yes"

Here goes LeBron, most experts would say he is a bruiser. LeBron imposes his game on the opposition. From beyond the arch he is good when hot, not necessarily consistent, and not very good as a "spot up" shooter. His mid-range game is remarkable; creates his own jump shot and can hit anywhere from that area. As far as the paint is concerned he is literally unstoppable when he wants to drive to the bucket, but he is void of a back to the basket or "post" game. On defense LeBron plays exceptional help defense. He doesn't really lock his man down but he will certainly play the passing lane for a steal and come from the help side and block. Also he will voraciously snag rebounds, which is the last part of playing defense. As far as making his teammates better he gets a resounding "Yes".

I have to lean with LeBron actually, although it may seem that he is deficient in a couple of areas, he is unstoppable in others which make his deficiencies null and void, therefore they don't hurt him in this argument. Also it is important to note that he makes his teammates better which goes a long way in a team sport. As good as Kobe is he wasn't blessed with the same physical features as LeBron and that also gives James an advantage and makes the game a whole lot easier for him.

Go ahead weigh in and tell me where im deficient.