Jerry West: LeBron has surpassed Kobe as a player


Status
Not open for further replies.
Bane

Bane

The Vilian
It was good that Kobe got has one and only MVP award last year. He won't sniff another MVP award again in his career. It was also good he rode Shaq's back to those 3 NBA championships. If it wasn't for Shaq, Kobe would go down as the best player to never win a title.

West: LeBron has chance to be greatest

WASHINGTON -- LeBron James is the best player in the NBA, surpassing veteran Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, 14-time All-Star guard Jerry West said Monday.

West, a shrewd judge of talent who brought Bryant to the Lakers when he was their general manager, said the Cleveland Cavaliers forward could become the league's next Michael Jordan.

"I look at Cleveland [and] say to myself, 'How many games could they win without LeBron James?'" West told Reuters in an interview. "That's how great he is.

"He has a chance to be arguably the greatest player ever to play the game."

West, the NBA's executive of the year with the Lakers in 1995 and the Memphis Grizzlies in 2004, said playing both ends of the floor was what made Jordan so great.

"Michael Jordan was the best defensive player in the league but he was also the best offensive player," said West. "It wasn't a one-year fluke, he proved it over time.

"LeBron James will do the same type of things because he's getting better. He's a much more effective shooter. When's he's making his shots from the outside, you can't play him.

"He's just too big, too strong, too quick. And he has incredible body control. But more than that, he's a great teammate. You can see his teammates love him."

West told Bloomberg Television in an interview that starting a team with James is a "no-brainer."

"If you look at basketball today, it's not always the big guys that win for you, it's the intermediate-size guys," West said, according to Bloomberg. "[He] can play four positions if you ask him to do so, and his ability to get everyone involved in the game is just remarkable for someone his age. I don't know if there's a better athlete I've ever seen play professional basketball."

Source
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:



I don't see where he's lying. The kid has an all around game scoring, passing, rebounding, steals (I believe he leads his team in all of those categories). Kobe is a scorer but he slacks on defense sometimes.
 
Kobe has 13 years in the league. James is younger and plays at a higher pace than Kobe. Yet and still Kobe is keeping up with the yougns in the league right now. With that being said I like Kobe with the ball instead of James in the last 5 secs. Dwight Howard is better than Shaq right now, so :noidea:
 
GoodFella said:
Kobe has 13 years in the league. James is younger and plays at a higher pace than Kobe. Yet and still Kobe is keeping up with the yougns in the league right now. With that being said I like Kobe with the ball instead of James in the last 5 secs. Dwight Howard is better than Shaq right now, so :noidea:
Click to expand...

Where was Kobe his first few years in the league? Riding the bench. Kobe is only 30 years old.
 
DAHILL said:
JayRob.... plain and simple Kobe aint no LJ... its no other way to put it.
Click to expand...

And who cares? Kobe's about rings. When Lebron catches up to Kobe, then he'll get my attention. Until then, he's just another in a long line of high flying NBA shooters.
 
Every since Lebron James has come into the league, one of the main arguments that makes him "better than kobe" is that he makes his teammates better, and kobe doesnt.


does kobe make his teammates better? *= career best for a season

Trevor Ariza: (with kobe +8 minutes, +7% FG, +3.2 points)
2007-08 w/ orlando: 10 minutes, 45% FG, 3.3 Points
2007-08 w/ lakers: 18 minutes, 52% FG, 6.5 Points


Chuck Atkins: (with kobe +9 minutes, +1% FG, +2.9 Points)
Career w/ 7 teams: 26 mins, 42% FG, 10.7 Points
2004-05 w/ lakers: 35 minutes, 43% Fg, 13.6 Points*


Kwame Brown: (with kobe +8 minutes, +17% FG, +3.6 Points)
2007-08 w/ memphis: 14 minutes, 35% FG, 2.1 Points
2007-08 w/ lakers: 22 minutes, 52% FG, 5.7 Points


Caron Butler: (with kobe +6 minutes, +7% FG, +6.3 points)
2003-04 w/ miami: 30 minutes, 38% FG, 9.2 Points
2004-05 w/ lakers: 36 minutes, 45% FG, 15.5 Points


Brian Cook: (with kobe +4 minutes, -2% FG, + 1.6 points)
2006-07 w/ lakers: 16 minutes, 45% Fg, 6.9 Points
2007-08 w/ Orlando: 12 minutes, 47% Fg, 5.3 Points


Javaris Crittenton: (with kobe -9 minutes, -10% FG, -3.8 points)
2007-08 w/ lakers: 8 minutes, 49% FG, 3.3 Points
2007-08 w/ memphis: 17 minutes, 39% FG, 7.1 Points


Maurice Evans: (with kobe +.5 minutes, -5% FG, +0 points)
2006-07 w/ lakers: 23 minutes, 43% FG, 8.4 Points
2007-08 w/ orlando: 22.5 minutes, 48% FG, 8.4 Points


Derek Fisher: (with kobe -1 minutes, +6% FG, +1.9 Points)
2006-07 w/ utah: 28 minutes, 38% FG, 10.1 Points
2007-08 w/ lakers: 27 minutes, 44% FG*, 12.0 Points


Pau Gasol: (with kobe -1 minutes, +9% FG, +1.8 points)
2007-08 w/ memphis: 37 minutes, 50% FG, 18.9 Points
2007-08 w/ lakers: 36 minutes, 59% FG*, 20.7 Points


Deavean George: (with kobe +1 minutes, +0% FG, -0.1 Points)
2005-06 w/ lakers: 22 minutes, 40% FG, 6.3 Points
2006-07 w/ dallas: 21 minutes, 40% FG, 6.4 Points


Chris Mihm: (with kobe +8 minutes, +1% FG, +3.7 points)
2003-04 w/ boston: 17 minutes, 50% FG, 6.1 Points
2005-06 w/ lakers: 25 minutes, 51% Fg, 9.8 Points


Lamar Odom: (with kobe -2 minutes, +3% Fg, -1.8 points)
2003-04 w/ miami: 38 minutes, 44% FG, 17 points*
2004-05 w/ lakers: 36 minutes, 47% FG, 15.2 points


Smush Parker: (with kobe +27 minutes, -2% FG, +8.5 Points)
2004-05 w/ phoenix: 7 minutes, 47% FG, 3 points
2005-06 w/ lakers: 34 minutes, 45% FG, 11.5 Points*

Vladimir Radmonivic: (with kobe -12 minutes, -8% Fg, -4.1 points) bad
2005-06 w/ clippers: 30 minutes, 42% FG, 10.7 Points
2006-07 w/ lakers: 18 minutes, 34% FG, 6.6 Points




so from reading this hopefully you've realized that kobe, in general, makes his teammates MUCH better. Only a few players have had better luck on other teams. Now how about lebron?




Does Lebron make HIs Teammates better? *= career best for a season


Devin Brown: (with lebron, -8 minutes, -1% FG, -5.1 points)
2006-07 w/ hornets: 29 minutes, 42% FG, 11.6 Points
2007-08 w/ cavaliers: 21 minutes, 41% FG, 6.5 Points


Zydrunas Ilgauskas: (with lebron, +1 minutes, +4% FG, -1.9 points)
2002-03 w/ cavaliers: 30 minutes, 44% FG, 17.2 Points
2003-04 w/ cavaliers: 31 minutes, 48% FG, 15.3 Points


Drew Gooden: (with lebron, +1 minute, -1% FG, -1.4 points)
2007-08 w/ cavaliers: 31 minutes, 44% FG, 11.3 Points
2007-08 w/ chicago: 30 Minutes, 45% FG, 12.7 Points


Larry Hughes: (with lebron -1 points, -5% FG, -4.9 points) bad
2007-08 w/ cavaliers: 30 minutes, 38% FG, 12.3 Points
2007-08 w/ chicago: 31 minutes, 43% Fg, 17.2 Points


Damon Jones: (with lebron -5 minutes, -6% FG, -5 points)
2004-05 82 games w/ miami: 31 minutes*, 45% FG, 11.7 Points*
2005-06 82 games w/ cleveland: 26 minutes, 39% FG, 6.7 Points


Sasha Pavlovic: (with lebron -2 minutes, +4% Fg, +0 points)
2003-04 w/ utah: 15 minutes, 40% FG, 4.8 Points
2004-05 w/ cavaliers: 13 minutes, 44% FG, 4.8 Points


Joe Smith: (with lebron -1 minute, +11% FG, -2.2 points)
2007-08 50 games w/ chicago: 23 minutes, 47% FG, 11.2 points
2007-08 5 games w/ Cleveland: 22 minutes, 58% FG*, 9 points


Eric Snow: (with lebron -13 minutes, -3% FG, -6.3 points)
2003-04 w/ philedelphia: 36 minutes, 41% FG, 10.3 points
2004-05 w/ cleveland: 23 minutes, 38% Fg, 4 points


Wally Sciezerbak: (with lebron +9 minutes, -12% FG, -0.1 Points) bad
2007-08 w/ seattle: 23 minutes, 46% FG, 13.1 points
2007-08 w/ cavaliers: 32 minutes, 34% FG, 13 points


Ben Wallace: (with lebron -1 minute, +18% Fg, +3.1 points)
2007-08 50 games w/ chicago: 32 minutes, 37% FG, 5.1 Points
2007-08 5 games w/ cavaliers: 31 minutes, 55% FG, 8.0 Points


Delonte West: (with lebron +3 minutes, -1% FG, -1.6 Points) bad
2006-07 69 games w/ boston: 32 minutes, 43% FG, 12.3 Points*
2007-08 5 games w/ cleveland: 35 minutes, 42% FG, 10.6 Points




so lets take one last look at this.. on average, players who play with kobe bryant average, on average, 1.6 points better and 1.7% FG better than they do the season after or before playing with kobe.. make sense? now players who play with lebron average, on average, 2.3 points less and only 0.7% better than they do the season after or before playing with lebron..

so basically, statistics prove that kobe, as a matter of fact, makes his teammates much better!


Have fun!!!
 
JayRob said:
And who cares? Kobe's about rings. When Lebron catches up to Kobe, then he'll get my attention. Until then, he's just another in a long line of high flying NBA shooters.
Click to expand...

Kobe aint LED his team to no ring....thats like John Paxton bragging about all the rings JORDAN led his team to. Those Shaq rings.
 



Bottom line both players, LeBron and Kobe, have a lot to prove for the remainder of their careers. LeBron has to prove if he can continue to develop into a championship-caliber player for years to come. Kobe has to prove that he can win a ring without Shaq, period.

Yes, I know he has three championship rings, but Shaq was named MVP of the NBA Finals in those title seasons.

Even though LeBron has a final apperance under his belt and an NBA MVP, he won't be regarded as the best player in the league if he does not win multiple championships.
 
bluedog said:
Every since Lebron James has come into the league, one of the main arguments that makes him "better than kobe" is that he makes his teammates better, and kobe doesnt.


does kobe make his teammates better? *= career best for a season

so lets take one last look at this.. on average, players who play with kobe bryant average, on average, 1.6 points better and 1.7% FG better than they do the season after or before playing with kobe.. make sense? now players who play with lebron average, on average, 2.3 points less and only 0.7% better than they do the season after or before playing with lebron..

so basically, statistics prove that kobe, as a matter of fact, makes his teammates much better!


Have fun!!!
Click to expand...

That should shut 'em up for a minute.:lol: EXCELLENT INFO!!!!
 
DAHILL said:
Kobe aint LED his team to no ring....thats like John Paxton bragging about all the rings JORDAN led his team to. Those Shaq rings.
Click to expand...

Kobe led the Lakers to several wins in the fourth quarter when Shaq was on the bench due to hack a Shaq. Dude, I know you remember that, but your hate is so thick, it's clouding your subconscious memory.
 
JayRob said:
Kobe led the Lakers to several wins in the fourth quarter when Shaq was on the bench due to hack a Shaq. Dude, I know you remember that, but your hate is so thick, it's clouding your subconscious memory.
Click to expand...

So has Robert Horry and Derek Fisher so what's your point?
 
PsychoJag said:
So has Robert Horry and Derek Fisher so what's your point?
Click to expand...

Kobe won far more games and kept the games close while Shaq was on the bench in order for Horry to make the game winning shot in those one or two games. The same with Kobe keeping the Lakers close so Fisher could make the winning shot.
 
JayRob said:
Kobe led the Lakers to several wins in the fourth quarter when Shaq was on the bench due to hack a Shaq. Dude, I know you remember that, but your hate is so thick, it's clouding your subconscious memory.
Click to expand...

If this is the case why didn't Kobe win Finals MVP in any of the 3 years that the Lakers won it all?
 
DAHILL said:
Kobe aint LED his team to no ring....thats like John Paxton bragging about all the rings JORDAN led his team to. Those Shaq rings.
Click to expand...

Bullshat Paxson wasn't Batman's Robin, we all know who that was and just like that same old dumb azz arugument if Kobe didn't lead them than who did and where was Kobe while they were doing it?

Better yet how many championships did they lead the lakers to before Kobe?
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top