Who’s the Greatest Basketball Player Kobe Bryant or Lebron James
There are several basketball players in the world. However, the difference between these players lies in their talents. In the United States, the most talented basketball players play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA has been a significant section of the global sport and has players from various parts of the world. Some players in this association are ranked as the greatest in history. Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are some of the professional basketballers who have played in the NBA. Each player had the unique capabilities that set them apart from the rest of the league. They also have their personal lives and distinctive achievements. The two players compare in various ways since they have some striking similarities. Even though the two players dominated the game in NBA, Lebron James has high scoring ability, excelled in creating teamwork, and engaged in other activities outside his career, this is considered to be the greatest basketball player.
The two players have some similarities. Kobe Bryant joined the NBA in 1996 at the age of 17, while Lebron James joined the NBA in 2003 at almost the same age (Al-Imam 1). It is alleged that; they joined the NBA immediately after the completion of their high school education. Both players won two Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012 (Al-Imam 1). The players played for different teams, Kobe played for the Los Angeles Lakers, while Lebron played for Cleveland Cavaliers, but managed to achieve the same awards in the same years. The players also won the same awards while playing for their games. As asserted by (Al-Imam 1), the two have won NBA championships and NBA all final awards for the Most Valuable Player (MVP). They also had massive support from fans all over the globe. As stated by (Guo, Billings & Abdalla 484), fans of athletes devote their time and money to support their superstars. Kobe for example amazed a huge fan base from various parts of the world including Italy. Fans of Kobe from Italy wore Laker Jerseys as they poured tribute after his ultimate demise (Crepeau 2). Since the two had celebrity status, endorsements were always given to them. As stated by (Tong, Su & Hu 1), marketers utilized celebrity endorsers to promote their products. Athletic footwear industries, therefore, use professional star athletes for endorsement of their products. Lebron is endorsed by brands such as Nike and Upper Deck among others while Kobe was endorsed by Nike, Turkish Airlines, and Sprite.
There exist some major differences between the two players. These differences revolve around some negatives and positives that the two players have been involved in. First of all, Kobe was involved in a major sexual scandal that almost ruined his successful career (Epstein 1). When professional stars are faced with such allegations, their images are usually destroyed. As asserted by (Epstein 27), Kobe gave an apology to the general public regarding this act. The apology served to restore his image as theorists believe that apologia repairs a person’s reputation. On the other hand, Lebron has maintained a good image for himself as an NBA superstar. According to (Guo, Billing & Abdalla 483), Lebron was extremely careful, thus avoided the pitfalls of stardom.
The other difference between the two lies in the way they played their games. Lebron has been recognized as a player who makes the most critical shots in the game compared to Kobe. Lebron is a team player and that explains his success in the game. He easily passes the ball to the member of his team who has a greater chance of shooting. Kobe on the other hand was a selfish player who did not always engage his team members when he had the ball. The difference between the way they played made fans to brand them nicknames, Kobe was referred to as “The Black Mamba,” as he was aggressive therefore dominated his opponents. Lebron on the other hand was nicknamed, “King James,” as he was good at defense. Lebron had better teamwork and leadership skills, as such, he took Cleveland Cavaliers to the next level after joining the team. Lebron is therefore believed to have played a crucial role in bringing the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA finals and becoming the most influential athlete (Guo, Billings & Abdalla 482). This role was globally recognized since it surpassed any role Kobe had played in the championship. Kobe was an all-rounded player with great versatility while Lebron lacked these important skills.
Lebron James is identified as the greatest basketball player due to several factors. He has the greatest scoring ability. The proof of his legendary performance is depicted in the game that his team played against the Kings. The final score of the game was 141 against the opponents who scored 129. He is also recognized for his efficiency and was accorded the highest-ranking of over 30, this was exemplary since in NBA, a rating of 20 is considered great. Lebron has also broken the record of points that was achieved by Kobe while still young. He has also been awarded three MVP awards, which are more than Kobe’s as he received only one during his time. As asserted by (Jacobson 4), statistics of players are used in analyzing whether they are the greatest in their field. These statistical indicators point out that, Lebron’s performance was the greatest in the history of the NBA.
Teamwork is another aspect that makes Lebron the greatest player. He began exhibiting teamwork when he joined Cleveland Cavaliers and organized the team to victory within his first four years. Lebron is considered a complete player since he could score and pass the ball to the next team member who had the potential of scoring. His greatness was also manifested in his ability to engage in other activities such as activism (Jacobson 7). Athletes usually have huge impacts as such, many of them choose to engage in activities such as activism hence causing widespread effects in the world. As noted by (Jacobson 8), Lebron is very vocal and speaks about various social issues such as racism and injustice. Kobe wasn’t involved in activism, this places Lebron over the edge as the greatest player who stands up against injustice in the society.
In conclusion, the NBA has succeeded in giving platforms of exhibiting skills to the most talented players in the globe. Kobe Bryant was recognized worldwide for his exemplary performance in basketball. He received several awards during his time. Lebron James is another player who has maintained excellence in basketball. He has also achieved several awards. Although the two players have some striking similarities, they also have some differences. Lebron stands out to be the greatest basketball player because of several reasons. He has constantly exhibited high scoring capabilities. Teamwork is another concept that he has succeeded in creating in his team, this explains his victories. Apart from the statistics that surpass those of Kobe, Lebron has other engagements in society. He actively participates in activism against injustices that affect people in the society. Lebron is therefore without reasonable doubt the greatest basketball player of all times as he is all rounded, excelling in his career and giving back to society.
Works Cited
Al-Imam, Ahmed “Who is the GOAT: Jordan, Bryant or King James? An Inference Based on Data Crunching of the Surface Web 6: 5.” of 9 (2017): 2.
Crepeau, Richard C. “Kobe Bryant.” (2020).
Epstein, Adam. Image Restoration in the Apologetic Rhetoric of Professional Athletes: A Case Study of Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Phelps. Florida Atlantic University, (2017).
Guo, Sitong, Andrew C. Billings, and James C. Abdallah. “Inequivalent Out-Groups in “The Decision III”: The Free Agency of LeBron James and the Power of Sports Rivalry.” International Journal of Sport Communication 1.aop (2019): 1-16.
Jacobson, Austin. “The Greatest Basketball Player of All Time: LeBron vs. Jordan.” (2018).
Tong, Xiao, Jin Su, and Zhen Hu. “Country-of-origin Effects in Celebrity Endorsements in China’s Sportswear Market.” (2017).