Monday, April 5, 2010
Why Kobe is Better Than LeBron
If you had to bet the mortgage on who will win this year's NBA Finals, is it the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers or the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James? Forget career statistics, don't worry about career progression, and stop thinking about starting a franchise with one of these players. The 2009-2010 playoffs start soon. Kobe and LeBron are the two most important players on the two best teams. Who has the edge in 2010?
The primary objective of the NBA is to win a championship and because sports teams are now considered businesses, the secondary objective is to make money. Three questions that shape the 2010 Kobe vs. LeBron debate are: who is in a better position to win it all? Who will have the better performance in the playoffs? Who is bringing in the most dollars to their franchise and the NBA?
Who is in a better position to win it all? Time and again, the argument is made that LeBron does not have the right supporting cast or right coach in Cleveland. This is the seventh year James has been in the NBA. It is generally thought that LeBron helped bring Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland and James approved of keeping Mike Brown as coach.
It is also widely believed that Kobe welcomed Ron Artest, and wants to keep Phil Jackson as coach of the Lakers. Is Kobe in a better position to win it all, because LeBron's personnel moves are not as savvy as Kobe's? If this is the case, then advantage Kobe.
It is clear that each player has heavy influence in their organization's futures. Currently, LeBron is holding the Cavaliers and entire city of Cleveland hostage with all of the discussion surrounding his possible departure. While Kobe has just signed a three-year deal providing stability to the Lakers, LeBron continues to woo and be wooed by the bright lights of New York City. Is Kobe in a better position to win the championship by his design? Has LeBron jeopardized bringing in the right talent to win a championship by not signing a long-term deal and making the Cavaliers one of the least stable organizations in the NBA?
It is not a stretch to say that with LeBron, Cleveland is one of the most valuable NBA franchises and without him, they are a small-market team struggling to fill an arena in this economy. The NBA rollercoaster in Cleveland is dependent on King James and he has been in the front seat of this ride for over two years.
Who are the players and who is the coach needed for LeBron to finally win it all? This year, he has Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison. Does he need Mike Krzyzewski, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Camelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard to win an NBA title? Should the NBA require the USA Olympic team move to Cleveland so that LeBron can finally have the supporting cast he needs to showcase his talent?
Do the players around Kobe make him better or does Kobe make the players around him better? Is Lamar Odom a player who can win a championship as the star of a team? He wasn't when he was the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat. Is Pau Gasol capable of carrying the Lakers to a championship on his own? He couldn't when he was with the Memphis Grizzlies. When Kobe had Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers were unstoppable in the playoffs. Now that LeBron has O'Neal, will they cruise in the Eastern Conference? If not, why was O'Neal brought on the team?
Who will have the better performance in the playoffs? In 2010, there are two sides to this discussion: statistics vs. rings. LeBron dominates most, if not all statistical categories, against playoff teams when compared to Kobe, while Kobe has the hardware. If the games were played on paper, LeBron vs. Kobe is no contest.
LeBron would dominate every team in the playoffs regardless of conference. In a review of the following statistics: points per game, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, rebounds per game, assists per game, steals per game, and blocks per game, LeBron is better.
A head-to-head comparison of the two players shows LeBron is better than Kobe against 10 out of the 15 playoff teams in points per game and field goal percentage. LeBron is better than Kobe against 8 out of the 15 teams in three point percentage, 14 out of 15 in rebounds per game, 10 out of 15 teams in steals per game, and 15 out of 15 teams in assists and blocks per game. In head-to-head competition, LeBron is better than Kobe in all of the above statistics with the exception of three-point percentage and rebounds per game.
Unfortunately, games are played on the court and it is tough to forget about Kobe's four championships and six Finals appearances. LeBron's only championship run ended at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. Kobe has now proven he can without Shaquille O'Neal. LeBron will try to win with O'Neal coming off an injury; the Cavs may need his aging body to bang against the new Superman in Dwight Howard.
Entering the 2009-2010 playoffs, there is a much greater advantage to having a championship pedigree than not. The last 29 NBA championships have been won by only eight teams. Miami and Philadelphia are the only franchises that have won the title once since the 1979-1980 season. Will 2010 be Cleveland's first or the Lakers' ninth in 29 years? If one has to choose the Lakers vs. the field or the Cavaliers vs. the field, it is hard not to take Team Kobe.
Who is bringing in the most dollars to their franchise and the NBA? The hype machine tends to be in overdrive when it comes to superlatives describing LeBron James. He came into the league King James, while Kobe Bryant came in as the 13th pick behind Vitaly Potapenko. Hype generally translates to money, but upon closer inspection of four dollar-driving criteria, Kobe has an edge in three of the categories in 2010. The four criteria reviewed include: home attendance, road attendance, jersey sales, and team merchandise.
According to an NBA.com report posted on Jan 20, 2010, Kobe Bryant topped the NBA's Most Popular Jerseys list. He has had this title since the 2008-2009 season. NBA.com indicates that the rankings are based on sales at the NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com since the start of the 2009-10 NBA season. LeBron James is in the second spot. The Los Angeles Lakers topped the Boston Celtics for the Most Popular NBA Team Merchandise edging the Celtics, while the Cleveland Cavaliers were number three.
Attendance figures, tell a more even story. Through 37 home games the Lakers average 18,997 in home attendance while the Cavaliers have averaged 20,562 through 36 games. The Lakers are at 99.7% capacity while the Cavaliers are at 100%. This gives a slight edge to LeBron. The Cavaliers, however, are a slightly poorer draw on the road as their road average is 19,153, while the Lakers' average 19,172. Nineteen fans a game is certainly a very slight edge, but winning by 1 or 91 is still a win.
If dollars were votes, Kobe and the Lakers would win this election on three of the four "basketball is a business" criteria. It would appear as though LeBron James' goal of being a global icon will have to wait until 2011. Next season could be different as James has already requested a new jersey number, and he may change teams.
Overall in 2010, the edge goes to Kobe as it generally has since LeBron has entered the league. There will be a time of course, when LeBron is finally surrounded by the the right supporting cast and is paired with the right coach. All of this will come true eventually, because the NBA has invested too much for it not to happen. When it does, however, Kevin Durant will probably have the better statistics, more upside, and he too will be waiting for the right supporting cast and right coach. Actually, some scouts say Kevin Durant has already surpassed LeBron in terms of his basketball skill-set.
When comparing LeBron and Kobe in 2010, it is easy to see why Kobe Bryant is today's king, while LeBron is next in line regarding succession in the NBA kingdom. The ascension to the throne is getting longer, however, with the emergence of Kevin Durant.