Battle for Supremacy: Breaking Down the Kobe Bryant-LeBron James Debate

Anyone who calls themselves a basketball fan has encountered the question regarding who is better between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. This question alone is the single most debatable subject in today’s NBA. It is also hands-down the most difficult topic when it comes to deciding which side to choose.

In order to make this somewhat fair, let’s compare each player’s body of work over their first seven seasons in the league; keeping in mind that Bryant did not play a full 82-game season injury-free until his seventh year in the league.

KOBE BRYANT

 

LEBRON JAMES

10658

PTS

15251

2458

REBS

3861

2060

ASTS

3810

714

STLS

955

496

GMS PLAYED

548

1

MVP

1

5

ASG APP

5

1

ASG MVP

2

3

FINALS APP

1

3

CHAMPIONSHIPS

0

Based on these awards, the edge would be given to LeBron. However, Bryant leads James in a much more rewarding category. He had already racked up three championship rings by his 24th birthday.

Kobe Bryant, based strictly on statistics, has made the most shots—26—in clutch situations than any other player in the last 10 seasons. Vince Carter is second on that list with 20. LeBron James is not even in the Top Five.

This season alone, Bryant has made 7-12 shot attempts in clutch moments giving him a percentage of 58.3 percent, a little over 12% more than his field-goal percentage during the regular season (45.9 percent). That being said, I think it’s safe to say that Bryant is a much better c...