NBA Showdown: Kobe Bryant Throws Down the Gauntlet on LeBron James.

In what appears to be a calculated bit of promotion for the NBA, Kobe Bryant said he would beat LeBron James in a game of one-on-one after being asked at a London sports camp.

Bryant's exact words, “I’d win, I’d win...That’s what I do. One-on-one is..that’s easy for me, you know. Playing one-on-one is how I grew up playing, it’s like my thing. LeBron is more like a Magic Johnson, he’s a great passer and plays an all-around game. At the core of me, I’m a one-on-one player. I’d do that in my sleep.”

Wow.

This is sure to fan the flames of the fans who believe that LeBron has passed Bryant as the consensus world's best player. Bryant is not without confidence, that much is certain, but one has to ask if this was a bit a gamesmanship on the part of Bryant.

Bryant knows that everyone has been waiting for a showdown between he and James for the better part of three years. That of course hasn't happened. If anyone has been paying attention, however, the likelihood of that showdown increased exponentially when James joined forces with Wade and Bosh in South Beach.

 

Irresistible Force vs. Immovable Object

In a true game of one-on-one, one has to suspect that the game might first come down to who took the ball out first.

If James, Bryant might have a hard time preventing James from backing his way down to the hoop and scoring at will.

If Bryant, James might have a hard time staying with Bryant's never-ending variety of moves, the fadeaway, and his perimeter game.

In a games such as this, it's possible that neither would miss a shot, as such, game over.

James is a competent defender, but truly excels off the ball and in the chase-down. When focused, Bryant's defensive skills are second to none, and yet, James is so much bigger than he is.

If either missed, it could ...

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