Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James: Who has the best stats?
Generally, only two names are mentioned in the debate on who is the greatest basketball player of all time – Michael Jordan and LeBron James. The generation who witnessed Jordan’s greatness usually picks MJ as the GOAT while the younger generation goes with LeBron.
But there was another great player who shined somewhere in between and played against both Jordan and James, and that is Kobe Bryant.
Some fans think that the “Black Mamba” is unfairly overlooked in the GOAT debate. Before LeBron emerged as the best player in the league Kobe was often compared with Jordan, but when LeBron took over, he was immediately put above Kobe. The opinions differ on whether LeBron is already better than Kobe but we are going to clearly explain why “King James” is ahead of the “Mamba”.
So, if we compare the achievements of both players and the ultimate debate Kobe Bryant vs LeBron James will get answered today, and stats wise LeBron looks a little better.
Kobe is still ahead of him as he has won five NBA championships compared to LeBron’sfour, Kobe has one more All-Star game selection (18-17), four more All-Defensive 1st team selections (9-5), and has two scoring titles compared to LeBron’s one. LeBron on the other hand has four MVP trophies while Kobe has only one, four NBA Finals MVPs compared to Kobe’s two, LeBron has two more All-NBA selections (17-15) and has won the Rookie of the Year award and has been the assist leader, unlike Kobe.
If we compare their per-game stats, LeBron is ahead of Kobe in almost every category.
|
Points per game |
27.0 |
25.0 |
|
Rebounds per game |
7.4 |
5.2 |
|
Assist per game |
7.4 |
4.7 |
|
Steals per game |
1.6 |
1.4 |
|
Blocks per game |
0.7 |
0.5 |
|
Field goal % |
50.4 |
44.7 |
|
3-point % |
34.5 |
32.9 |
|
Free throw % |
73.3 |
83.7 |
One aspect of the game where Kobe by many is considered better than LeBron was the clutch performance. Reputation rates Bryant as more clutch, given the mythology of his “Mamba Mentality” and the notion that LeBron wilted in big moments in many cases in his career.
But let’s see if that is exactly the case.
Bryant averaged 25.3 points (50.7 TS%), 5.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.7 blocks/steals in 37 games across seven Finals series, logging a 5-2 record (lost to the 2004 Detroit Pistons and 2008 Boston Celtics). Meanwhile, James has averaged 28.4 points (55.1 TS%), 10.2 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.5 steal/blocks in 55 games over 10 Finals series finishing 4-6 (three losses to the Golden State Warriors, two to the San Antonio Spurs, and one to the Dallas Mavericks).
So, despite Kobe having one ring more than James, LeBron has better Finals numbers and he is still active meaning he can match Kobe’s five rings or even Jordan’s six.
LeBron has been better than Kobe in the advance-or-go-home games. James has played in eight of those, including two in the finals, and has a 6-2 record. James has averaged 34.9 points (59.9 TS%), 9.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks/steals. In a 95-88 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, James scored 37 points on 12-for-23 shooting, adding 12 rebounds and 4 assists. And in a 93-89 win against the Golden State Warriors three years later, he posted 27 points (9-24 FG), 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and three blocks.
In 10 career advance-or-go-home games Kobe had a 5-5 record, averaging 23.5 points, 11 less than LeBron, (47.4 TS%), 7.8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2.7 blocks/steals. He played in one Finals Game 7, scoring 23 points on 6-for-24 shooting, adding 15 rebounds and two assists in an 83-79 win over the Boston Celtics in 2010.
Surprisingly for many, LeBron has a better shooting percentage than Kobe in the playoffs on shots attempted when tied or trailing by two points or fewer in the final 24 seconds. Bryant was 7-for-28, or 25%, while LeBron is on 40%, or 10-for-25. LeBron is 12-for-23 (52%) on playoff game-tying or go-ahead field goals with less than 10 seconds left. Bryant was 5-for-22 (23%).
For the culture
Bryant takes the cake there, given the Academy Award he won for the animated short on his 2016 retirement letter, “Dear Basketball.” He also developed the “Detail” series for ESPN after experimenting with “Musecage.” Likewise, Bryant developed a series of children’s books and podcasts that demonstrated his willingness to take artistic storytelling risks, even if they all fell short of his first post-basketball project.
He was on his way building his daughter Gianna admirable career when he died in a helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of his daughter Gianna and seven others traveling to a youth basketball tournament at Bryant’s Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif. His death was felt the world over, as shocking as any in recent memory, a testament to his cultural impact.
Bryant also left behind a legacy that also included a brutal sexual assault allegation in the summer of 2003. Criminal charges were later dropped, but he acknowledged publicly, “I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.” As I have written in this space before, culturally speaking — in any manner of speaking — that is reprehensible.
LeBron on the other hand has also made a deep impact with his deep commitment to education with projects such as his I PROMISE School, an Akron Public School dedicated to thiose students falling behind and in danger of falling through the cracks. LeBron’s foundation has raised over $40 million for the programs and teamed up with the university of Akron to provide scholarships.
It’s almost impossible to argue the Kobe Bryant vs LeBron James but if we want to stick to the old saying that the stats never lie, we have clear evidence of why LeBron is ahead of Kobe in the GOAT debate. Only time will tell if he is going to match the Lakers great in championships won but knowing that he has a few more years left in the tank he definitely has a chance.
