I Bear Witness

Take it however you will. Be as offended as you may. Create and defend any rollerskating case you want......but I am a witness. I think Kobe's pretty good....he hits some of the most incredible shots I have ever seen. 3-4 people in his face....fading back and to the left out of bounds while jumping off of one foot....the crowd goes crazy for it. But of all the athletes from his class, I seemed to be able to appreciate Ray Allen's game a little more. He's older now and isn't quite as effective, but that's pretty much how that whole group is. And regardless of how you see it, he's still competing for a championship year end and year out. T-Mac was my other player from that 'generation' until the injuries finally (seemingly) overcame him.

I remember watching Jordan with my older cousin in the past. He was a huge Bulls fan....I've always had a tremendous amount of respect for him. I mean how can you not. Dude's name, image and brand pretty much dominated for more than an entire decades, which when put into basketball years, amount to the lives of many of your favorite ole skool players.

My respect for them however, doesn't seem to matter much. Evidently they are both supposed to be my favorite players.....or I don't know basketball. Knowledgable fans of the game laugh, but it's true. Either I praise and hail Kobe and Jordan as my favorite players AND denounce any real appreciation for LeBron's game........ooooooorrrrr I just didn't play enough basketball in my day. Interesting. Well, I've tried to state my points face to face with some.....and I elected to let other journalists make a strong case for me then present it to many more friends and family here on facebook. Now, I will try 'saying' this through the all powerful written word. Hopefully since you can't interrupt, it'll make more sense to you. 

On the court, I don't think there is another player who intentionally and effectively dominate one's attention like Kobe Bryant now, and Michael Jordan in the late 80s and early 90s. Their crowds are electric and star studded. They make shots most anyone else in the world would not dare even take nonetheless make. They aren't point guards, but they bring the ball up the court and handle it more than anyone else on the court, only needing the team's real point guard to be a quality 3 point shooter and occasional handler while resetting the team offense after a bad or missed shot. Kobe and Jordan never really had the best %s in the world, but when the world needed them to, they always seemed to come through. Open teammates didn't catch their attention....and that's probably in their own best interest. Nope nope nope. They took 'The Shot'.Many times we've witnessed both Kobe and Jordan berate their teammates. We've heard stories of Jordan punching Steve Kerr in the face, and Kobe demanding separate workout quarters for himself and his teammates. Actually, I don't think I have ever heard any former teammates speak particularly highly of Jordan. Not many come out to support Kobe's sportsmanship either. Maybe it's just chance....coincidence....more likely, it's a testament to their times with the two individuals. 

"Winning is something that is hard to do. It's something you have to pay the price for....and that's how I remember Michael....as someone who wanted to win everytime."
- Scottie Pippen

Maybe that's what it is. It's that intangible 'it' that lives inside of them both. It drives them to be better than anyone in the world....to dominate everything they undertake. 

"And then there was LeRoy Smith [who was flown in by Jordan to witness his acceptance speech]....that's not a myth. LeRoy Smith was a guy who made the team when I was cut...He's here tonight. He's still the same 6'7 guy, he hasn't got [sic] any taller, he hasn't got [sic] any bigger...probably his game is the same. But he started the whole process with me..because when he made the team, I wanted to prove not just to LeRoy Smith and myself, but to the coach who actually picked LeRoy over me...I wanted to make sure he understood, "You made a mistake dude."
-Michael Jordan

Whatever 'it' is, it's been decided by many that LeBron does not have it. Regardless of any statistical comparisons or anything that is documented, LeBron doesn't have that 'it'. When the game was on the line, and he drove to the basket guarded by the lanky and athletic Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton and closing Rasheed Wallace in game one of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals..he passed it to Donyell Marshall. He didn't do it all himself. 

"Like I was telling Damon [Jones], it felt better than any of the six I hit in New Jersey...That's what I was brought in here for -- to make shots like that one."
-Donyell Marshall 

Or in LeBron's words
"I go for the winning play. If two guys come at you and your teammate is open, then give it up. Simple as that."

Or maybe better stated in Coach Brown's words
"It looked like everybody collapsed because there was nobody near Donyell. I mean, he could have sat and had a cup of coffee before he even shot the basketball. LeBron trusts his teammates, his teammates trust him, and you've just got to step up and knock the shot down."

There 'it' is. Making the right BASKETBALL decision.
At this point, I'm sure there are those of you who wish you were in front of me to interrupt and tell me how much of bitch move that was....but that's why I'm writing and not talking verbally. You need to read this. 

When you look at individual basketball statistics or those formulated to calculate 'it' on the floor, LeBron is ahead of the pack....in today's game. He has a higher FG% than Kobe, a higher 3pt%; almost as many rebounds/game as Bosh, and close to the same amount of assists as Chris Paul and Derron Williams. His A/TO ratio is 2.49x vs 1.57x from Kobe and 3.02x Steve Nash. He gets almost twice as many steals as Kobe in course of a game, and more blocks than both Kobe and Bosh combined. In total he contributes 33.4 points per game (almost 4 points more than just his PPG) compared to 5 fewer points effective points than actual points per game than Kobe. Technically stated, that's calculated ((PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK) - ((FGA - FGM) + (FTA - FTM) + TO)) / G. Basically stated,what presence is a player having on the court to contribute to his team other than scoring points. For LeBron's he's adding to the team; in Kobe's case, he is taking from the team. 

Maybe it's the off the court life of the players we cheer and jeer. I've heard repeatedly about how Kobe overcame his case, and how Jordan dealt with the death of his father. I've even been debated that it's comparable to Muhammad Ali and his stance against the Vietnam War. I guess, in my mind the differences lies in the fact that Kobe's case was brought about through infidelity....and the mysterious death of Jordan's father was widely reported to be rooted in his own obsessive gambling addiction. You see, while I can relate to both men and their demons, I see them from the stance of a man who has not succumbed to either. I have thought of the implications of a 'cheating' on my wife....and I have made a conscious decision that its consequences are of which I am not willing to sign up for. I have been to Tunica, and I've played the tables....all of them....but I knew when to go home. Or in gamblers' terms; when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. Now for a second indulge me and compare that with what we've seen so far from LeBron. He came into the league and put all of his high school teammates through higher education (I assume since he didn't take the opportunity to go). Once learned, he fired his entire staff of agents and reps, to hire those teammates in their respective fields of education. He played his heart out for Cleveland (his former 'hometown' team) and donated all of the proceeds gained through his narcissistic and self glorifying, but extremely well watched "Decision" to the National Boys and Girls Club Association. He accepted less than the maximum contract allowable to play basketball with with his 'Super'friends down in Miami, leaving the franchise not only enough to sign all three of the highest touted free agents in recent history, but also to continue to fill out the roster with other key components for a championship team. *GASP* That asshole!

So its not the on the court game of the players.....at least not in what's seen through statistical analysis. It's not really the lives they've lived off of the court that makes MJ and Kobe greater...maybe it all boils down to winning. Maybe that's it.....the fact that Kobe has 5 rings and Jordan has 6. Maybe that's what its all about. But then when I mentioned that to a friend earlier, we went back into metapsycological reality and it was not about winning, but about how you win. uhhhhh, ok? I guess. Now it stands that you can win with the best center in the league; or with 2 or three other future hall of famers; or the best PF and best defender and best coach and most experienced 3 pt shooter....but only if that's done through management. You can't go and decide to play with them where you can on your own. That's not how free agency is supposed to work. You are supposed to sign to team the first opportunity you can, for as much as you can and wait for the team's management to use whatever they have left along with their influence and good looks to get you the best players they can for the money. You can't go in working your contract, networking and the team's cap space to yield the best team possible. HELL NAH! Just sit back...and wait.....until you are too old to be the face of a team, and all your dues have been paid THEN you can go and sign with some other good guys and win. But only then. After you've spent your prime years up waiting for management. Sounds sensible enough huh? I didn't think so. 

The stats are there.....The awards are already pouring in as reflected by the 2nd consecutive MVP election (and with 109 out of 121 total 1st place votes).  ****He has since one a 3rd award.*******
The contracts and endorsements are in place. 
At the age of 25, the young man has already redefined what is or should be expected from a 'great' player while simultaneously sending the NBA owners into panic mode about how to 'fix' the NBA free agency since bloated nominal contracts could be losing favor. 
He's advocated and exemplified the ultimate team player, always making the environment a fun one. Always making the players around him better. Always making 'the winning play.' Many times to the chagrin of those in search of the next Jordan. No scandals....no missteps. Just a cool young man who's had the light shining on him since he was a kid.....who was wise enough to place and keep the right people around him to keep him grounded, directed and progressive. I, for one, pray it continues. He's been a great role model so far for a lot of these young guys who want to have do their thing in sports. He's a sharer....or at least it's what we've seen from him so far. He doesn't need to build up anger and animosity inside of himself to be his best. He's just needs a solid supporting cast around him with the same 'team first focus' to best display his God Given skill set. 

The only thing remaining is the championship. Multiple championships. And I dare say that with the team this young man has conspired to assemble, they will come. Whether he has 'it' or not.


This is just as true today as it was 2 years ago. I'm going to do an update to this and break down his numbers from this season and last.