I should have never opened my mouth when it came to the argument of whose better Kobe or LeBron. I had always been an ardent Kobe guy and probably hurting my credibility even by making some ridiculous cases in defense of Kobe. Finally, I gave into all of the LeBron fans and said earlier this month, that LeBron was indeed the best player in the game hands down. Sadly after these playoffs, we have to tweak that statement a little bit.
LeBron James: The player I would draft first in a fantasy draft if I had to start a franchise from scratch and a guy I would want on my team throughout the regular season because he would make our team that much better. In addition, he is a great teammate so he will keep the guys together during the season.
Kobe Bryant: The player I want from the fourth quarter and on, a true warrior who hasn't missed a clutch shot in ages (look at the one he sank last night with Grant Hill in his jock, drilled it.). He might be an asshole but that's a quality you need in the playoffs. No nice guy has really ever won a title, even Magic Johnson got a bit nasty in his later years.
With all that being said, Kobe Bryant finds himself in the NBA Finals for a seventh time and in search of his fifth title. Everybody rode off Kobe in the Oklahoma City series claiming he was tired and the hype around LeBron James grew to mammoth proportions before the Boston series. What did Kobe do? He took his game to a second gear and started dropping 30 points a game like it was nobody business. Then after LeBron exited in the semifinals and everybody talked about the off season when the Mamba was still in there, he goes off for 40 to throw the focus back on him.
I think we cannot make an argument for either player right now because they are so valuable in different ways and both players are the best right now. One is number 1 and the other is 1a. So let's put this discussion to rest and then when we look at it in ten years we can then form our opinion.
Real quick about the Lakers, I said earlier I think they are in big trouble with Derek Fisher trying to guard Rajon Rondo and I doubt they throw Kobe on Rondo because they have to keep Ray Allen in check. Ron Artest versus Paul Pierce will be a great battle plus can we get odds makers on a Ron vs. Rasheed Wallace fight? I would bet this happens but I have been asking for a good ole NBA brawl for the last two weeks. The uncertainty of Andrew Bynum could be the difference because no matter what, he will get beat up even more by the front line of the Celts.
More on the NBA Finals later this week on Chuck's Corner, gotta love it. Boston and Los Angeles, like it should be.
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