I believe there was a guy under the basket that didn't even contest the shot but who cares if he could have dunked it or who was there. The fact that he switched hands in mid air is very difficult and almost a impossible layup. Try it out sometime and tell me if it's easy. Fact is that is a very difficult shot to do in mid air.
There's not a athletic player in the NBA that couldn't do that. Players today can't just switch hands in mid air, they can switch hands between their legs in mid air and then dunk it. Like I said, if someone was in front of him it's a whole different story. That play as it were though, it's not difficult. EDIT: obviously it's difficult. But that's the Jordan defining play along with his shot against Cleveland and it shouldn't be. That's all I'm saying.
Maybe your right and maybe not. But the way I remember the play was MJ driving to the lane, going up for the layup and then the last second switching hands with the ball and laying it up. I gues the reason why I thought it was difficult was because it looked like he hung in the air forever and it was until the very last second, as he was coming down when he switched hands and layed it in. In my eyes difficult, in your eyes easy.
For me it's impossible. But I'm not a basketball pro. TMac could have done that stuff. Kobe, LeBron, all those fly guys. It's a great play and it looks insane but I've seen Jordan do things 10 times as difficult. But Jordan somehow always managed to pick his spots. Doing shit like that against the right teams at the right moment and thus it becomes legendary. (It always helps to have Magic talk about it afterwards) This one is more difficult then the Jordan one... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi1sBo4nlu0&NR=1"]YouTube- Kobe Bryant Switches Hands Mid-Air for the Lay-up[/ame] But point being, I have yet to see Jordan do something Kobe can't do. I'm saying that because I haven't seen every minute of his games so something might pop up one day. I'm pretty sure I've seen every one of his great plays so I'm not too scared of that happening. I've seen Kobe do things Jordan couldn't do though. And Kobe still got a good 4-5 years left at a very high level. I was just looking at their career highs and the only cat where there is a major difference is in favour of Kobe. The most points in a game, 81 to 69, and the three pointers made in a game, 12 to 7. Everything else is within one or two, which makes it irrelevant. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/michael_jordan/index.html http://www.nba.com/playerfile/kobe_bryant/career_stats.html The only big thing that separate them is the rings. If Kobe gets three more....
He did shit the bed in 2004 (especially game 5) and Game 6 in 2008. Championships per Finals appearance: Jordan: 6/6 (1.000) Kobe: 4/6 (.666) Playoff points per game (career): Jordan: 33.4 Kobe: 25.0 Kobe is and always will be Jordan-Lite.
Good grief you're biased. None of the shots you've youtube'd are that impressive - especially this one. And perhaps the reason Jordan doesn't have as many circus shots is because he has a better shooting percentage - a stat you forgot to mention as relevant. I've said before that there are more dynamic scorers than Jordan - Kobe is one of them - but that doesn't mean they are better players (which you haven't said). [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7vsjOHq5E0"]YouTube- Michael Jordan Famous Switch Between Hands Layup[/ame]
If Malone didn't get injured they'd easily win 2004. That's team though. Jordan didn't do that on his own. You can't count while Shaq was there. Jordan wouldn't average more pts then Kobe if he was playing with the MDE. Yeah he will. Because people look at stats instead of what they could actually do on the basketball court. Same thing is happening right now. Everyone says LeChoke is the best because he has the best stats. It's kind of childish really.
2% isn't that much (% from Jordans last three-peat and Kobe since Shaq left). If you want to say one player is better because of 2%, as in two more makes out of 100 attempts, then fine. Eddy Curry is one of the best player in the L. A big reason for Jordans high FG% early in his career was he led the league in dunks. His game during his last three years with Bulls are more comparable to Kobes game. Only Kobe has notably more assists. Kobe was a ballhog of course. Jordan wasn't. Jordan 1996-08 ppg29,57 rpg6,10 apg4,03 spg1,88 FG%48,20 3FG%34,63 FT%81,70 Bryant 2004-10 ppg30,18 rpg5,62 apg4,86 spg1,76 FG%46,64 3FG%34,62 FT%85,22 And if none of the shots I tubed are impressive there never has been an impressive shot made in the NBA. Good you pointed that out. I don't think Kobe is a better player. I just said he made more unmakable shots.
Anyone in the UK watch the NBA regularly, if so where do you watch it, coverage here is terrible, or failing that is any one a member on "Fantator" who gives regular play by play for the nba?
Get league pass. It's not very expensive and you can watch every game live and the stream is flawless.
I personally don't think any of the shots you've youtube'd are anything that Jordan couldn't make so it's tough to prove that he's made more unmakable shots. If we are going to cherry pick stats to prove a point, I'll add that Kobe's never shot 500 for a season or averaged 8 assists. I personally won't agree with it, but if Kobe wins another championship this year, the talk of him being in Jordan territory will increase I would think.
Making a three at the buzzer with two guys all over you and no real sightline to the basket isn't impressive? Could you give me an example of what you consider an impressive shot? Jordan never averaged 8apg while playing the triangle. No doubt. If he gets two more it'll be a legit argument. Six rings and eight finals is pretty impressive by any standards. Then again, if Jordan hadn't been suspended for gambling he'd probably have eight straight. Who knows. I think one thing that will also massively put this discussion in legit territory is if Kobe tops his career reg season points and playoff points. With 2000 points per season the next five he'll top his reg season total. I think that's highly likely to happen. Playoffs is a bit more tricky to predict. He can do that in three years or never at all. Of course if he doesn't get atleast another ring this is all futile. I also happen to think that 81 game is equal to a ring on his resume.
See I don't think that will matter at all. I think the rings is all that matters. But if it did I think most people would still look at the fact that MJ has 10 scoring titles to Kobe's 2. 5 MVP's to Kobe's 1. 6 finals MVP to Kobe's 1. And how is 81 points in a meaningless game against a bad Raptors team = to a ring? 63 vs the celtics in a playoff game is still more impressive.
MVPs are kind of irrelevant. They're voted by reporters. If it was the players that voted it'd be different. Then Jordan might've had 10. Kobe maybe five so far. I don't really care about the scoring titles either because everyone knows Kobe could average 35 a game if he wanted to. Plus the fact that Jordan never played with a dominant scorer. After Shaq left Kobe is averaging about 30 a game. We both know if it was Jordan who had 81 you'd say that was more impressive. Admit it 100s of players have won rings. Only one player has a bigger scoring game then Kobe. I'm betting in 50 years people are going to talk about Kobes 81 more then Duncans four tings. People just don't understand yet how amazing that preformance was. Obviously it's not equal to a ring. But on a resume that's a thing that really pops out. And it probably will never be beaten by a guard.
Duck you crack me up. You will defend your Lakers and Kobe Bryant until the end. All I'm going to say about Kobe is when he decides to hang it up and retire, he will go down as 1 of the 10 best basketball players to ever play the game just like MJ. I don't think he will ever surpass MJ as the very best but thats just my opinion. To me this year more then any other year, Kobe resembles MJ more then ever. His fade away jumper is money and deadly just like MJ's was and to me he looks more in control of the team than ever. LA is arguably the best all around team in terms of offense, defense and coaching. And to me Kobe looks like he has his team in control in every game while playing at a MVP type level. Not saying that he wasn't good last year or didn't have a MVP season last year but to me this year looks like his best year as a pro. Very impressed with Kobe this year more than any other year.
Wow [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkMV2MnxQaM"]YouTube- The short shot clock in Cleveland[/ame]
Meaning? He's already one of the top 10 ever. He won't surpass Jordan in most peoples eyes because they've decided already that he's going to be the best ever and nothing can change that. Media is filled with people who used to play against Jordan or people who started their basketball media careers when Jordan came around and for them no one will ever have that kind of impact on their basketball minds. That's just how it is.
I was so furious with that I just went to bed. What a goddamn joke. The NBA is so rigged and they're not even trying to hide it. Poor LeBron can't beat Atlanta so let's give him a hand. Rediculous.