Mamba Or The King: Who’s Better? | First Take | May 23, 2017 

People forget that Kobe played with a broken finger in the 2010 finals. The man was a beast.

i still say "Kobe" when i throw something away so....

Bird said if he wanted to play to have fun, he chose Lebron. If he wanted to win, Kobe.

In my opinion LeBron is a better in game player (involving teammates, rebounding, etc) but kobe is the more skilled one on one player. Kobe had a better post game, better footwork, better ball handler, etc

Don't forget in the Olympics when the US was in a close game versus Spain, who did everyone pass the ball to? Kobe Bryant. Who bailed them out and clutched the win? Kobe Bryant.

The fourth quarter is the most misunderstood part of the game. it's different than all the other quarters because the clock runs down so you have to think in terms of how many possessions ahead you are. A 2pt field goal and than a quick transition 3pt can put you ahead by two possessions. heres a really super simple, uncomplicated example. you are behind by 1 pt. you make a 2pt field goal and now you are ahead by 1 point. The opponent either misses or a turnover is forced and you get the ball back. You hit a quick 3 pt and now you are up by 4 pts. The opponent needs a minimum of two possessions to tie or get ahead. that's why you absolutely have to hit your 3pts down the stretch. fg% does NOT win you games. big plays (a crucial 3pt or a forced turnover) that puts you ahead in possessions are what win games. This is where kobe excels the most. because you shoot much more 2pt field goals than 3pt shots, you can technically go 0-3 on 3pts in the fourth and STILL BE be 50% on fg. This is why lebron can have a bad fourth quarter and still look good on the boxscore. If you took the time to read this, please give it a like. I hope it gets a lot of views. I'm hella tired of people disrespecting kobe.

Kobe's my boy.

NBA players who played against Kobe and Lebron almost always say Kobe was better. NBA analysts who never even touched a basketball in their life and just read stat sheets say Lebron is better.. Hmmm 🤔

Two different players 💯 Two different positions💯 Two different mentatlity 💯 Two different careers 💯 Dont compare just thank both of them for giving us greatness PERIOD!!!

KOBE may not be the best team player, but defintely can take all the pressure & responsibility on his shoulder during crunch time which lebron is afraid to!!!

Kobe playing hurt still putting up crazy numbers! Lebron- claiming broken hand after losing to GSW is questionable.

Kobe would never let Jason Terry outplay him🙅

like if Kobe is better than LeBron.

Kobe in his prime, '04-07' he was freakin amazing. Past '07 into his mid 30's he was still an awesome player but '04-'07, i dont think anyone can deny how absurdly spectacular he was in those years. In those years i think you can easily put him up there with Jordan. Kobes best was unbelievable.

This did not age well. This shows how much my idol Kobe Bryant was disrespected when he was still with us. He will always be a step above LeBron. We miss you, Kobe.

Kobe is a legend

Kobe had Shaq...so...Lebron had Wade, Bosh and Ray Allen...now he has another super team for this era in Love, Irving, Deron Williams as a back up pg, Kyle Korver, and great role players... Oh and Kobe played in the more challenging West...Lebron has had a cake walk in the weak East.

So how can they say kobe was never the best player on the team when he led lakers to 2 more championships after shaq left

And remember Kobe eyed in the West which was significantly stronger than the east

It's funny when Stephen A says money time, usually when you're in tight playoffs series in the last 2 minutes Kobe outplayed everyone even with Shaq on the floor

Best individual player: Kobe/Jordan Best team player: Lebron/Magic

Kobe all day..... A known Assassin.... 20 years on One team.... A beast

Kobe is media killer thats why he only won best player one time

Both are at different levels man , respect the greats we got to witness during our time .

Prime Kobe was unreal let's be honest.

Lavar has more points in college than LeBron and Kobe combined

thats why the players themselves pick kobe over lebron

i love the comments the ppl know kobe all day yeeeeee

Bird & Magic took championships from each other. Kobe & LeBron never faced off in the playoffs.

Kobe was a better player ar his peak. And certainly the player you'd want in a playoff series.

Mamba, most skilled player of all time!

Kobe no doubt...Black Mamba!!☠

Would take kobe any day. He bring rings to his team. He doesn’t jump team to team for rings.

Dallas swept the lakers in 2011. They never talked about that

LeBron has actually shot a higher percentage in the last 24 seconds and he's played way better in game 7s and elimination games that Kobe to your point Stephen A.

Kobe been face Duncan & Spurs his career. 2 u know how difficult to face the Spurs was??? U gotta go through the Mountains & deadly storms. That's what Kobe when through. Kobe & Duncan splits 5 rings each. LeBron build his own SuperTeam to "Cheat 2 Achieve"...

If Kobe got to play in the EC and call up two All-Star buddies of his to join a squad, and if they got old/injured swap teams with another pair of All-Stars, he'd have been in the Finals every year too.

Lebron also needed a big 3 to actually win...

Lebron : I need Wade, Bosh, Irving and Davies!!! Kobe : Give me Odom and Pau ,it's enough

lebron couldnt get a ring by himself KOBE DID!!!!! with no shaq no super team

Kobe over lebron on any given day!!!!

kobe🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Kobe all day. Remember this... The players and fans will always pick Kobe while the media and Sports broadcasters(like these two idiots) will pick Lebron. If we look at everything....skills and career accomplishments. It's clearly Kobe.

5:49 to 6:20 Max kellerman said by far the most correct thing about Kobe's clutch moments.

Don't insult the mamba that way kobi was a killer something Bron will never have is that killer instinct...

Bugs me how Max always hates on Kobe rides on LBJ.. typical ny lol

Kobe had loyalty to his team

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

I'm taking kobe. like he said kobe in clutch time was deadly. no he wasn't the best team player. but kobe had that MJ hunger starting off his career. plus kobe never had to run to another team full of all stars to win a ring

Who else is tired of this discussion?

LBJ couldn’t carry Kobe’s jock strap

Kobe all day.

kobe kobe kobe kobe kobe

Prime Mamba over prime lebron

If the NBA didnt veto the CP3 trade, we might’ve been calling Kobe the GOAT RN. 2012 Lakers - 28-29 going into all star break = make playoffs (34 year old Kobe) 2019 Lakers - 28-29 going into all star break = miss playoffs, 21-24 with Lebron playing. (34 year old Lebron) MJ IS BETTER THAN BOTH

Hell I would be a great passer too if I needed my teammates to bail me during crunch time. LeBron is overrated. If he is king, Jordan is a god and Kobe is a Demi-god.

If you wanna win you go with Kobe, if you wanna have a nice stat line get LeBron. SIMPLE.

Kobe... never ran for a ring, hometown 🇧itnezz

HOW IS THIS A QUESTION? BRON BY A LANDSLIDE

But when you ask players in the league, they all acknowledge how Kobe was just different and better in that intangible way that you just can’t qualify. He’s Dope

People forget that from 2000 -2010 no one denied that Kobe was the best player in the league, even Lebron himself. People will always tend to forget history, and prioritize statistics in an age where more points, rebounds, assists are posted at a higher and faster rate (no hand-checking, no hard fouls, etc.) Lebron is a great player, but he still hasn't proven that he can win without help. He had Chris Bosh and D-Wade, .. now Kyrie and Kevin Love.. and just this season adding deron williams, kyle korver, etc. How can Max or Stephen A. not bring up the argument that Kobe took it upon himself to prove that he can win without Shaq? The second best player on 08-09 team was Pau Gasol, a notably soft player, but Kobe brought out the best in him and went back to back while wearing the same jersey for 20 years through all the ups and downs. No Ray Allen to save him, No Kyrie to make the last shot.. Kobe took it upon himself to have the ball in his hands when it counted most. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY HE HAS 5 RINGS.. Lebron James is one of the greatest "teammates" to ever play the game, there is no denying that. But how can you attest to the greatness of an Individual who, while disregarding the fact that he has LESS RINGS, ultimately relies on others as a measure of his greatness? Passing to the open teammate off screens and pick and rolls is a SMART basketball play, but what happens when the entire team is having an off night shooting? Can LeBron go out there and take it upon himself to get the W? He hasn't proven THAT yet, considering that he would give the ball to Kyrie Irving to make the last play in a GAME 7. I'm not saying that Lebron James can never be considered greater than Kobe, but the media needs to slow its roll. You can't jump Kobe and go straight to Jordan. There's LEVELS to this game. Let's see how Lebron James plays against the Warriors, a team that now matches up with the Cavs at every position with KD, which would leave no room for other teammates to get open during crunch time. If LeBron wins, then we can begin to engage in reasonable debate.

KOBE' HANDS DOWN!!! kobe never left the LAKERS, no matter how BAD it got, LEBRON is a where ever the grass is greenerPLAYER!💯 an lets not mention 5 RINGS!!!

Stats doesnt matter once u playing in west conf

Both in their Prime I will take Kobe , easy answer....

Kobe played in the West. Nothing more needs to be said

Foolishness.......Kobe of course😀😀😀😉😉😉👀👀👀👀A BEAST!!!!#

you look at championships as a tie breaker? really?! omg....

Put lebron on lakers team that Time instead of Kobe and Shaq still would be the best player stop downplaying that shit

Ridicolous! Prime kobe paired with wade and Bosh doesn't go 2-2 in the finals to spurs or mavs

Kobe better

The league was hard when Kobe was playing it is soft now

I still feel the 2008 olympics shows what was what.

Kobe is better because he's most skilled most clutch 💯🏀KB24/8

Lebron's stats are better than Kobe's and he will likely finish with a better career also. However, Kobe's work ethic and killer instinct on the court is what makes him so great and it is the reason why I will ALWAYS put him ahead of Lebron....plus Kobe doesn't flop or whine

KOBE WAS THE LAST MAN TO GET THAT MJ TOUCH.

if lebron was to switch places with kobe he would also be option 2 next to shaq. There was no ever 20-22 year old that could ever be option 1 with a prime shaq.

Kobe

Kobe.

Nobody has any say so on who is better , Lebron or Kobe . If anyone picks that’s Because that’s your personal preference. The only people who have a say so is the nba players who played against Kobe and lebron . Guess what? everyone who has played against them , say Kobe is better. That says everything

I’ll try to be as unbiased as possible. Argument for LeBron: -LeBron has 3 Finals MVPs to Kobe’s 2 -LeBron has 4 MVPs to Kobe’s 1 - LeBron averages more points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in the regular season and playoffs - Averages 50% from the field to Kobe’s 45% - LeBron’s PER is significantly higher than Kobe’s Argument against LeBron: - Has 6 Finals Losses - Jumper is questionable - Freethrows too - Has played weaker defense towards the latter end of his career Argument for Kobe: -Has 5 rings to LeBron’s 3 - Has 9 first team all d’s to LeBron’s 5 - shoots a higher % from midrange and from the free throw line Argument against Kobe -LeBron outranks Kobe in the majority of stat categories - Kobe shoots a significantly lower % from the field than LeBron Conclusion: I think LeBron is clearly the better player.

MJ>KOBE>LeBUM

Lebron if you wanna have fun, kobe if you wanna win

Kobe is the reason players are movitavted to play basketball

Media=Lebron Nba players=Kobe So Kobe>>>>>>>>>Lebron

Never seen Kobe fold in a fourth qtr (numerous times), Cry to reporters and media after a game to help get a key player suspended, claim he was the best player to the media, FLOP, jump ship, have more championship loses then wins or hand pick his team during the late regular season to defend a past championship. C'mon bruh...........that's easy if you do your homework on the 2. Mamba all day

24 is greater than 23

2:50 «For a lengthy period of time» It was for a one year stretch 🤔 2010 playoff to the 2011 playoff

I might have gotten "most fanning."

When they duel, Lebron always shrank against Kobe.

Ppl need to stop. LeBron never developed being clutch. He developed gm skills and got some clutch players.

Did Stephen really just say "lebron was coached" look at all of his coaches, he's the one who coached the coaches

They are all great players that excel in different areas. There’s no such thing as a “goat”. It’s all about media attention, views, drama, etc. Instead of making a case of who’s the “better” player, appreciate each one of them for who they are and what they have contributed to the game.

''Lebron make his team better.'' But not good enough to win more championships. I'll take the killer.

Kobe better, and a better competitor

To make a note of what Max says at the start of the video. Mike was the best tough shot maker in the league at the time, and he could get to easy shots. Can't stop dat.

No matter how much espn analysts try and push the lebron goat narrative...real nba fans will never put lebron over kobe...never

Kobe won a championship with Derek Fisher,Pau Gasol,Lamar Odom, and Andrew fucking Bynum. LeBron won with HoFer Dwayne Wade,and Borderline HoFer Chris Bosh. Then won with all star and pretty much the x factor of the Cavs Kyrie, and a dominant shooter in K-love. LeBron won all his rings with Super if not borderline super teams

I'll take Kobe. dude is a monster when everything is on the line.

Theres no I in (Team) you play as a team and push each other to be the best youd be amazed what you can accomplish everyone who makes the NBA are very talented players they should all get credit for being the best at following their dream.

I miss Kobe 😢