Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest players not only in the history of the franchise but of the NBA as well. He made a name for himself by being an unstoppable offensive force, especially in pressure situations. Opposing teams were not assured of a win as long as the Black Mamba was on the floor.
So when four-time MVP LeBron James joined the Lakers last summer, the comparisons started to begin. On a normal day, fans will be filled with excitement whenever their team signs a player with a superstar-caliber like James, but not the fans of the Purple and Gold. They were not ready to embrace ‘Bron not only because of his Finals record, but because of his reputation as a player who fails to deliver when games matter the most.
To sum things up, they don't think that LeBron is in the same level as Kobe in terms of competitiveness.
However, it's not only the fans who see it that way. According to NBA analyst Chris Broussard, even players put Bryant on top of James simply because they feared his winning mentality.
"Talking to former players over the years, the majority of them have picked Kobe over LeBron… Players didn't want to go against Kobe because they feared him. LeBron, they have great respect, but it's not the feeling he's going to go out there to crush you." — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/5ddhZ4pvbB
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 8, 2019
People understand that it has been three years since Kobe Bryant retired, and that LeBron James is one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball. Nonetheless, there are still a large number of fans who aren't ready to put the latter over the former.
And that might or might not change even if he brings a title or two to the city of Los Angeles.
Follow Us
Subscribe