Sunday, December 12th, 2010 at 12:30 pm  |  145 responses

Avery Johnson: Kobe Bryant on Par With Michael Jordan

Avery trying to butter up Bryant prior to the Lakers playing the Nets this afternoon? Slick, coach. Very slick. From the NY Daily News: “Avery Johnson sees Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan as neck-and-neck when it comes to greatness. ‘[Bryant] could arguably be 1. In some polls, he’ll be 2,’ the Nets coach said yesterday about the players he has seen since he entered the league in 1988. ‘He could be 1-A and Jordan can be 1-B or Jordan, some polls they’ll be flipped. Fortunately I had a chance to play against both of them and now played and coached against Kobe. And boy, sometimes they’re looking like the same player.’”

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  • http://twitter.com/BeezKneezy LA Huey

    Sorry, MJ’s dominance makes this an easy call. Plus, Kobe’s never been on the same level defensively as MJ. Being legitimately in the discussion with MJ does speak to Kobe’s greatness though.

  • Jer dawg

    Thats a good analysis on Avery’s take. COULD he be saying the right things to reporters in the matchup Sunday afternoon? Maybe, but let people talk all they want. Only Jordan doesn’t feel threatened by Kobe because he’s always going to brag about how much more individual awards he’s got over Mr. Bryant. Could 7 rings eclipse 6 rings in the future? Maybe in the observer’s eyes, but guaranteed, never Jordan because he’s got the ego of Jupiter.

  • http://Bulls.com C-Lo_The_Great

    This is a joke. Avery needs to worry about his team. Kobe might end up top 5 all time and definitely #2 all time sg but Jordan was just that much better.

  • Jer dawg

    Thats a good analysis on Avery’s take. COULD he be saying the right things to reporters in the matchup Sunday afternoon? Maybe, but let people talk all they want. Only Jordan doesn’t feel threatened by Kobe because he’s always going to brag about how much more individual awards he’s got over Mr. Bryant. Could 7 rings eclipse 6 rings in the future? Maybe in the observer’s eyes, but guaranteed, never Jordan because he’s got the ego the size off Jupiter.

  • http://shinefluid@aol.com just bcuz

    lol sorry avery i beg to differ

  • JTaylor21

    YOU LIE!!!!!!

  • http://www.slamonline.com Slick Ric

    Avery please, look at the numbers!

  • http://www.slamonline.com Slick Ric

    Avery bought to get me started!!

  • RedRum

    Lets put that to an end: MJ, has a higher scoring percentage, was a much defender, won more rings as the leader of his team. Most importantly, MJs worse career shooting percentage was KBs best. end of story

  • rob stewart

    There is one thing Kobe could do to make him better than Jordan. he would have to make the game winning shot to give his team their 6th championship like Jordan did vs UTAH. Then he would have to retire and do something Mike never did, stay retired.

  • http://Soulbanger.tumblr.com Tapion786

    Did any of you read the first line? Don’t you know Kobe plays his best when there’s fire in his eyes?

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    cosign RedRum – Bryant has also NEVER won a playoff series without another all star. NEVER EVER

  • spit hot fiyah

    @redrum what is higher scoring percentage? and he was a much defender………….

  • http://Slamonline.com Hossy

    Anyone see tmac turn back the clock with that dunk last night? He was getting up like it was 2001

  • logues

    honestly, its really not even close. ok, so kobes style of play is very similar of mjs, but mj dominated unlike anyone at his position. also, mj never had a big buy that could dominate the inside. kobe had arguably the greatest center of all time(certaintly the most domimant) and wasnt even the best player on his team for 3 of his rings. now he has the best offensive center in the league. look at the first 3 teams the lakers beat in the finals. not that great. mj was just on a whole other level, and as far as rings, we all know mj woulda won 8 straight

  • Carlos PR

    Kobe might be able to pass Jordan in rings cause he still has like 6 years left to play, he should have had at least 3 mvps, but no, Kobe will never be better than Michael Jordan, Kobe is already the 2nd best SG in history ever, but Jordan was well Jordan, he took a franchise that sucked and converted it to a franchise many people around the world know, as for Kobe? Well he was on a winning team since day one, the Lakers/Celtics are the NBAs Yankees. Succesfull teams with LOTS of money to surround him with good talent.

  • the truth

    kobe’s great but just not on jordan’s level

  • The Philosopher

    Avery Johnson no longer has credibility. He lost it a while ago, anyway.
    His team is beginning to tune him out.
    I used to try to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he really is off on this one.
    What is his problem?

  • james

    i think the most important quote in this story is “Fortunately I had a chance to play against both of them and now played and coached against Kobe. And boy, sometimes they’re looking like the same player.’” None of you Kobe haters/lovers or MJ haters/lovers can say that. So @The Philosopher or any other person commenting (myself, included) just know Avery definitely has more credibility about this than YOU WILL EVER HAVE IN LIFE….EVER

  • The Philosopher

    ^^I hear you. I really do. And, all of that is cute.
    But, at the rate he is going with that kind of rhetoric, we ALL will have more credibility than him. “Yourself included”. Sooner, rather than later.

  • Marvin

    @nbk, I always grimace when there’s an MJ vs Kobe argument because someone ALWAYS ends up belittling Scottie Pippen who was a top 5 player during the 1990s!

  • The Philosopher

    Oh, and James, you are kind of setting yourself up for ridicule by saying who has and who do not have credibility.
    You do not know who I am.
    I am not saying that I an an insider, but you DO NOT know whether I am, or not.
    So, come on down back to Earth.
    Respectfully, and with love, of course…

  • chris

    @nbk
    yeh, cause you know, scottie pippen on the bulls was kinda like adam morrison on the lakers

    not agreeing with what avery said either, far from it

  • http://psp2423@yahoo.com Eboy

    If you ask the other NBA players on the other teams in the tree peat years they would all say Kobe was the differnce maker in those games BOOK IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    p.s. still think KOBE ball hogs for the final shots in clutch moments

  • dmoore

    he’s just saying this hoping kobe will take it easy on his team

  • kotw

    Actually kobe is better than Jordan if you look at the competition they faced. Back in Jordans prime nobody was close to him look at all these jordan type players now that KB24 has to deal with plus the mamba was forced into second banana status with shaq that’s what hurt his career averages. If mj came into the league with the same circumstaces as Kobe he wouldve played 2nd to shaq too. The bulls were mj team from day 1. All these facts make Kobe more impressive not to metion those 2 mvp awards Steve Nash won are really Kobes. Nash is a great offensive player but never was really league mvp

  • kotw

    Why do people act like mj won titles without any help fe: scottie rodman kerr toni ku horace grant etc

  • Blackphantom

    No, they aren’t on par. Kobe is will be a top-10 all-time player when his career is over but no he is NOT on par with MJ

  • Blackphantom

    forgive my typo

  • Blackphantom

    @nbk, ……..You saying Scottie Pippen wasn’t an All-Star?

  • http://slamonline.com The Black Rick Kamla

    Avery just talking him up before they play, he’s been on a court with MJ, he knows the real

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  • http://nicekicks.com Meloman2.0

    u cant say “those two mvp’s nash won were really kobe’s” because A) Nash beat out shaq for the first one, not kobe, and B) they’re literally NOT Kobe’s, they belong to nash. You cant claim something that isn’t yours

  • http://www.twitter.com/TheDiesel Anton

    This year’s Nets are on par with last year’s Nets.

  • vtrobot

    show me someone who isn’t a laker fan who agrees that kobe is as good as MJ was.

  • http://www.triplejunearthed.com/dacre Dacre

    When the Mavs start playing ‘Kobe Rules’ in the WFC then we can start this talk again….but for now? MJ = GOAT

  • http://www.triplejunearthed.com/dacre Dacre

    @Anton – This years Clippers are on par with last years Nets.

  • Kelly

    I agree with kotw post. Michael did not face the competition back then that Kobe faced. I would venture to say that no one would deny that the NBA players today (as a whole)has more athleticism, more speed,& more creativity. During his day, Michael was ‘ahead of his time’; but with today’s players, he wouldn’t stand out as much. We have players today that’s not even ‘superstars’ that’s making moves on the court that Michael use to make. Michael had a few ‘creative’ dunks, but most of them was just ‘very high and come down strong’. I can not argue the stats; but even if Michael’s stats are superior to Kobe’s, Michael’s performance can’t touch Kobe’s performance when Kobe brings his ‘A’ game. People say Kobe wouldn’t have won without Shag. If you watched those 3 championships, you would also have to say that Shag would not have won them without Kobe. Even when Shag won one without Kobe, he had to have another ‘kobe type’ player in DWade. Please don’t try to say the championships Kobe won without Shag was won with a “Shag type” player because you know as well as I do that Pau cannot be compared to Shaq. It’s sad that people have to have a “love-hate” feeling. It’s like you can’t love Michael without hating on Kobe. Probably most of the people that don’t like Kobe, it’s not because of his game or his performance on the court, it seem to be personal. One person said it perfectly in an article entitled “The Art of Hating Kobe”. He/she hit the nail right on the head with that article and my hat is off to that person.

  • Hammer

    I wouldn’t go as far 2 say that kb8 is on par or parallel 2 his airness,but if any player comes close 2 reminding us of mj,its kobe. Don’t get me wrong tho. Kobe will never b better then mj. MJ is the goat. But a lot of similarities n their games. The post-up,the fadeway,the d,the killer instinct,clutch shooting,the game winners. Mj 6 titles,kb8 5. Very similar. Those who think kb8 is better r deliusional

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  • Spetsnaz

    @kotw – Its not like scottie was getting 40 & 20 like shaq used to. For example in jordan’s last championship Scotties back was fried and rodman did close to nothing and came off the bench. And that finals series against the Suns, MJ averaged 41 a game!!!!!

  • VB324

    MJ is the best ever no question. Numbers dont lie. why do people say he didnt face good competition? Celtics w/Bird? Lakers w/Magic? Bad Boy Pistons? Ewings Knicks? Millers Pacers? Clyde Drexlers Blazers? Sir Charles? He beat all the best teams and players in his era. Kobe’s 5 arent even better than Duncan’s 4. Duncan never had the talent Kobe had until maybe 05′/07′ when Manu and Parker really came into their own.

  • VB324

    And lastly, Scottie was Lamar Odom with defense…real tlak

  • Lloyd

    @Kelly
    But there lies Jordan’s greatness. He WAS ahead of his time. What he did on the court is the REASON kids these days are doing what they’re doing. He brought the game to all these children, making them want to emulate his abilities. They grew up watching what he did and his moves were practiced over and over on driveways and gym floors everywhere.

    Pau Gasol is still one of the best centers in the league, if not THE best. Obviously he’s not as dominant as Shaq was physically, but he has other means of dominance i.e. offensively clutch and SOUND fundamentals.

    You’re speculating that Kobe hate is a personal thing. I’d say it more from a position of MJ fans being offended that Kobe is being compared to their hero and the ensuing backlash of that.

    @ all those people saying that Avery Johnson has the credibility to make this call

    Phil Jackson has the utmost credibility to make this call, and everytime he’s asked about the comparison, he’ll praise Kobe but then end off by saying Jordan had small things that made him better than Kobe. Compared to Phil, who the hell is Avery Johnson?

  • ai come back

    uhm i think averys jus trying to make upfor the fact that he lost ……..

  • Hammer

    I’m laughin @ kelly and kotw. They truly r idiots. Probably only saw mj as a wizard. Probably still believe n santa claus 2. As well as any1 sayin that mj n 2days game “wouldn’t stand out”. Mj faced the most fiercest,physical competition. Kb8 has it easier 2day w/the elimination of the hand check rule

  • Hammer

    If kelly could enlighten me,who is the “competition” that mj couldn’t keep up w/2day? Who? Name a few if u can. I’ll wait

  • Hammer

    @vb324. I don’t recall lamar carryin a team deep n2 the 2nd round and being a bad call away from reaching the finals on his own. I don’t recall lamar ever being an all-star mvp. I don’t recall lamar being the best player n the L the yr 1 yr 1/2 that mj was gone. Do u? Cuz I certainly don’t. Pip was much,much,much more than just a “lamar odom w/defense”. And that’s “real talk”

  • Joe

    I agree with Avery.

    I saw both Jordan and Kobe play.

    1a, 1b.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    so i’m assuming every single person that questioned what i wrote doesn’t know the difference between playoff round and championship…

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