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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  • ryan

    How many championships or playoff games did Michael Jordan win without Scottie Pippen? What about Scottie and Dennis Rodman.

    If you’re diminishing Kobe Bryant because he played with the world’s largest child early on then at the same time you’ve got to recognize Jordan played with two of the NBA’s most versatile and relentless defenders and that they carried a massive part of the load.

    And considering the bigger picture, please remember Michael Jordan is ONE of the greatest of all time, not the greatest of all time. This means we need to consider if either Jordan or Bryant has what Oscar Robertson had, we need to wonder if we wouldn’t be better of starting a team with Bill Russell, we shouldn’t forget that while Isiah Thomas seems nuttier by the year he can make a great case for being the best ever pound for pound.

    peace

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Kobe Bryant not only has never won a PLAYOFF SERIES without another All Star, he hasn’t won a playoff series without a top 10 big man. Its only about a 4 year window but that was in the peak of his abilities and he didn’t amount to anymore then Tracy McGrady…..food for thought

  • http://www.need4sheed.com Tarzan Cooper

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  • ryan

    People need to listen to Hammer. Lamar Odom brings a lot to the court but he ain’t Scottie Pippen.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Jordan went for 37 7 7 without scottie and made it to the eastern conference finals.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Jordan was a defensive player of the year

  • monkeyball

    Kelly Posted: Dec.12 at 6:28 pm
    “Michael’s performance can’t touch Kobe’s performance when Kobe brings his ‘A’ game”

    I can not believe you said that. Kobe’s ‘A’ game is remarkable, I’ll give him tht but have you ever heard the flu game? MJ was incredible even when he didn’t have his ‘A’ game.

  • ASH

    Nice Try Avery.

  • Hammer

    @ryan. Thanx 4 concuring w/me. I didn’t even get around 2 mentioning that pip led a jordan-less bulls team to a 55-27 record the 1st year w/out him. Not only that,but he led the bulls n points,steals,assists and mins played. I’m not tryin 2 diminish lamar here. Lamar,as u said,brings a lot 2 the court. But not like pip did. Not even close. I don’t know who on this thread said that n every mj/kobe debate,sum1 always belittles pip. Well,that person was right thanx 2 vb324

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    Everybody who was asking in the last Kobe post name an NBA analyst who states Kobe is just as great as MJ HERE IT IS. There are more, but Slam will be coming out with their articles like Avery in the future. AND PEOPLE, stop acting like MJ was so great defensively. Scottie held the position on the BULLS and KOBE held that position on the Lakers with Shaq. How many players were a bench player with the number one player in the NBA, Coach wouldn’t play him. Kobe forced Eddie out to be a player on the team, Hit winning shots. The Spurs HOF coach always stated he was the reason they would beat the Spurs. Kobe won the series against the Kings/Blazer during there years. Shaq would always beast against the LEAST centers to get MVP. I could put up numbers to show yall Kobe did his thing with Shaq, imagine if from DAY ONE like MJ he got his won team like LEBRON. ALso MJ was great, but he did have horrible shooting nights and horrible defensive nights. If people act like he didn’t yall didn’t watch every NBA bulls games. Its cool be a HOMER, but at least know that Kobe can do everything MJ could do on the court and folks saying MJ was so much greater defensively. Magic in 91 would state that he was overrated when Scottie had to switch on him. I loved MJ as a player, but Kobe has done it too against better talent. So Avery statement is on par. BOOK IT!!!

  • Hammer

    @ kelly. STILL waitin on ur response,just so u know

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

    @Kotw shut the hell up boy, No competition? every team jordan faced in the finals were better than every team kobe faced except the celtics who beat him and the pistons who beat him. If K.G played last year how he’s playing now(because his knee is fully healthy)the celtics would of beat them.

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    Phil Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe (2008)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_WNTx3gG_s&feature=related
    ___________________________________________

    COPY LINK to address bar: Please people watch video and listen to this interview on youtube about Phil comparing Kobe and MJ. Phil makes a statement that some of yall will not believe. It goes something like this. I agree with the statement that Kobe has better basketball skills than Micheal Jordan. NO LIE– and PLEASE BOOK IT!!!

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Jordan shot a higher %, averaged more points (5 more), more assits, more rebounds, more steals, more blocks, less turnovers, and if your argument is that Michael played more minutes then look at per 36, he still averages better numbers in every single category. Bryant has a better FT% (.838 to .835) on less attempts (7.5 to 7.7) and shot a higher 3pt % (.327 – .339). Jordan also won 6 MVP awards in a league that was not structured for perimeter player success like it is now. Which is the most underrated aspect of all of this. Jordan’s numbers in todays game would be considerably higher. Success wise its pretty clear Michael had more of an effect. (Scottie did lead chicago to 57 wins, but then Michael came back and they won 72, Kobe had Shaq, maxed out at 65 i believe, then when shaq left he struggled to make the playoffs…and shaq won a title) Kobe is a top 10 all time player, but too put him in the top 5 is a stretch, let alone putting him on par with michael jordan.

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    Kobe Bryant is the Michael Jordan of this era. There, that settles it.

  • http://gmail.com z

    I’m only 21 so lemme start by admitting that I never got 2 see mike in his prime.for me Kobe is pretty much THAT guy but I’m smart enough to understand that just BC he’s the greatest I’ve ever seen doesn’t mean He’s the goat.with that said, all of you jordanophiles &idolaters need 2 stfu BC unless you’re about 80 years old you never saw big o in his prime or Baylor in his prime or above all chamberlain AVERAGE 50 ppg. So YOU have no real frame of reference to say mikes the goat. Maybe someone who had the chance to see all of em. This is the ONE thing where I agree with jtaylor. Respect your predecessors.

  • Jay Reyes

    when Avery said that he sees MJ in Kobe, he’s pointing it out in two very good points of view since he played against both… during MJ’s greatness and Kobe was still budding up as a great player…

    he has seen them both during his stint as player and now he’s seeing Kobe in a coach’s perspective… many MJ fans would be irked by this statement but I for one (34-year old guy who saw MJ play during my high school days) believe that this is certainly a welcome statement…

    my point? MJ has already passed the torch to Kobe… and maybe Kobe would pass it to LBJ… from one generation to another…

  • The Philosopher

    I guess my brethren has to refer ONCE AGAIN to eboy’s legendary literary piece on Jordan.
    - Please refer to the post “Can Kobe Age As Gracefully As Jordan?” thread.

  • logues

    nbk’s last comment says it all

  • ron

    MJ is great, KB is great too.
    They’re talented and dedicated much to the game. Who’s no.l or 2? Who cares?
    Love and respect both of their games.

  • Michael

    Avery tryin to get zenlike?

  • Bill Simmons

    Damn. The way these “fanboys” speak of Michael Jordan you would think he never missed a shot in his life, never lost a game in his life, and never even dropped a smelly deuce…in his life. Sad.

  • VB324

    @Hammer Scottie is a product of what Jordan made him. He was soft when he came into the league and we all see what happened to Scottie after he left the Bulls, right? Went to Houston to win a ship and couldn’t do it. And don’t even say he was old because Jordan carried them to the finals the year before. I’m not saying Scottie wasn’t nice, Lamar Odom is damn good. He just isn’t as good as people make him out to be. Pippen was good at everything, but not necessarily great at anything.

  • robb

    I confirm Tarzan Cooper’s comment.

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

    @Z stfu boy Mike is the greatest, name one player who had the numbers, efficiency,dominance, style, substance,wit, killer mentality, wins and Rings.And vb324 dont you ever compare Jekyll & Hyde Odom to Pippen.

  • Mo Money

    Kobe is the best 2 in the L right now, and resembles MJ the most out of anyone. But to say he’s better…is straight up stupid. the mvps, defensive player of the year, the clutch, the shooting percentage…it goes on and on…nobody playing the game comes near that. and btw…the first 3 championships were courtesy of Shaq. nobody alive could stop shaq back then…

    as far as pippen vs. odom…im not even going to give that argument the time of day, all im gonna say is this: Pippen was the best player in the league, but second best on his own team.

  • ektor

    Kobe who? Michael What? T-Mac GOAT !!

  • http://jayemmbee23.tumblr.com Clutch Performer

    MJ is often imitated never duplicated
    Kobe is just the bootleg version of MJ, its good, just not quite the same
    besides the numbers dont lie and they tip the scale in MJs favor
    besides like in a video by Rick Kamla on NBA he said how can Kobe be the greatest ever when he wasnt even the best on his team on those championship teams?
    when it comes to late options in a game you had a choice of shaq or kobe, for the Bulls its MJ
    besides that Defensive player award alone gives one of many reasons why MJ>Kobe

  • Hammer

    @vb324. Wow! Really? Pip not gr8 @ anything? U kiddin me right? U tellin me his d was what? Mediocre? I’m guessin u never saw pip as a bull or r just a hater. I’ve seen pip harass magic,the glove,stockton.mark jackson,penny. The list goes on man. Another belittling statement 2 pip by u. Every tru b-ball fan knows that pip was 1 of the gr8est,if not the gr8est defender ever. Ur just embarassing urself on this thread

  • Jackie Moon

    Avery later added, “Even though I’ve played with both and coached against Kobe IN PERSON, I’ve more inclined to believe a bunch of SLAM commenters who swear MJ would destroy Kobe.”

  • robz

    kobe is kobe…MJ woaahh hes d man times 2 of kobe

  • JTaylor21

    Who determines who gets to be the GOAT? Jordan lovers just love to throw out his numbers and accolades and proclaim him the out-right GOAT off the head without giving thought to guys like Kareem, Russell, Oscar, Magic, Hakeem, and Zeke. Don’t those guys desereve the same kind of respect and love MJ gets from the basketball world? That’s why it’s impossible in my opinion to figure out who’s the clear cut goat because there are about 5-6 guys who have every right to that title. Just because the man sold countless shoes and appeared in many commercials and every moron on TV claims he’s the GOAT doesn’t mean he is. Respect what other greats did and stop worshipping a false idol.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    This is about who’s better between Jordan and Bryant. Who didn’t play very far apart generation wise, played the same position, in the same offense, with the same general style and approach. Those two are a perfectly fine comparison. As long as you realize its not really very close in terms of efficiency and consistency. Skill wise probably, maybe even more so in Kobe’s favor, but Michael used what he had better, more often, and more efficienctly.

  • Blackphantom

    Y’all forgive some of my fellow Kobe fans, Kobe is probably Top 10 All-Time but no he is not the GOAT first of all, second of all, the competition back then was waaaay tougher. Want proof? Look up the bad boys pistons, one of the dirtiest, nastiest, greatest defensive teams ever that MJ eventually conquered, I know a great bit, for as long as I’ve watched Kobe and the rest of LA(since 2000 when i was 5-6 years old) I don’t remember him playing a team that got under your skin like the Bad Boys Pistons.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/32JSE Yesse

    Well, kissing somebodys ass doesn’t make you win the game, Avery. Kobe is one of the best players in the history of the Nba, but not near MJ.

  • Blackphantom

    Co-sign Yesse

  • Justin

    JTaylor, for the love of God can you PLEASE stop putting Isiah Thomas in the talk of GOAT?!!? He is nowhere close. He isn’t even top 5 point guards in the last 30 years. OK, MAYBE top 5 but not all time. Yes, us Jordan lovers like to throw out the numbers but that’s only part of the argument. I really do hate when articles like this are put out because it’s like Groundhog Day with the arguments. Same with Kobe vs. Lebron. Michael is the best, pure and simple. The only thing Kobe might have an edge on MJ is range and handle, and who really cares about that? I’m also saying this as a guy who loves to watch Kobe play, not just as an MJ fanatic. When Kobe admits that someone is/was better than him, as he has in MULTIPLE interviews, then I think we can pretty much say argument over.

  • Blackphantom

    …….JTaylor put Isiah in the GOAT discussion? Are you freakin kidding me?
    C’mon now

  • http://masterx1983@hotmail.com marchalmadness

    hahahahaaaa comparing bryant to jordan…
    thats a joke

  • JTaylor21

    Alright then give me one argument for why Zeke doesn’t belong in the convo? He’s the best PG of all-time in my opinion, the best little man of all-time, he led a team to two straight chips in an era dominated by the two best teams of all-time (Det would have won 3 in a row if he didn’t get hurt in 88 gm7 vs LA) and he beat MJ/Bird/Magic all in their prime. That sounds like a player who deserves to be included in every GOAT convo to me.

  • Kadavour

    nbk @ 3:46am, GREAT comment. Honestly, Kobe’s has superior skill, Jordan superior athletic talent, specifically his “billion dollar hands”. Baylor and West were among the first to tinker with turnaround jumpers, Jordan improved it, and it only follows that his skills would be improved upon too. Baylor and West at THEIR best cannot ball in today’s league, and that’s what makes it difficult to compare athletes across eras. The sport evolves with its athletes. It irks me when ppl conjure Bill Russell’s name in these debates like he had enough skills crack a d-league roster today. He was a pioneer and arguably the greatest of his time, but Wilt is the only one from back then who could run with these boys today (remarkable athlete). And even so, his right hand dominated offensive arsenal likely wouldn’t be enough to be elite.

  • JTaylor21

    ^Wow, did you just say that Russell couldn’t crack a d-league roster if he was playing today? Damn, I can finally die in peace because I just read the stupidest comment ever.

  • Kadavour

    i know the comment seems incendiary and otherwise ridiculous, but that’s only if you refuse to acknowledge the evolution of athletics in the 50+ years since Bill played.

  • Kadavour

    i read somewhere that Bill ran the 400 in about 49 seconds, which should count for something in comparing him against today’s athletes, but when you consider his size, his offensive abilities, and today’s centers and PF, i just don’t see it.

  • http://www.nba.com Gman

    LOL I wish Jordan had a team like the Lakers this year and last. Man that would be insane…. regular season record would be like 80-2

  • CONEY ISLANDER

    Kobe Bryant is Rite Aid brand Michael Jordan.

  • Vince5

    I’m pretty sure he wasn’t talking about the same Jordan. What he said is ridiculous otherwise.

  • http://www.slamonline.com jumpman3224

    @nbk: Jordan never won a playoff series without Scottie (although Scottie did win a playoff a few playoff series without Jordan). The year Jordan put up “37, 7 and 7″ Pip put up 20, 7 and 6.

  • http://www.slamonline.com jumpman3224

    Fact: For their careers Kobe has averaged 1.3065 points per field goal attempt. MJ averaged 1.3160. Every one acts like Jordan shooting at a higher FG% is such an important factor in him being better than Kobe. Well, when you look at their complete numbers it is a fact that they scored with the same efficiency. I am not saying Kobe is better than Jordan. Just trying to point out that arguments can be made either way and some are not very valid.

  • JTaylor21

    ^Uhm NO, they do not score with the same efficiency. MJ was by far the more efficient player and it’s not even close. When one player shoots 50% from the field for his entire career and the other is barely above 45% there’s a humongous difference between the two. Get your facts right and stop trying to convince people that kobe belongs on MJ’s floor.

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