Thursday, December 6th, 2012 at 2:10 pm  |  132 responses

David Stern Puts Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan on the Same Pedestal


It was a historic night for Kobe Bryant, as he became the youngest NBA player ever to reach 30,000 career points. Commissioner David Stern happened to be on hand for the game, and said Kobe and Michael Jordan belong on the same pedestal. (Incidentally, Bryant is now just 2,276 points away from reaching MJ’s total.) From the LA Daily News: “I want to shake his hand. I think Kobe as a talent and a competitor, he’s up there on the pedestal with Michael Jordan as one of the greatest ever,’ Stern said. ‘Kobe has had such an extraordinary run playing at the highest level for so long and the championships to prove it in a league that is extremely competitive. Kobe and the Lakers have been an important part of the league and I wish them well for this season and beyond.’ Stern still provided little sympathy for the Lakers having to pay harsh luxury tax penalties because of a $100 million payroll. The Lakers, after all, are in the first year of a lucrative 20-year deal with Time Warner Cable. ‘It’s one component of Lakers income that gets accounted for when they make a payment in the revenue sharing pool,’ Stern said of the team’s cable deal. ‘There’s more money to be shared. The combination of that and the tax tend to act as a brake on team spending.’”

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  • zogs19994

    KOBE AN MIKE = LEGENDARY WORK ETHIC

  • TRUEBALLER

    NO WAY NEVER AIR JORDAN IS THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER EVER!!! KOBE STILL TRYING TO BE LIKE MIKE..

  • LakeShow

    No, no, he isn’t, but enough about Mike. Congrats Kobe!

  • shockexchange

    The Shock Exchange knows which book David Stern needs to read …

  • wats gud

    First the fine on Pop, then the Hornets name change to the Pelicans, now Kobe and Mike on the same pedestal? Stern is trolling so hard on his way out the door.

  • spit hot fiyah

    what’s interesting is that kobe is the youngest to 30,000, but it also took him the most games

  • Junior Taylor

    Of course he puts him on the same pedestal. The League office and Media have been trying to find and market the next Air Jordan ever since the day MJ left the game for good even though true basketball fans know that there will never be another MJ. His accomplishments on and off the court are unmatched.

  • http://www.facebook.com/evan.boland Evan Boland

    He came straight from HS… But he was a bench player his first time years. He was the second option for his first 8. MJ, Karl, Kareem, LeBron, these guy’s were the first option for their rook season.

  • http://www.facebook.com/evan.boland Evan Boland

    Mike > Kobe. It’s not even that close.

  • Datkid

    in a world where efficiency, defense and rebounding don’t exist/matter… Kobe is Mike’s ALMOST MJ’s equal. but outside of that stupid hellish reality…. Kobe can’t catch Mike until he shoots 50% for 6+ seasons. in fact even if he started shooting like steve nash again, (50-40-90) Kobe still wouldn’t be as good honestly.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    this isn’t an outrageous thing to say…both are two of the best shooting guards of all time. That’s all there is to it

  • http://www.slamonline.com/ Nick Tha Quick

    How a lack of college competition and resolute NCCA-approved morals held back Kobe’s development as a player?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    the best comment on here

  • Datkid

    and this is coming from somebody who REALLY wants Kobe to hit the 50-40-90 mark

  • shockexchange

    Read the book … the Shock Exchange will guarantee you will never mention Horry Jr’s name in the same sentence with MJ again.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    Ahh, SLAM, you know how to get the page views. All Stern said was that “I think Kobe as a talent and a competitor, he’s up there on the pedestal with Michael Jordan as one of the greatest ever”.

  • Caboose

    That’s odd. I guess Jordan, Wilt, Kareem, Magic, Larry, Russell, Duncan, Kobe, and Hakeem are all on that same pedestal then. Big pedestal.

  • LakeShow

    You realize like 3 players in history have done that before right?

    LeBron will never do that, Carmello will never do that, Wade will never do that. I doubt many people will, that is rarefied air.

    Kobe’s great, but he’s never been an overly efficient player.

    Your expectations are to high…

    He could do it, if he scored less than 20 a game, but we all know that’s not on his agenda. Even then, he’s not a 40+% 3 point shooter…

    Why wouldn’t Kobe be as good as Mike if he hit the 50-40-90 though? Mike never did that… At Kobe’s age he was shooting 46% FG’s and 24% 3 pointers… Defensively they were comparable at this age. So if Kobe did hit that mark, yeah he’d be better than Mike at the same age. He won’t though.

  • Junior Taylor

    Great point. It amazes me how all-time greats like those guys you mentioned get “lost” in all the Kobe/MJ talk.

  • Caboose

    Only a complete fool would think Kobe is #2 all time. Personally, I take Wilt.

  • LakeShow

    Agreed…
    Kobe IS NOT the 2nd best player ever so why would he be on the same pedestal as the GOAT?…

  • 23

    TRUE basketball fans know that players are better overall nowadays due to watching and studying legends and also due to technology and new workout studies/methods. The rule of life, never say never.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    So doesn’t that make it more remarkable that he hit 30,000 then? This is a bench player/second option that rose up from the ranks and hit 30 000 at the youngest age.

  • 23

    It’s close. Come on now you don’t gotta lie to raise Jordans status. He is already widely regarded as the best ever.

  • elmaar

    Kobe is a top 5 talent all time, BUT he ain’t even the MVP of his generation
    I’d take Duncan anyday anytime, eeeasily

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    Who is comparing them?!?!? This is what boggles my mind. At no point did Stern say that Kobe is comparable to Michael in terms of accomplishment. He said talent and competitive nature, which is pretty feasible. I don’t understand why people get so scared/deeply offended by having a HOF player compared to another comparable HOF player. Obviously, MJ is the better player, its as if fans of Jordan are preserving his legacy (which is pretty damn secure) for no reason other than being scared that people will forget about it. NO ONE WILL FORGET that Jordan is the greatest to lace them up.

    Bryant’s only mistake has been trying to catch Jordan in terms of rings….people should be admiring such drive and determination and the fact that this skinny teenager rose up from being a bench player and a second option to someone who is at the point he is now.

  • 23

    As far as individual accomplishments and dominating your comp, wilt is the best. Rings is Russell. Popularizing the game goes to bird/magic. Making ballers iconic and godlike on and off the court is Jordan. Winning with minimal talent around him goes to hakeem. When it comes to pure basketball skill level on the court, its LeBron.

  • Conor

    People fear change.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    So its the players fault that they were born in a different generation?

  • Caboose

    LeBron is not the most skilled of all time, let’s get that out of the way. I agree with everything else though.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    In terms of talent and competitive nature, like Stern mentioned, yes. Why is everyone on this board acting as if the man said “KOBE IS BETTER THAN JORDAN SUCKERS!”

  • Dymez

    Kobe and MJ are equal in competitiveness, I’ll give him that, but it stops there. Jordan played virtually 13 years, 2 of those years at the age of 39 and 40. Kobe is playing in his 17th year and still hasn’t caught up to Jordan in anything. So no, Jordan is definitely in a class all by himself, but Kobe is still an all-timer — Top 10 in my book. I wouldn’t even put him above Magic just yet, but he’s definitely close.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    Talent. Competitive nature. That’s all he said.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    KAJ is extremely overlooked in the Top 10 rankings. 6x Champ, 2x Finals MVP, 6x (!) Regular Season MVP, and All-time Scoring leader….I don’t know, he actually might have more accomplishments than Jordan.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    Shhh….you’re going against the mob mentality on this board.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    …nobody said he was equal. Talent and competition. Kobe is argueably as talented as Jordan. He is not as influential as Jordan was, nor as efficient, but the talent is there.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    I AGREE WITH THIS

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    Pretty much sums up the comments in this thread.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    Fantastic point

  • Caboose

    He’s my #3, and yeah, he was absolutely incredible. My list, if anybody cares is:
    1. Jordan
    2. Wilt
    3. KAJ
    4. Magic
    5. Bird
    6. Russell
    7. Duncan
    8. Hakeem
    9. Oscar
    10. Kobe
    11. Shaq
    To me, there’s a good gap between 3 and 4.

  • 23

    Nope its not their faults at all. But its just the truth.

  • 23

    I should rephrase it, LeBron is the most “versatile” skilled player we’ve seen. And I will stick by that statement. LeBron is special, whether ppl ever like him or not, true basketball heads know that he is unlike any other player to step on the floor.

  • LakeShow

    Not for me. I have trouble having Wilt in my all time top 5.

    It just wasn’t fair when he was playing…

    Greatest basketball players skill wise and capability wise:

    MJ

    Kareem

    Bird

    Magic

    Shaq

    Hakeem

    Kobe

    Duncan

    O

    Wilt

    I know this isn’t most peoples top 10, but I just can’t put Wilt above these guys because of the era he played in.. I can’t see him being much more than a 25-28 PPG player with 10-14 rebounds a game in today’s game. Which is great, but not 2nd all time great, to me.

  • robb

    I love Kobe but…

    Black Jesus >>>>>>>Black Mamba

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    Its kind of annoying that Magic continually gets more credit than Kareem because he was flashier. Yes, his rivalry with Bird brought the league back, but when you hear analysts talk about the GOAT, they mention the following: “Michael, Magic, Larry, Isiah”….essentially, the players from the 80s, when most of the folks who are now analyzing games on TV grew up.

    Kareem, unfortunately, found himself in the tail end of his prime during Magic’s prime years, and due to his introversion, has to suffer with being ignored despite having just as many accomplishments, if not more, than Magic, Larry, etc.

  • Caboose

    Hrmm…Magic.

  • Caboose

    Amen.

  • LakeShow

    Yes, lol.
    It’s not about “fault” per se, it’s more “victim of their times”.
    Wilt wouldn’t be Wilt if he came into the L today, that’s for sure, so why should we rate him above guys that are proven with good defense playing against them?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    In terms of pure skill, on a technical level (footwork, arsenal, etc.), nobody comes close to Jordan (and maybe even Kobe) among guards and forwards. I think for Centers, Hakeem would take the cake.

  • Caboose

    He was stronger than Shaq, higher vertical than Jordan, and faster than Magic. He was bar none the most athletic player of all time. And 28-14…isn’t that what Hakeem did?

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