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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  • Caboose

    With skill level, it’s Jordan/Magic on the perimeter and Hakeem/Duncan in the post.

  • 23

    Exactly, wilt would not drop 100 in a game if he was drafted after the year 1980.

  • 23

    Magic was nowhere near LeBrons versatility when it comes to BOTH ends of the floor.

  • Caboose

    Put it this way, regardless of era, he led the league in scoring, rebounding, and FG% regularly. When he led the league in scoring, he did so by averaging 50% more than the next guy. Today, that’d translate to 36 and 15, while shooting well over 50%? That’s top 2 or 3 all time.

  • LakeShow

    lol, nice.

  • LakeShow

    Kobe, being the best who does both?

  • rande3p

    Jordan is the greatest. But, Stern, Popovich, Pat Riley, Magic Johnson, Phil Jackson have all said Kobe is a player that is comparable to Jordan. Does it mean he is better? No. But he is the closest, and people need to really appreciate that we are getting Kobe on the heels of Jordan (lbj,durant etc. after Kobe). Of course some of you will disagree with Riley, Stern etc. because …. not sure why actually

  • Caboose

    Lol.

  • LakeShow

    Ditto.

  • reese

    Truth. And to be honest, you can’t really say Magic was do much more versatile offensively. People point to Magic playing center in the Finals, but Lebron could have done the same in that era with his size and athleticism.

  • Caboose

    That’s why I always give mine to hobos. I’m scared of those f*cking nickels.

  • Caboose

    Same can be said of Duncan/Kobe…but that’s for another day. :)

  • LakeShow

    He’s a career 45% shooter, that’s why.

    Doesn’t mean it’s fair (considering that’s L average).

    Since he isn’t overly efficient many people think he is just a player than shoots allot. Thus gets allot of points. If your smart, you actually see the truth. (He’s one of the greatest offensive players ever)

    BTW, Magic had over 56% FG’s twice… WTF… lol, that’s some black magic. (not racially intended)

  • LakeShow

    Who is better at the perimeter and the post than Kobe? Maybe Jordan, that’s it…

  • LakeShow

    True. If you have Duncan above Kobe I don’t hate on that. I just don’t agree. By a smidge.

  • Caboose

    For sure Jordan, who was more skilled both on the perimeter and the post. Might take Magic, and we’ll see where LeBron is at in 10 years. Sure, I’d put Kobe 2 or 3.

  • Caboose

    The league leader in steals with close to the same Defensive Rating? Of course he’s not close.

  • Caboose

    You’re young. 6’11, 260 pound Darryl Dawkins was the 76ers center for most of that game. That’s bigger than most starting centers nowadays.

  • LakeShow

    Coo.

    Just have to make sure your head hasn’t fallen off completely ;)

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

    It was also one game against Caldwell Jones, who was 6-11.

  • LakeShow

    Wow, a new side to the argument.
    Thanks for bringing the insight!

  • Caboose

    It honestly is just the same as Magic/KAJ. KAJ was boring. So is Duncan. Magic was pure flash, pure highlights, pure love. So is Kobe. Duncan’s stats are better, just like KAJ. Kobe has more “ooh” moments and storybook moments, just like Magic.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Kobe needed 727 more FGA than Jordan to get to 30,000 points – to put scoring efficiency in perspective.

  • roscoe

    yawn.

  • LakeShow

    Which really isn’t that big of a deal…

    It means he was less efficient by a noticeable amount, but not grossly inefficient when taken into account the make up of their teams and the type of shots they took.

    I mean were talking what, like 1500ish games here right?

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

    Well, in reality he copies everything MJ did, but I love Kobe, so, wtv. Why wouldn’t you imitate the GOAT?

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

    Not very close. Closest, maybe. 2

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

    He is the closest. Just the gap between the two is still pretty large.

  • LakeShow

    Don’t get me wrong, it should be noted, but people act like Kobe is a scrub because of it…lol

  • z

    Personally i imagine bron as the modern day big o. I wish wilt and baylor coulda been born so they were modern players

  • Junior Taylor

    But Kobe isn’t a scrub though and anyone who thinks otherwise must be smoking crack. The man is the 2nd greatest SG (I had JWest ahead of Kobe until the boy cracked 30K) and a Fringe Top 10 player in my book (I got him around 10/11). It doesn’t get any better than being one of the top 10 greatest players to ever step on an NBA court out of tens of thousands (possibly 100,000)

  • Junior Taylor

    Don’t forget about Bird though. In terms of pure skills, no one had more than Larry Legend. He did it all on the offensive end.

  • Caboose

    Good point. Most skilled 2 way guys…Jordan, Magic, Kobe, Larry. In what order?

  • Junior Taylor

    Wilt would still put up around 33/16 with 4+ blocks on 58/59% shooting in today’s day and age. That would be by far the most dominant statline for a Center since Prime/MIL Kareem. Don’t sleep on Wilt’s otherworldly athleticism, the man is in a class of his own.

  • shockexchange

    Any praise Horry Jr gets has to be prefaced with “during his era.” All of his accomplishments have come (i) during the post-expansion era and (ii) surrounded with “exceptionally more talent than the rest of the L,” i.e. everything he has done deserves an asterisk.

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

    ok well Duncan is the greatest PF of all time…soooo….what are you trying to say?

  • LakeShow

    Sometimes I don’t know if you guys realize he is a all timer with all the sh*t ya’ll give him. lol, So I just like to make sure.

  • 23

    Steals don’t necessarily measure good defense. At least not efficient defense. When I think defense, I think more lateral quickness, post defense, positioning, footwork, hustle and attention to detail.

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

    We discussed this talent thing last time. Its a stupid argument on your part. All title teams have “stacked” talent.

  • 23

    Wilts athleticism was superior to that of his generation. His athleticism isn’t God-like amongst todays players. He wouldn’t be getting easy layups or tip ins on the regular like he did in the 50 years ago.

  • shockexchange

    When people make these lists, they don’t compare players from stacked teams, they compare players who also had to carry teams. Horry Jr has had someone carrying him ever since he came into the L. To even compare him to guys like MJ, Dominique, Barkley, Malone, Ewing, Drexler, et. al. is blasphemous.

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

    Another thing is longevity. Duncan faded out starting in 2007, before Lebron’s prime, before the Lakers became relevant again, and before the Twitter era. That has a lot to do with why he’s never mentioned. Kobe not only withstood the Duncan era (2003-2007) and shared his prime with him, but crafted his own era from (2008-2010), and is still relevant to this day due to his numbers. Plus, there’s that whole personality thing.

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

    Kobe’s not a top 5 talent of all time. He is co-MVP of his generation with Duncan.

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

    So essentially, you’re saying that Pau Gasol carried the Lakers to back to back titles and 3 straight Finals appearances.

  • shockexchange

    Pau Gasol / Andrew Bynum at the same ____ time.

  • LakeShow

    6 points and 4 boards.

    lol

  • LakeShow

    Good incite. First time I have said this non-sarcastically in a while lol.

  • Caboose

    How about the years before Kobe was relevant? Duncan was doing his thing when Kobe rode the bench. Not to mention Duncan is currently averaging 19-10 while leading the league in Defensive Rating on the best team in the league.

  • Caboose

    No he’s not. He is the 2nd best SG of all time. Obviously.

  • Junior Taylor

    Mine’s MJ, LeBron, West (underrated 2-way great), Kobe, Larry and Magic.

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