Thursday, January 17th, 2013 at 4:35 pm  |  263 responses

Kobe Bryant Says He’s the Greatest One-on-One Player Ever


When it comes to going mano-a-mano on a basketball court, few in NBA history have ever done it better than Kobe Bryant. And he knows it. So much so, that Bean claims he’s the greatest of all time in that department. Per a fun, lengthy Q&A with ESPN: “Who would you most like to play one-on-one, either active or retired? ‘Jordan. No question.’ What would happen? ‘I’m not sure, but he would win some and I would win some in a seven-game series. It would probably come down to the last few shots.’ You versus LeBron? Who wins? ‘Me. No question. As far as one-on-one, I’m the best to ever do it.’ Damn. That’s pretty confident. ‘LeBron is a terrific all-around, five-on-five basketball player who’s an all-time great. But I’d get him.’ Who could get you? ‘Kevin Durant is the guy that would give me the most trouble. With his length and ability to use the dribble, he’d be tough.’ I always wanted to see you play Tracy McGrady. ‘I played T-Mac. I cooked him. Roasted him. Wasn’t even close. Ask him, he’ll tell you. When I was about 20, we were in Germany doing some promotional stuff for that other sneaker company and we played basketball every day. We were in the gym all the time. We played three games of one-on-one to 11. I won all three games. One game I won 11-2. After the third game he said he had back spasms and couldn’t play anymore.’ [...] What about Kyrie Irving? ‘[Huge smile, laugh.] Kyrie’s my boy, but he knows he doesn’t have anything for me. He doesn’t want to see me. But it would be fun. I’ve beaten a lot of guys one-on-one, like Reggie Miller and Grant Hill. I used to play Caron Butler all the time in practice when he was with the Lakers. When I was a rookie I used to get Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones. They know. They’ll tell you. They used to come at me hard but I wasn’t having that. I love going one-on-one with someone. That’s what I do. I’ve never lost. It’s a whole different game, just to have them right in front of you and be able to do whatever you want.’”

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  • http://twitter.com/LuisBrownish Luis Moreno

    doing some promotional stuff for that other sneaker company… lol

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Good question.

  • Redd

    Before Disqus we used to get to 100 pretty often & faster.

  • Redd

    Why would refs officiate a 1 on 1?

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

    Kobe is such a polarizing figure that he’s been able to elicit the same level of intense debate in 3 separate decades (90, 00s, and now).

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

    The Bucks don’t have Lebron, Wade, and Bosh on one team.

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

    Well, that depends on position. I mean, as a PG, Mookie Blaylock was known to be just as lethal defensively as Payton (although Payton was obviously the much better offensive player).

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    haha i know i know.

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

    Great analysis.

  • shockexchange

    Bandz make Horry Jr dance … with “exceptionally more talent than the rest of the league, he can win with no hands.”

  • Redd

    He just said something controversial…lol.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    yeah, i don’t think the whole “LeBron is better” argument is even worth entertaining. LeBron isn’t a top 5 one on one player in the NBA right now, lol, let alone all-time.
    .
    Durant, Melo, Kobe, Westbrook, Wade (yes, Wade), and Kyrie are probably better one on one player’s right now.
    .
    And i’d say currently, Durant is definitely the best one on one player in the league.
    -
    — but to clarify, i don’t think of one on one in the sense where, “well if he played so and so he’d lose” — i think of it like, “with the type of people he’d be playing in one on one in a game because i don’t consider regular one on one to even be worth considering” – eh, i’m an asshole.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Mookie Blaylock is definitely worth mentioning.

  • http://www.facebook.com/scottmichael Scott Michael

    Being the best one-on-one player in a team sport? Congrats Kobe…

  • WowReally

    your right about being bigger stronger faster and jumped higher. but we all know kobe has a better jumpshot… analysts today agree on this, that kobe has a better jumpshot then jordan did..

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    I’d add Chris Paul to that list of one on one players better than LeBron.

  • http://www.facebook.com/grasshoper.funk Grasshoper Funk

    So, how about that: instead of that silly competition during the all-star game called “shooting stars”, a small 1-on-1 to eleven tournament would be held with LBJ, Kobe, Durant, Westbrook, Irving, Paul, Rose (if healthy) and whoever else qualifies. What do you think? Personally, I’d love to see that happen!

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    i don’t think Chris Paul can be an effective one on one player for a sustained period. like one possession? no doubt. But a whole game of one on one? Like the famous Bird vs Dominique duels? — no way he holds up.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Depends on who he was playing against.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    in my mind when i was typing that, i was thinking about like Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams. The bigger, bruising PG’s, Paul needs his teammates against them.

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

    120 comments…this is awesome

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    I see where you’re coming from. I think Chris and Deron 1 on 1 would have been a fun matchup to watch when Deron was at his best a few seasons ago. I wouldn’t put Westbrook in that group. Outside of Rose, he’s the best one on one PG in the league. No contest.

  • Dagger

    Gotta go with one of my all-time favourite players. This video of Pippen gives me goosebumps. http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_984802&feature=iv&src_vid=N9vFHYVXtRk&v=g1YchiFv-5M

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Idk, I think Kyrie is prolly the best one on one PG runnin

  • http://www.facebook.com/rainman1991 Saleem Rainman

    u really need to stop lol

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Better than Westbrook?

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Agggggghhh idk, lol it’s one of them. Until Rose comes back at least

  • Redd

    I think the word you were searching for is a “dummy”.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Agreed.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rainman1991 Saleem Rainman

    LeBron? really?

  • Redd

    Really? Jordan has consistently had a great FG% while averaging amazing numbers.

    I think by Analysts, you mean guys in Bleacher Report.

  • http://www.facebook.com/DanielUpYours Daniel Powers

    mj is the best one on one player ever, period.

  • bill

    Is there a 2 drink minimum for me to read your post?

  • Redd

    You think Kobe’d beat LeBron?

  • mike@mike.com

    man i ve seen jordan back down shawn kemp, back down kevin garnett and post him up and turn around fade on him. Jordan would eat kobe in the post. Did you see Kobe get munched on by Durant in the post the other day?? didnt have anythig for him. Kobes one of the greatest 1 on 1. just not THE greatest

  • LakeShow

    Kobe is one of the best at finishing at the rim ever also.

    Yes MJ was better, once again, not by a wide margin.

    KB has not had the benefit of being in the post, and being able to slash to the rim as much as Jordan was able to, but it wasn’t because he wasn’t capable of it.

    For myself, it comes down to the fact that MJ was more conscientious of the shots he took. While I find their basketball IQ to be similar, I think MJ would take smarter shots than KB, thus winning the majority of 1 on 1 games.

  • Redd

    Did you hear KD say he wanted to play for the Raps? Dang, start campaigning for his FA guys.

  • pposse

    haha what a clown move!

  • LakeShow

    :D

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Naw man, 87-88 Jordan got to the rim like Russell Westbrook does today, but finished like noone ever. I don’t even think Jordan is necessarily a better one on one player than Kobe. I just think he was much better at getting to and finishing at the rim.

  • LakeShow

    Your better with the stats. What were their fg% at the rim in their best seasons? And i’m sure there are a couple other stats that can provide decent context.
    I know he was better, once again, I just don’t think it was by great margin, but your correct, yes he was probably the best guard ever at taking it to the rack.

  • LakeShow

    Your right about the first step, but do you know how he is averaging 4 more points above his career average this year without that first step he once had?
    His skill set.
    His skill set allows for him to score more without the benefits he had physically as a youth. He has as wide an arsenal of moves as any player ever. So even if he can’t get by LeBron that doesn’t matter, because a simple fake or 9 and he will get him out of position.
    I highly suggest watching Kobe play. I think you have missed some aspects to his game.

  • The Fury

    Aww hell yeah!!! — GP’s voice

  • pposse

    i would love to see a pippen vs. durant one on matchup!

  • The Fury

    YES

  • FanOfTheLeague

    I haven’t seen every player that ever played in the NBA, but it’s hard to name many better than Kobe when talking 1-on-1. But, to all those saying LeBron isn’t top 5 one on one or that he’d get killed by Kobe easily… like… wth? Is anyone taking defense into account? Or are you all just picturing Kobe shooting silky jumpers all day? It won’t be that easy at all. It’s just amazing to me how a player can be at such an elite level for an entire decade & still not be considered that great in an area where he’s completely dominated. Yes, players like Durant, Melo, Kobe, Mac, Jordan had smoother offensive games, more consistent jumpshots, & less rugged crossovers, but what does all that really matter if at the end of the game LeBron ends up with 35? (On less shots than all those players, might I add). If 5 players can’t consistently stop LeBron, what in the world makes any of you think Kobe on his own can stop him? (I know, it’s a completely different ballgame, because there are no worries of LeBron creating open shots for other teammates, but the point is, no matter the case, #6 is extremely hard to stop). LeBron is pass 1st in nature, but everyone knows what happens when he’s locked in & is focused on scoring. He’s as good as anyone to ever do it, maybe even better because of the amazing efficiency. Kobe one on one is more than a handful, but if LeBron gets the ball & uses his size, speed, strength & that all-time great finishing ability, I simply cannot see what Kobe will do to stop him. LeBron pretty much has to settle for bad jumpers for Kobe to destroy him, otherwise, they’d go back & forth & even the 2003-2006 athletic Kobe will have some serious trouble with 2012 LeBron. & as great a scorer as Kobe is, he’s never had an entire season making more shots than he’s missed. That says a whole lot. Many of you may say, well LeBron lives in the paint & Kobe is a jumpshooter. That’s the point, though. You can’t stop LeBron from getting in the paint, but you can make Mamba take bad shots, he just happens to hit a lot of the difficult ones. But those that are really paying attention know he misses a lot more than he makes. Scoring isn’t all about shaking, baking & taking pretty jumpers. It’s about putting the basketball in the hole. As far as I’m concerned, LeBron is one of the best ever in that department.

  • jake

    He is the best player ever! Look at the rings, and the individual success. Jordan was good for 12-13 years Kobe has been amazing for like 17 years and many more to come

  • TR

    AI vs Kobe would be good, but to me Kobe destroys little guys. He seems to never miss when hes got a guy 6’2″ or shorter on him

  • Redd

    Really? How’s his team this year?

  • Dutch Rich

    The only thing I would say is that in a game situation A.I. spent an enormous amount of time at the charity stripe and I always felt that many calls weren’t really warranted. But unlike Kobe who never really innovated the game (ultimate MJ clone), A.I. and guys like early Vince just played unconscious. They played like Miles on kind of blue.

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