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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  • roi30

    Kobe may have some claim to that. Unfortunately, basketball is not a one on one game. In basketball, Lebron is simply a far better player.

  • VanCityBBall

    i still think that a Durant vs Melo would be more entertaining than a Kobe vs. X… but yeah totally agree with everything you said.

  • Dutch Rich

    Kyrie has brought unseen handles to this game. Westbrook squares up like no one but lacks spin moves and a left hand. Durant is still a work in progress as he’s gaining upper body strength, which is quite a scary thought, but from deep he’s still a set shooter. Dwayne remains an unreliable jump shooter when he’s not launching from his preferred spots. Kobe’s high elevation jumpshot is superior to any one. He can jump and score going forward, sideways and backwards, but if he misses against Melo he won’t be getting the rock back. I’m with Barkley on that where Melo is the strongest and fastest and most efficient in a one on one.

  • bigA

    I agree, when you don’t have to run up and down the court weight and height can be a huge advantage.

    That is how I mostly play one on one: BULLYBALL
    Unless they are bigger than me, then I start dancing.
    And on defense I try to bait them into taking contested shots.

  • Dutch Rich

    Paul doesn’t have the speed, he needs decoys in his one on one approach. Would be lethal in a 3 on 3 though.

  • shockexchange

    In a few months he’ll have lots of free time to play one-on-one while the Clippers, OKC, Houston, Portland, et. al. are in the playoffs.

  • FanOfTheLeague

    I’m sorry Jake, rings aren’t even a discussion when talking about
    Jordan. 3 retirements & still more titles than most, including
    Bryant, eventhough he’s played many more seasons & has had a prime
    Shaq by his side (Jordan was never the 2nd best player on any team).
    Good for 12-13? GREAT for 14 & would’ve been great for much longer
    if he didn’t keep getting tired of destroying the competition. Only
    Jordan can 3-peat, retire ‘cuz he lost passion for the game (in other
    words, got tired of winning) went to another sport, then came back when
    he felt like it to win 3 more. & even at age 40, managed to put up
    20 a game against all those young, athletic rising stars. Jordan was the
    better scorer & all those records Kobe is breaking, it took him
    longer than Jordan to do so. 17 years to get to 30K when Jordan did it
    in 14. Jordan was the better defender (greatest shot blocking guard of
    all time, tho Wade may have something to say) & eventho Jordan was
    known to be a bit selfish at times, he was a better playmaker than Kobe.
    The only thing Kobe will ever have over Jordan is that outside jumpshot & we all know Jordan made those when it really counted. (By the way, bad bench or not, Jordan on a team with Dwight, Nash & Pau are 60 W’s) Kobe’s having a hard enough time making it to the playoffs with that All-Star squad.

  • Redd

    CP3 is more so reliant on cunning, which I think he’s very good at. In that regard I feel like he’d hold his own but not throughout.

  • Allenp

    People greatly underate how easily he dropped the crossover

  • Redd

    I think the All Star story tomorrow will get 100 comments…KG wowwww.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    AI didn’t care whether he had a bigger guy or a guy around his size on him. Didn’t matter. Still too fast.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    LeBron averaged 30 twice without a jumpshot that he was fully confident in. I’ve watched Kobe play since he was the 2nd or 3rd man off the bench playing behind Eddie Jones so I’ve seen him play quite a bit.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Don’t be silly.

  • Brandan E

    remember yall….pippen tried to guard kobe and couldnt do it.

    just watch the games they played each other thru ’98-00 and pippen couldnt stay in front of him.
    even pippen said kobe was a hard cover.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Watching those Bulls play defense was a lot of fun.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    If Vince Carter had AI’s mindset, he would have been a major problem and not just a dunker and later on, mainly a jumpshooter.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Melo/LeBron would be more entertaining than Melo/Durant to me. Melo would bully Durant pretty easily with the ball. Way too strong.

  • http://twitter.com/KingofKushSmoke PimpMaster of yo Hoe

    Jordan is the greatest one on five scorer of all time

  • Yi-Cheng Chen

    LOL. Kobe might wanna defend that.

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

    lol

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

    true that. id also rank iverson first right after mj. and oh boy, what a game that was

  • The Seed

    Cosign 110%

  • shutup

    What about Joe Dumars?

  • Aaron Iverson

    Vince Carter in his prime had quite the offensive arsenal as well. He had a bit more length than Kobe too.. I’d rather see that one then any other.

  • Comment_System

    pippen hands down.

  • Comment_System

    damn its like the whole website just said NO to you.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000166716900 Anthony Darnello Taylor Jr.

    Dave Bing too

  • Darksaber

    SLAM must lurve when Kobester says outlandish ish. Stuttering comment sections turn to overflowing rivers of discussion.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000166716900 Anthony Darnello Taylor Jr.

    so do you snort or smoke that stuff you are on, im just curious

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

    definitely. In their primes without question. And now? Kobe’s game still translates perfectly to 1 on 1 games. Bron’s more a 5 on 5 typa guy.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000166716900 Anthony Darnello Taylor Jr.

    I think they have it on record Kobe does not like playing other forwards especially PF’s. Now a forward like earl clark, or austine daye who are 3 inches or more taller but but give up maybe 10 pounds yeah. But the AL Horfords, Josh Smiths, even Paul Milsap or Melo……Hell no he is not easing his way through them

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

    are u teasing me?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000166716900 Anthony Darnello Taylor Jr.

    That much is true I will concede in that if Kobe did not hoist up all those shots he could have had a 40% 3Pt season at one point.

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

    How come his comments about T-MAc have gotten no mention? That was kinda surprising to me.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000166716900 Anthony Darnello Taylor Jr.

    Jordan was a way better finisher due to his great athleticism(which far exceeded Kobe’s in my opinion) and fundamental play

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000166716900 Anthony Darnello Taylor Jr.

    Man heck no, I have never seen Jordan lack off on D to let his Big men clean up the mess,( being that he never really had that kind of guy down low) the way Kobe has. Kobe got a bunch of his defensive accolades off of reputation and “potential.”

  • Drig

    Assuming we aren’t talking about matchups like Shaq vs Kobe etc. ( games which would be determined by who got the ball first ) , I’d say Kobe’s a pretty safe bet for winning a 1 -on -1 vs any player.

    Prime Kobe vs Prime MJ :

    At the rim : MJ

    3-9ft : Tie

    9-16ft : Tie

    16-23ft : Kobe ( For the guy who posted that both of them averaged similar % from range, you’re not taking into account the fact that the 3pt line was brought in for a few years which spiked it. He did become better from range but in his prime, he was a below average shooter from that position )

    Now comes the D part : Kobe’s biggest problem has been his lack of help D which would be minimized in a 1-on-1. He’s not a bad defender per se but Kobe’s a notch below Jordan as far as lateral quickness and going for the steals are concerned. Plus, Jordan was more intense on D.

    However, I think the game would come down to who has the better O. Both couldn’t stop each other multiple times even if they wanted to. Kobe’s shot selection wouldn’t be too much of an issue here since we’re talking about his prime when he used to make ridiculous shots look absolutely easy. Plus, Kobe has shown this season that he can be an efficient scorer if he wants to be one. He simply never tried to force Phil to change the system for him to live near the post ala Jordan used to.

    For guys who think Kobe can’t deal with handchecking, Kobe faced handchecking till the 03-04 season. And he was lethal despite it.

    I think Kareem would be the best 1-on-1 big.

  • http://www.islate.org/ Apple Tablet

    Very true, besides MJ I can’t think of anyone else that has done it.

  • http://www.islate.org/ Apple Tablet

    I would pay $50 pay per view fo that.

  • http://www.islate.org/ Apple Tablet

    I got to agree.

  • http://www.islate.org/ Apple Tablet

    We was asked a question, did you want him to lie and say he sucks in one on one games?

  • http://www.islate.org/ Apple Tablet

    Now maybe, but prime vs prime it’s all Kobe.

  • http://www.islate.org/ Apple Tablet

    Bigger and stronger yes, faster no, jumping tied, jumpshot tied, IQ Kobe.

  • http://www.islate.org/ Apple Tablet

    The truth is that both MJ and Kobe are both sick, I and think that deep down neither one of them knows who would win in a one on one game. It would probably go back and forth.

  • http://www.islate.org/ Apple Tablet

    Kobe also hasn’t had as many chances to get to the rim because in his era they play team defense that collapses on him, where as Jordan’s era had one on one defense. Watch pre 1998 games (not highlights) and you will see how no one rotates.

  • hamidashimono

    Great to have so many personal opinions on this discussion board. However, what do ppl with a first-hand view have to say?

    Tim Grover, who has trained Kobe, Lebron, and Jordan, was asked who
    would win a 1-on-1 battle of Jordan vs. either of the other two:
    Tim
    Grover: “Oh, Michael. No question. From a physical and mental
    standpoint, he’s the best I’ve ever seen. If he were playing now, with
    the way the refs call everything, and with all the padding these guys
    wear, he’d average 40 or 50 a night if he wanted.”

    Craig Hodges is the Lakers shooting coach, get a look at what he said:
    Q: If you could take one player in their prime, would you take Michael Jordan or Kobe?

    A: M.J., all day. There’s no comparison. M.J. could score 100 points in
    this era. You can’t hand-check now. Imagine that trying to guard M.J. It
    would be crazy.

    From these comments alone, it seems like betting on Kobe would empty a lot of ppl’s pockets… For what it’s worth, I think that a prime MJ beats a prime Kobe in 7-game series one-on-one too.

  • Redd

    Nope he said he wanted to play for the Raps.

  • Redd

    I keep hearing that but Lebrons athleticism translates superbly to a 1 on 1 and finish at the rim.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000166716900 Anthony Darnello Taylor Jr.

    i dont think you can really prove the i.q part for either player

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000166716900 Anthony Darnello Taylor Jr.

    for the Lebron isn’t a one on one player I think the league is lucky that he isnt man. Imagine if he focused all that energy into one major aspect of the game (scoring) instead of facilitating using all those physical tools ? Damn that would be something,

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