Kobe Bryant was better at basketball than LeBron James.

A Thread.

LeBron will finish his career with several more All Star Teammates than Kobe.

LeBron has had as much or more help than any All-Time Great since Bill Russell.

All Star Selections by a teammate:

Kobe-15 (0.75 per year)
LeBron-15 (0.88 per year)

Kobe faced way tougher competition than LeBron.

A) 50-win Teams Eliminated From The Postseason

Kobe-24
LeBron-13

B) Times Conference Had A Winning Record Against The Other Conference

Kobe- 17 (85% of the time)
LeBron-2 (12% of the time)

Kobe will be remembered as a winner.

That’s the point of basketball and competition, like it or not.

Championships

Kobe-5
LeBron-3

LeBron will be remembered for losing and making excuses.

Finals Losses

Kobe-2
LeBron-6

Kobe was a vastly more accomplished defender than LeBron.

1st Team All Defense Selections (Total)
Kobe-9 (12)
LeBron-5 (6)

Kobe was never afraid of the moment.

LeBron was. Several times.

Kobe and LeBron’s scoring and efficiency numbers were virtually identical.

Scoring/efficiency numbers for Kobe after he became a starter & before he tore his Achilles at 34 years old:

27.4 PPG
49% eFG%
56% TS%
3.2 TOVs/gm

LeBron’s for his entire career (as a starter) through age 35:

27.1 PPG
54% eFG%
58% TS%
3.5 TOVs/gm

“Don’t hate Greatness.”