Kobe is a great player and he deserve his props and so is Jordan. To me, the goal of all NBA player is that shinning bright metal that’s sitting on the top of the league waiting for someone to pick them up.

Admitted Kobe or MJ or any of the other great players, did ballhog. You wont be able to score 40 without ballhoging unless you score 20 in a role. The point is they win the game by doing what it needs to be done. It doesn’t matter who got the better stats, its about who got more wins and carrying its team till the end.

Kobe is never Jordan, and Jordan is never Kobe because they are just too different to be compared.

I plan on making it a series.

He is the best (or one of) of what’s currently available. Certainly, when you look at the bigger picture, being the best in 2008 doesn’t stack up in both definition and description to being the best in 1998, 1988, 1978, or even 1968 for that matter. Being the best in those eras meant you were unquestionably great. Being the best now has more to do with highlight reel plays, merchandise sales, marketing power, etc.

Just think how in 2004, people were saying Wade was the best. Where is he now? Last year, LeBron was the best. Etc. We’re in an age where it’s all about marketing the current flavor of the month.

So, in essence, Kobe is one of the best–add an asterisk for “best available.”

You and I think of it in bigger picture terms. They say Kobe is great and we say, “huh, that’s great? that’s not how we define great.”

But what’s the NBA supposed to do, talk like how I do about how the league is a joke now? Are the announcers supposed to say, “It’s the fourth quarter so look out for the great Kobe… by the way, I mean great by today’s standards which really translates into just good.” LOL. You know?

They’re selling a product, man. If Mark Jackson criticizes one of the league’s cash cows, Jackson will be out of a job.

The problem is that most people are dumb as rocks and believe whatever they hear. Young people today kill me with all of the nonsense talk.

Don’t know if you guys like rap, but man, I’ve had it up to here with the Lil Wayne nonsense. Wayne is calling himself one of the all-time greats and the kids are buying it because (a) they don’t know any better, or (b) there’s nothing else good out there right now to make them think otherwise. But is Lil Wayne really that good? Heck no.

It’s the day and age or marketing, man. Stackhouse was supposed to be the next Jordan. Then Vince Carter. Then T-Mac. Etc. The league is so eager to promote a new fresh and exciting product.

It’s sad.

I just don’t get it. If you go by statistics, he is NOT the best player. If you look at WINNING – as in the last few years, he’s NOT the best player. If you look at clutch-ness (http://82games.com/CSORT11.HTM) he’s not the best player. If you look at 4th quarter scoring, he’s not the best player. He wasn’t the best player in this entire series, and as the series wore on his impact DECREASED. So why do the announcers continue to say this? What is this based on, exactly? Reputation.

The mood of Van Gundy, Breen, and Marc Jackson is that of absolute deflation.

A few things. For starters, Adande is an L.A. guy. He grew up in L.A., lives and works in L.A.–he’s a Lakers fan. He’s a Kobe Bryant fan.

So, keep in mind his agenda/bias when he looks to argue that MJ and Kobe were closer than people think.

That year, Jordan returned to the NBA after his hiatus. he was 32 years old. That Finals was the toughest of his career. That Sonics team was incredible. Really, that team might be the best team to not have won a title. And you’re right, in that series Jordan’s teammates stepped up big time. His teammates hit a lot of big shots. That year it wasn’t just Jordan carrying his team. His team carried him a bit too.

But really, if you want to be fair, why not compare Jordan’s title run when he was 29. Why not compare Jordan’s 1993 Finals win against Barkley’s Suns?

No…Adande picked out the worst Finals performance of Jordan’s career and compared it to Bryant’s run this year.

All to prove a point.

Statistics aside, these two guys are not on the same planet. Jordan is like The Beatles. Kobe is like Pearl Jam. Jordan is Jay-Z. Kobe is Lil Wayne.

Kobe Bryant is a good player. But he’s no Jerry West, let alone Michael Jordan. He’s no Dr. J., let alone Michael Jordan.

Could he be? Maybe. He has the talent. And if he gets a better supporting cast, he could win a few titles. But honestly, I don’t see it.

As human beings we can’t help but be captivated by moments and place more value on moments than on overall periods.

It’s not so much that Kobe should be criticized for this series. He’s out there hustling, he’s making plays, he’s still the best player on the court.

It’s that while Jordan was deified AFTER his career ended, Kobe is being deified NOW – and it HAS to stop.

Just like Kobe’s legacy shouldn’t be 6-19 in the most important game of his career (IMO) his legacy shouldn’t be dropping 81 on Toronto either.

Those are both MOMENTS in Kobe’s illustrious career.

Educated fans seeking to place Kobe in his rightful place in history need to consider everything he IS – not MOMENTS.

In the end, my personal opinion is that the comparisons to Jordan do Kobe a disservice since every time he doesn’t measure up you get millions (including yours truly) coming out of the woodwork with our fingers pointed saying “A-HA! I KNEW IT” It’s not fair, but neither are all the people that create a reputation for Kobe that exceeds his performance.