The Zone Era: http://ko8e.blogspot.com/20...

Why:

Because the greatest there ever was will not be misconstrued by the media.

What I do:

I give viewers a chance to see the greatest player of all-time in action. Not just his made field goals, but how he moves without the ball, how he gets his free throws, his defense, etc. You won't find that anywhere else..

Why Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan:

Reason 1: Better defense, better players, more competition, and better basketball overall.

Kobe plays in the modern defensive era of traps, doubles, and zone defenses. From the year 2001, the NBA effectively legalized zone defensive, thus discouraging 1-on-1 play. Compare this to Michael Jordan's weaker era, where had to luxury of playing "iso" all game long. Kobe cannot even post up without getting doubled.

Many people think zone's are weak defenses, that is because so many teams don't play it properly. While they may be weak against great passing teams with shooters, if played properly, zone defenses are great against dominant individuals (Kobe, Garnett, etc) that have a weak supporting cast. The whole world plays zone. Even in College basketball, the "purest" form of basketball, the teams play almost entirely zone defense. Around the world, other countries use zone all the time. And if you want to see its effectiveness, just look at the 2006 summer games.

Furthermore today's NBA is far more competitive. Not only does Kobe have to deal with zone, he goes up against taller, bigger and stronger defenders than Jordan ever did. Back in the 1980's most of the shooting guards Jordan played against were 6''2 to 6''4. Kobe can shoot over shorter players like that with unbelievable efficiency, yet he plays against players that are 6''5 to 6''9. In the 80s, outside of a few good teams (Lakers, Celtics, Pistons, Knicks) there was really not that much competition. Today, even the worst teams in the league (i.e bobcats, hawks) are good and can hold their own with any team they face.

Sure, the 80's was a more physical brand of basketball. But physicality, does not translate into effectiveness. If you ask any great scorer which is harder: 1) Playing with double and triple teams or 2) Having to deal with stiff-arms and armbars, they would chose the former. And furthermore, you think Kobe doesn't face armbars/stiff-arms? How can you guard Kobe without using your hands? It is impossible. With the rules the way they are, Kobe should be getting two free throws on almost every trip down.

Reason 2: Individual skill sets

Michael Jordan revolutionized the game of basketball and defined the future of the SG position. Then Kobe Bryant came along, and perfected this. When you compare their two skill sets, it goes like this:

Kobe Bryant: Better shooter, better ball-handler, better range, better play maker, better passer, better off-hand, better scorer, better killer instinct.

Michael Jordan: Smarter player, more efficient, more consistent defensively.

The both have the about equal footwork and "clutch" abilities.

In 2006, Phil Jackson said that "Kobe is better than Michael with the basketball." Even when Kobe was only 21 years old, Phil already said that Kobe is a better playmaker:

"I think it's the best that I've ever seen a player of mine play with an overall court game. I'm asking him to do so much, and he's accomplishing it. I never asked Michael to be a playmaker."

Link: http://espn.go.com/page2/s/...

So why is Michael Jordan revered while Kobe Bryant is not?

Michael Jordan had such a big impact on basketball financially and economically. In the early 80's, the league was in recession and basketball wasn't that big. When Michael Jordan came around, the league and its sponsors (Nike, Gatorade, etc), took a great player in Michael Jordan and turned him into an icon. Michael was a master of controlling his image, and appealing to the people. This is something Kobe has not managed to do. Jordan could do no wrong with fans, and possessed an almost saint-like status. It is this nostalgia and this image of Jordan that fans have come to love. This is why they cannot accept that Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan. By better, I don't mean statistically. Jordan will always have better numbers, averages, and accolades than Kobe. Period. But skill-wise and ability-wise, Kobe has surpassed him in this tougher era of basketball.

Lastly, there is a popular myth that Jordan won 6 titles as a one-man show. This is far from the truth. He played with:

-3 All-Stars (Pippen, Rodman, Grant)
-2 of the games best defenders (Pippen and Rodman)
-1 of the 50 greatest players of all-time (Pippen)
-2 The games best 3 point shooters (Kerr and Kukoc)

Even without Michael Jordan, Pippen and the bulls managed to get a staggering 55 wins.

2009 Playoff Predictions:
http://img9.imageshack.us/i...