Kobe vs lebron head to head

Well we should have been talking about the latest installment of  “Kobe Bryant or LeBron James?” but season ending surgery on Kobe’s torn rotator cuff stopped that from happening. In reality we aren’t sure if the two stars will ever play head-to-head again. Not due to Kobe’s mind, but his body is just breaking down. It’s like he’s taken the most shots ever in the NBA or something. Regardless the argument is always there in sport circles especially since we are closer than ever with a NBA without Kobe Bryant.

Although Kobe has more championship hardware overall LeBron wins in head-to-head matchups winning 14 of 20 meetings. Unlike so many iconic rivalry’s the two have never met in the NBA Finals and only in regular season games as well as All-Star games. We’ve also seen them team up on Team USA and that’s probably not happening again. But through their 20 regular season meetings who’s sneakers are best? Look through each game and pair and let us know who wins this head-to-head matchup.

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LeBron James and Kobe Bryant shared the crown for the best player in the NBA from the early 00s to 10s. After that Kobe’s age caught up to him while LeBron was showcasing his prime. During that time, before the Jordan and LeBron debate, it was the Kobe and Jordan debate. Between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, who had the better career?

LeBron’s longevity and great vision helped him to be a multi-dimensional superstar. He is what you get if you add more qualities to the game of Magic Johnson. Whereas Kobe Bryant was considered the regen of Michael Jordan.

LeBron James leads in every statistical category. Some of them can be reasoned out. For example, LeBron is a much taller player than Kobe and spends a lot of time as a Small or Power forward. Hence, the rebounding numbers for LeBron will be much higher.

LeBron also takes a lot of his shots from the mid-range and in the paint. He’s also very bad at shooting from behind the arc and therefore only takes the shots sparingly. Whereas Kobe is a much better 3-point shooter, which is why his FG% is much lower.

Other than that, LeBron James has just shown that he is a much better player in other statistical categories.

King James vs Black Mamba: Accolades 

Accolades-wise, Kobe takes the win. Kobe has won more NBA titles than LeBron and more scoring titles. Bryant is also a much better defender and has a better record in the NBA finals.

LeBron still has some of the more important achievements like more MVPs and Finals MVPs. Currently, they have the same number of all-star appearances but LeBron is sure to pass that by next season. 

LeBron James vs Kobe Bryant: Career Highs 

Kobe Bryant was regarded as the greatest scorer in NBA history. His 81-point game and his 35.4 points per game season are regarded highly. However, LeBron’s longevity and ability to rise to the occasion helped him surpass Kobe in all-time points, in both the regular season and NBA playoffs. 

LeBron James and Kobe Bryant played each other 22 times in their career. In those games, Kobe averaged 24.6 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Whereas LeBron James averaged 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. And in those 22 games that they played, LeBron’s team won 16 of those game. Pure dominations from LeBron James.

After diving into the stats and accolades of these 2 Hall of Famers, it’s clear to say that LeBron James has surpassed Kobe Bryant and is the number 2 behind Jordan’s number 1. 

Aspiring Sports Journalist. A true fan of basketball since I could walk. A jack of all trades that has a year of professional experience in content writing, field marketing, and making words paint pictures in your mind. Have been a Lakers fan even when Robert Sacre was our starting center. Currently, a third-year student studying for my bachelor's in Mass Media and Communication.

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