WHO’s THE "AIR" APPARENT? KOBE OR LEBRON?

Last weekend, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James clashed in what was billed as a duel between the two best players in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. Wade’s Heat outlasted James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in Miami, 98-92, although James had 47 points to 35 for Wade.
Although both indisputably are great players, it’s probably safe to anoint James as the more spectacular individual. And because James is considered more indispensable to his team than Wade is to his, it seems appropriate to select James as the best single player in his conference.Now that King James has emerged from his Eastern bracket (hey, everything is bracket-related during the month of March), it’s time to pit him against the best of the West.
Kobe Bryant, naturally.
Basketball isn’t supposed to be about individuality. But you’ll notice you don’t see too many Nike commercials featuring all 12 players from an NBA roster, nor will you count an equal number of attractive women in an arena wearing “Nowitzki 41” and “Dampier 25” jerseys. It’s impossible to follow sports and not ponder which players stand out from the pack to form the elite, and which single player rises above that to reign above all others.
Kobe versus LeBron. It isn’t just a one-night stand. It’s a relationship.
Kobe and LeBron probably will be butting heads each season for the foreseeable future in pursuit of Best Player In The Game honors because each is relatively young and has several seasons of dominant play ahead. Kobe is 27, six years older than LeBron, and at some point all that pounding on the hardwood will get to his legs and slowly render him mortal. But that probably won’t happen for four or five more seasons, so the Kobe-LeBron comparison won’t evaporate as a viable topic of barroom arguments anytime soon.
One area in which Bryant is said to have a considerable edge over James is in mental toughness, or more specifically, killer instinct. Kobe is as bloodthirsty on the basketball court as Michael Jordan used to be, and it shows at the end of big games. Much was made of this recently when James himself admitted to ESPN The Magazine that he didn’t think he was as good as Bryant because he doesn’t have the desire to “just kill everybody.”
This is not to be confused with a coach killer, like Stephon Marbury.
But this is all relative. It isn’t as though James hides among the team’s cheerleading squad when an important shot needs to be taken. James is also a clutch performer, it’s just that his fangs aren’t dripping with venom like Bryant.
James has the advantage over Bryant when it comes to team play and all the intangibles it entails. In fairness, it should be noted that since Bryant’s 81-point outburst on Jan. 22, he has appeared more willing to share the rock. Maybe he was embarrassed by the indulgence and therefore made more of a commitment to getting his teammates involved, or maybe he was just exhausted and realized he needed help. Either way, he’s been more inclined to pass and trust his teammates.
But James has always been that way. He is more of a triple-double threat than Bryant, which means he is more likely than Kobe to let the game come to him. Bryant forces his will upon the opposition, with varying degrees of success.
James is also perceived to be the better guy in the locker room. Bryant has improved greatly since his tantrum-a-day routine of two years ago, when he was going through the sexual assault fiasco at the same time he was trying to juggle vendettas against Shaquille O’Neal and Phil Jackson. But there are still times when tensions boil over. In those instances, it’s important for Bryant to command respect rather than simply dispense his displeasure.
Recently Kobe was seen on the bench shoving young teammate Sasha Vujacic after the kid made a bonehead mistake. Afterward, when queried about it, Bryant bristled, suggesting that no one bothered to notice that he encouraged Vujacic soon after. Yet it’s instances like this in which Bryant treads a thin line between team leader and overbearing superstar.
James never has had that problem, and as a result it’s easier for him to bring the best out of his teammates than it is for Bryant. The Lakers often seem more concerned with being snapped at by Kobe than by Phil Jackson. James is more amiable, more supportive, and therefore a better leader.
In the skill categories, Bryant probably gets the nod. He’s the best player off the dribble in the NBA. He’s probably the best pure shooter in the league as well, and definitely the best under pressure. Bryant also is a better one-on-one defender than James, although since the championship-pedigree Lakers of a few years ago were disbanded after the 2003-04 season and more offensive burden placed on Kobe in the new era, he hasn’t had the luxury of giving himself fully to playing defense. Kobe has been named to the NBA’s All-Defensive team five times — first team three times, second team twice — but was not included at all last season.
So what’s the verdict? Who is the best player in basketball?
Kobe Bryant, but barely.
Notice I didn’t say who is the best team player. If that were the topic on the table, James and Wade would be neck-and-neck, with Steve Nash closing fast.
But this is about ignoring team basketball for a moment and singling out one player for recognition.
LeBron is freaky good, to be sure, but Kobe has that extra quality that sets him apart. Maybe it’s arrogance. Maybe it’s contempt for the opposition. Maybe it’s an insatiable desire to be the best individual. Maybe it’s a lust for the limelight.
Whatever it is, Kobe Bryant has more of it than anybody.
by Michael Ventre NBC Sports.com