Magic Johnson Discusses Lebron and Kobe
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2024
- NBA legend and entrepreneur Magic Johnson talks to the WSJs Lee Hawkins about the strengths of Lebron James and Kobe Bryant and what it will take for them to each win more rings.
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magic Johnson has the voice of an angel
I love how Magic says "I could control the game without shooting the ball one time." As if to say "Michael and Kobe HAVE to shoot in order to play their game and for their teams to succeed." Completely true.
He’s not saying that at all
"once LeBron figured out he plays more like me than Michael, that's, now he's taking off." it's true.
The world should be worried about the day someone figures out that he plays more like Larry Bird than either of them
It's good to hear a good word about Lebron from one of the greatest to play the game
Kobe, 81 points 1 game 2nd best scorer in the history of the nba
Kobe scored and locked locked down Mcgrady by scoring 24 in the 4th on one shoulder
This game always has, and always will be, about getting buckets.
Man Magic Johnson is a bawssssssss I can listen to him talk all day long because he just makes so much sense I mean is there any reason to contest, subject or disagree with what he said on this... BAWSSSSSSSS
I was referring to Kobe's ability to keep composure on the last shot, cause when it comes down to the last shot and all the pressure is on, Kobe has proved time and time again he won't shy away from it and he'll take it head on and has proved it by hitting 28 game winners in his career.
Even looking at FT% in the clutch, LBJ shot like less than 70 in one aspect while Kobe shot over 80
Magic Johnson will always be my favorite player of all time. I remember intentionally drinking Pepsi rather than Coke in the 80's (even though I always liked Coke more) just because Magic had pepsi and Jordan had coke.
Nobody has shown himself to be a better person after retirement than Magic has. I have to admit it's possible that he found humility because of the AIDs thing. I just hope he continues to stay around the NBA and not shy away.
:48 magic has been saying that for years, it took Lebron 8 years to accept it. and now he's a better player for it
i wish people would appreciate Magic more. The most entertaining and gifted player to play the game ...... who finished his career ;)
Lebron and kobe greatness speak for itself man, lebron the most gifted player ever , kobe the most skilled player ever
Batman Vs Superman.
Naw it ain't batman vs superman, kobe ain't human so he can't be batman ctfuuu
Add on kd is the most unguarable player ever, d.wade is the most explosive guard in nba history
Ballin Too Captain America Vs Superman
Ballin Too Jordan is the most explosive guard.
Very good comments made By Magic, as much as I think LeBron is Top 3 EVER, he's more like Johnson that Jordan.
Magic is so fun to listen to because I always agree with what he has to say
Magic is such a likable dude.
best analysis so far on lebron and kobe!
lebron makes his team mates better, now that is the best compliment you could get from the greatest point-guard of all time
Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest individual basketball players there's ever been. No question about that. But what Lebron James brings to the game is different, and that's where some Kobe fans become blinded. Because the game of basketball is more than just scoring. Lebron makes every one of his team mates better, Kobe, does not. Lebron has a higher scoring average, field goal %, 3 point %, assists pg, rebounds pg, and % in the clutch. Kobe's efficiency is nowhere close to Lebron's. And I am not saying this from a Lebron James fan's stand point, I am saying this from a basketball fan's stand point. There's no denying Kobe's greatness, but what Lebron James brings to the game of basketball from every aspect of the game, is completely unbelievable. We are all witnesses.
No you got it all wrong. Throw out all the stats. The game is about winning. Dominique put up big numbers but could never win the big one.
Reggae Fan Yes, but Lebron has matched Kobe's finals MVPs at age 28, and has 4 MVPs while Kobe has 1. Lebron still has lots of great moments left in his career.
Samuel Samson you honestly about to tell me that kobe wasn't the best player from 2003-2010? the nba mvp is a very political award, and all the respect to dirk and nash but 2005,2006,2007 those should have been kobe's mvps no doubt. the best player in 2000s was unquestionably kobe, others may have better records but if were talking about the best individual player it was kobe no doubt about it. look at what happened in 2011, you honestly believe derrick rose or this year with kd, both those dudes are no way near lebrons level.
like what other experts says. stats awards doesnt tell the whole story of a great player, if 1. the level of competition before wher kobe battled prime duncan garnett and legends jordan olajuowan prime tmac carter iverson, 2. Counting stats (points per game, assists per game, rebounds per game etc.) are completely useless in regards to comparing players from different eras. Too many circumstances, such as teammates, level of competition, rule changes and playing styles make them impossible to really quantify.
dyodoublej lol i know man. the records and seasons show kobe wasn't going to get the award the years that i had stated. i agree with this article 100 percent. winning matters, although, that is a team accomplishment. the award is pretty subjective a lot of the times anyways. i just hate that its something people will attack kobe because he only has one. barkley, malone, kobe, shaq, hakeem, robinson all only have 1. my point was that mvps aren't the end all be all of a player's greatness. the fact that steve nash has 2 and those guys only have 1 each is just crazy in retrospect
That was a great analysts of the similarities both players have with great legends by Magic Johnson.
Magic on point as always. Magic always true to the game that's why he speaks it so real. The 2nd best basketball player ever after chris mullin
His aura is amazing, if anyone else said those things it would sound cocky
MAGIC JOHNSON IS THE BEST TALKING !!
POWERFUL.MAGIC
a great player knows when to score and dont. i agree and love that part.
yeah lebron is a great player,he scores,he pass,rebounds well.obviously,it's a factor to win a championship!but for me,a real champ does'nt need to switched teams along the best players in the league,unless you were traded!just like mj,kobe,larry and magic.they let their respective organization to build around them and be the man!what lebron does was to make things easier for him to get into the finals..
Lebron is bound to win one with the cavs which had a losing record last year
Kobe is amazing in every way
Individually, but Bosh & Wade combined is = to Shaq. So you keep it real.
i completely agree with you...
i beleive their 6 years difference of age is an important clue..
i would like to say whos better when they both end their carrers...
its yet to be seen whos better
I love you Magic!!
Magic is the boss
"in the end, i would choose someone who WANTS to take the shot no matter what."
You can have that. I rather take someone who is going to make the right play, whether that is attacking the basket to make the layup, or passing it to a wide open teammate for the shot.
Magic is always spot on in his analysis. To be fair, it's indisputable that Jordan is the best and Kobe #2 on championships. Both guys proved their greatness by winning it all and both had the will to win and made it happen. LeBron though is like a combination of Magic and Jordan and it's quite crazy. I think physically, there has never been anyone like him. Other than Magic, I don't think there has ever been anyone who could play the 1-5 like LeBron and even then, he's more athletic than Magic
Magic Johson-" He controls the game, like me"
Reporter- " oh I get it now, just like in 2011 in the finals right?
Magic Johnson -" um not really"
Me - this is why he is second best.
man wouldn't that be relief to magic right about now....
Oh hey, it’s the dude that drops and sucks on cigars.... and he interviewing the Magic Johnson 😂
Man i never thought of it that way. People always tryina compare Lebron to MJ, but hes not that kind of a player, in Miami he is always looking to get the team going and he can control the game, just like Magic. You should compare Kobe to MJ because they are very similar players.
I hope people realize that just because someone has great teammates, it doesn't mean their value goes down. People put down Kobe for playing with Shaq, others put down Lebron for playing with Bosh and Wade. Name one top ten player that did not have at least one Hall of Famer as a teammate. Bird had Mchale/Parish, Magic had Kareem/Worthy, MJ had Pippen/Rodman. Judge players by their impact to the games not their teammates.
Every Kobe hater says the same thing, "Kobe was Shaqs sidekick by a long shot" but you always fail to bring up the point that, sidekick or not, Shaq wouldn't have won a single one of those three rings without Kobe, and Shaq said that himself. Just like Jordan wouldn't have won a single one of his six without Pippen, even though Pippen was the sidekick. That doesn't make Pippen any less vital then he was to that team.
Magic is on point. LBJ is like Magic, and Kobe is like MJ
kobe cannot do the things lebron does on the ring? really? can lebron shoot the way kobe does? can lebron drive the basket with much skills and footwork? can lebron dunk in different style not just tomahawk dunk? can lebron make a post up to kobe and shoot a fadeaway jumpshot on his face,like what kobe always do to him embarrassing lebron on isolation or post up situation
lebron dosent need to do anything with flair in a game, he can post up and shoot faders, he can drive with skill and footwork, stop trying to compare a 6'6" 210 pound shooting guard to a 6'9" 250 monster of a small forward
CheapAuzzieGamer All that Lebron does is run like a bull in the court and try to dunk, always the same dunks, KOBE = MICHEAL
right
tired of watching his moves. he only knows fastbreak dunk tomahawk dunk. easy wide open shot.and a spin move thats all. have you notice when he drive, he always swing his arm just like he was pushing away his defender, really no footwork skills there just force
King Sary michael jordan >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> kobe
no matter what ...kobe is far much better dan d little lebron
Lebron on steroids
Valid point, but Kobe dragged a roster with barely any talent to the finals in '08, there starters were like Fisher, Kwame, Luke Walton & Pau, no good players aside from Pau and Kobe got them to the finals, granted he did have a better team than LeBron but he also didn't get swept so I think it's closer than most people think.
Not to mention Kobe deals with pressure situations better when it comes to things like shooting in the clutch LeBron tends to shy away from that stuff sometimes
(2) I agree, LBJ wasn't in his prime in '07, neither was Kobe in '04, I was simply saying Kobe's been getting his team to win longer, that was my point, you brought the Cavs in it.
But the main point I was saying is: Winning is what basketball is about, the better player = the better winner, Kobe's been doing that his whole career, and after this up coming season, If LBJ can perform like last season, then I'll say prime LJ> prime KB, but for now i'm just not yet convinced
It wasn't a jab at all, and he conveyed his message perfectly. Bringing up MJ was appropriate because the discussion was about LeBron and Kobe, and how Kobe fits to mold of MJ better than LeBron and LeBron fits the mold of Magic. I wouldn't have appreciated this discussion as much if MJ wasn't brought up. It illustrates his point all the better.
-What means "Magic" from Magic Johnson?
-My Ass Got Infected , Coach
@gtg309v wow. I never really thought about it that way. Good point!!
Kevin Durant is also a small forward.
(3) And I'm not claiming that LeBrons shit because he had help or anything like that, everybody needs help, but Kobe's been closing games to help his team win rings all throughout the 2000 decade. LeBron is now leading his team to rings, which is why in my eyes LBJ is now truly becoming great, not just talented, so give him time, but in my eyes KB has still done more to win.
Dude wake up, Kobe won 3 of 5 his championship teamed up with probably the most dominant player who ever played the game ( 1. Wilt Chamberlain) - Shaq. He didn't do it by himself. And people say Jordan did it by himself 2, nope he had scottie and dennis.
kobe has the highest basketball iq in nba history and kobe was high on assists this season he was like 18 on the list out of the 500+ players there are in the nba
Magic is incredible person... Just look at him how he talks about basketball, with love, passion :)... He's one from 6 billion people for many reasons :). Lebron could be better than him but as a player, not as a person :)... Kobe and Jordan are similar in everything :)
(2/2) And Kobe's main talent over LeBron is his ability to be an assasin down the stretch and never crumble under the pressure when taking big shots. Time & time again we've seen LeBron pass up or airball shots he should take/make because he seems to have a harder time keeping composure under pressure situations.
But Kobe's been doing that his whole career. But regardless, both aren't perfect and both will go down as greats & HOF'ers
might be 2 by next week, plus what do u expect when he played most of his career in Cavs.
made perfect sense
The world should be worried about the day someone figures out that he plays more like Larry Bird than either of them
kobe is 4th on the all time scoring record which obviously shows that he is a great scorer and the reason people put him up with jordan is because they are very similar and you can't deny that style of play stature,height and obviously these do not really affect them as players it just gives reason to compare
Exactly.
i agree with you man...the basketball is so much different nowdays ..
so why they keep comparing lbj to jordan?
And Kobe wasn't? He used to go one on one with Micheal, and Kobe would give him a challenge. Right now, Lebron is the best in the world and probably will be for years to come But you've gotta remember, Kobe played during Micheal's era, and now, when he is 34, he is still one of the best in the league. That's insane.
Been saying that forever, Bron can control a game and have 10pts at halftime. MJ and Kobe are score first players i.e shooting guards, Bron is a pass first type. Kevin Garnett was the same until he realized he had to be more aggresive minded.
Hova 1987 People compare them as 2 scorers but of course MJ and Kobe are better scorers (Not really Kobe since he stayed in the league too long and dropped to 24 ppg)
@@BladeNV123 well Kobe dealt with injury his last 4 years fool.. of his numbers we’re going to drop
What was weird about what Magic said was that it sorta came out like if you play like me you win championships, yet MJ won more....so it was kind of a subtle jab at MJ that I don't think he conveyed his msg too well. He shouldn't have brought up MJ but instead say that Lebron shouldn't have tried to do it all himself in the first year in Miami but be more of a playmaker.
This seasons, I'd say LeBron's more of a breed between Magic and Karl Malone. Magic would score a lot when he needed to (1980 Finals, game 6 for example) but he was "pass first"; Malone's physique, power, and explosiveness combined Magic's versatility, being "buddies" with teammates, and self-less play... the result is LeBron James.
Jordan and Kobe are more alike: Generals with killer instincts and tireless work ethics, who were going to win doing it their way: as scoring machines.
I agree with magic!!!! Lebron is more of the control and sets things up. Kobe on the other hand is that beast ass scorer.
(1/2) Wade is a better help defender than James. James is definitely the better all around defender, but when it comes to help D, especially shot blocking Wade does that better. And at the end of the day Basketball is about getting your team to win, Kobe's been a leader and an allstar on the Lakers helping them get to 7 finals appearances, winning 5/7 being the main focus on his team for 3/7
LBJ on the other hand is 2/4 in his career. Both players at one point have been the best in the league.
Dude this is team basketball, neither of them did it alone, that is why teams that win championships have more than one star player
if oden can stay healthy ( that's a big IF) then heat are definitely favorites to 3peat...they were winning with lebron having to do most the work like rebounding, now they have someone to rebound so he can save his energy.
IM pretty sure when Mike Miller nailed 7/8 threes, Mike Miller had ot be on god damn fire to do that.. and it helps he is a 3pt specialist. LBJ faded in game 7.
I'll give 6-4 to MJ. Close games though. With LeBrons size and strength MJ will definitely have a tough time winning.
That's exactly what I'm saying. LeBron did this in his last year in Cleveland where he didn't show up vs. Boston for game 5 and part of game 6. When James doesn't get his way, he doesn't participate to prove a point. Notice how Wade had to turn over the team to James and then everyone in the media started to talk about what a 'transformation' James had while reading 'The Hunger Games'. James doesn't want to be #2, he wanted to take Miami away from Wade, which was his plot from the start.
. Derrick rose in his first 3 years got an MVP and led the bulls to the first seed (over 60 wins) twice, over miami. Are you forgetting Lebrons supporting cast? Wade, previous finals mvp, once the greatest in the league, Chris bosh, a top 5 pf, ray allen, most clutch player in the league and greatest 3 point shooter, and the rest are decent players that could probably start on other teams. Lebron without miami has 2 60 win seasons 0 titles and 1 finals sweep
Kobe is a great defensive player. 9× All-Defensive First Team.
That's true.
I still stand by my earlier statement, Kobe can do it all too, not as well as LeBron but he still can, great on the offensive & defensive end, and for a guard is a good rebounder too. But LeBron is more talented that was never the debate, it's about winning. And Kobe so far has proved to do that more, in time(as i said by like my 1st comment) in time, if LBJ can prove his ability to win more I'll take him over prime KB, just not yet
No, that's just not Kobes game, Ray allen in his prime was extremely good at putting it on the floor and taking it to the rim. As I stated Kobe's led the league in PITP before beating LeBron, so obviously he can.
It's the same with all shooters though, good shooters tend to shoot more than bad shooters, it's no secret, which often lowers there FG% And Kobe shot higher than LBJ in the mid range this year.
P.S. I see you realized that last comment was wrong and deleted it.
He knows the game, he is massively skilled and definitely up there with the Lakers (though I'd still put Magic above him). I agree he hits more shots than anyone else would on those. But there's a reason Lebron is more efficient and shoots at a higher percent, those shots are rarely necessary if you are an IQ player and can see the court. If you are tightly contested at the perimeter and you have quality big men, you should not be taking that perimeter shot at ~30% accuracy.
true true
Magic got a point here
"Kobe's a better scorer because of his versatility"
No, that just makes Kobe a more versatile scorer.
Scoring is just about getting the ball through the hoop, and whoever can do that more often than not is the better scorer regardless of how many different ways you moved, twisted or contorted your body on the way to getting the ball in the hoop.
If you're a fan of Kobe's game, that's fine. It doesn't change the fact that Lebron gets it done better.
Can somebody tell me what kobe did in the raptors? I think he hit 4 Clutch shots there its 4 of 4 !!
Not ppg, meant points per 36 min... obviously
I wish more kids saw this. comparing lbj to Michael Jordan is like comparing sprite to pepsi
there are so many factors to say that,...
against which team ? season or playoff game ? game winner (how many seconds left?)or
(1/2) As for the player thing, I never said Kobe is a better player than LeBron right now, it's not even a debate.
But as for a better scorer, because what can't Kobe do well in terms of scoring ? I'm comparing Prime LBJ to Prime KB. Kobe could post you up, shoot the 3, mid range, drive & finish at the rim(led the league in points in the paint, beating LeBron a couple years ago). Regardless of who's defending him Kobe has an answer.
No. The all defensive teams are chosen by coaches in the league. The all-star game is voted by the fans. I'm not saying Kobe is a better defender than Tony Allen or Iggy but he's pretty good.
You Kobe fans seem to forget Kobe was also a bench warmer for his first two years, when he finally got the chance to play air balled a lot of shots which costed them a game. Lebron was never a bench warmer. Do not misunderstand me though, Kobe is a great player but without help he'd have possibly 1 ring at that age. Just like Jordan only had 1 ring at that age.
sorry if that was confusing im tired and not really at my best all im saying is i think he is worth mentioning in the company of magic bird and the other greats he is that good no denying it and i just want to add that if anyone thinks the rings matter on how great you are that means jordan is no where as good as Bill Russel
In the 08 finals Kobe faced off against The celtics Big 3 + Rondo, and only had one other all star on his team(Gasol) who only averaged about 15ppg, and you could easily make the argument Kobe had a more talented roster than when LBJ went to the finals with the cavs and I wouldn't disagree with you, but on the other hand Kobe didn't get swept either, he took it to a game 6 whereas LBJ averaged about 5.5 TOV's, only scored 14 in game one, and didn't have one 30p game
It is about the shot and not about the possession / play.
That wasn't the point of that comment the point was why would he have to close a game if he have those type of people on his team you feel me?
You're not getting the point, Kobe and LeBron is hard to compare because there the greatest in different ways. Like MJ said, Lebron is the most dominant today, but the eagerness, the clutch, determination goes to Kobe. So the only thing for the two to be compare "or" not to be compared is for Lebron to get at least 5 rings as KB.
phil jackson does
You didn't get Magic's point dude, he's trying to say that LeBron is no MJ, which means LeBron is not a pure scorer, LeBron unlike Michael can do everything in the court, and when LeBron figures it out like Magic said, he will be the greatest basketball player of all time.
man this is what I've been saying forever. lebron is not comparable to mike or kobe because he's not that type of player. he's like magic. that's who he should be compared to.
Lebron still needs to come out of his shell. He's been doing that lately however there is nothing clutch about passing the ball with 5 seconds to go instead of taking responsibility and taking the shot
"(Lebron) plays for stats..." Just because Lebron can stuff a stat sheet, it doesn't mean he plays for stats. The only stats most great NBA players play for are wins and rings. Oscar Robertson once averaged a triple-double, it doesn't mean he played for stats, it just means he was that good. Same goes any other great stat sheet stuffer (Kobe included).
Kobe on his prime got 1 MVP and NEVER played in all positions making his team better. Lebron has 4 and no longer was scorer he was at first. He is complete. Bunch of teenagers who never saw a game before 2000 think basketball is all but scoring and shooting. Go play 2k14
+Mr. Entringer MVPs are voted on by media, and we all know the media types have distanced themselves (or even hated) Kobe ever since his Colorado stuff. Kobe was snubbed by them, and Lebron is their little princess, so it's no wonder they vote for him every year. It's a popularity contest, not a measurement of greatness.
BUT.... just because Lebron plays more like Magic doesn't make him therefore BETTER than Kobe. Kobe, for a guy who shoots first, still managed to average 5.2 assists a game for the main 15 seasons of his career (seasons he started thru his injuries). Kobe WAS an all-around player. On offense AND defense, he could come up huge whenever his team needed a score or a stop. He had more career assists than any other player who's scored 30000, so it's really a myth that Kobe doesn't pass. The BIG thing I dislike about Lebron is not that he likes to pass first, but that when his team needs HIM to score in critical moments, he's backed away from it as much as he's stepped up. From the years that I've watched him, my view is that Lebron cares more about his stats than he does taking taking the big risks to help his team win titles. Lebron COULD be SO MUCH better than he has been through his career. Kobe gave 150% of himself every single game. Lebron looks like an entitled athlete, and teams have beaten him in so many instances because they want it more. it's disappointing to me. And I respect heart more than I do physical greatness. Kobe maximized who he could be, and ended up winning more rings because of it.
Oh sure. He passed more if compared against centers and power forwards who scored 30k points or MJ that retired bazillion times and didnt play as many games as Kobe who ended up winning more rings because he had Shaq against nobodies on NBA Finals. 4 x MVP on popularity contest? Yeah, right. Lebron is a princess and MJ is the queen? No. not that.
+eskimo289 kobe robbed lebron the one time he did win mvp, just face it lebrons been better and kobe never truly was the mvp of this league
yeah right because Kobe did outplayed all the MVP winners of 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007. Look it up idiot.
Yeah Shaq was against duds and his real challenge came with a washed up Mutombo. While Kobe is averaging equal, if not, better in the playoffs on their 3peat against the best perimeter defenders of the decade. Look it up. Shaq outplayed Kobe in stats on the finals but without Kobe, Shaq won't win anything. The reason why Shaq until now get bad vibes when people say it was Kobe who helped him win championship, ego has filled his head, thinking he carried Kobe. If you look at their plays, triangle was created for Shaq to have easy baskets and Kobe is the one who starts and facilitates the triangle most of the time. Without Kobe, they won't get past Portland, Spurs, or the Kings. The only thing Shaq carried was the 2000 season championship. 2001 they both contribute. But 2002 showed Kobe stepping up and putting the team in his back. A YOUNG KOBE, not yet in prime. Fucking noobshits.
LeBron is a more dominant scorer because of his ability to put up a lot of points with great efficiency
But Kobe's a better scorer because of his versatility, Kobe can do it all, post up, create shots, come off screens etc. Which is the reason Kobe came close to his 3rd scoring title even at 34y/o LeBrons scoring just isn't at that level, yet.
better player or better scorer ?
That's what they say about all players who score a triple double and shoot %90 from the line in game 7 of the NBA finals to lead their team to a championship.
That they faded.