Kobe Bryant & Michael Jordan

[erokero85]

You know, after watching these videos, it really is scary how similar these two are.

Kobe's shot was by far the harder shot, but in fairness to MJ, I remember watching that game live, and to me it looked like MJ was going to end up way short on the dunk he wanted. Thus the changing of hands. Granted from the lower angle it looks like he had a ton of time, but it's harder to tell if the ball is still above the rim, which I don't think it was. To me, the best angle is from the left, and it looks like the dunk is heading for the front of the rim, and a sure miss. So it was not so much to show off, as to fix a bonehead play. Yes the dunk was meant for style points, but the change of hands just covered up he was way short. But like Ahyja said, the media slants how they view Jordan so they took it as he meant to do that all along.

Ayhja, I completely agree w/ you about the slant between MJ and Kobe. I think Kobe's biggest problem will always that Jordan came first.

Plus the point about whether to pass or not pass in critical points, I think all "superstars" will always get the blame if the shot is missed. It always happens, a guy will make the right "basketball" play, but if the other guy misses the shot, it's "the superstar should shoot" but if that same guy goes 1-on-4 and misses, it's "he should have passed". It's just the price of being the star of a team I guess. Just look at how LeBron gets crushed every time Cleveland loses a game at the buzzer. Heck half the time when they win people still find things to complain about.

[AYHJA]

You know, after watching these videos, it really is scary how similar these two are.

Blows me away man...It's scary...Mike was the RAW version, you know..? He reminds me so much of those late 60's muscle cars that I love so much...If you watch tapes and games of MJ, he didn't have a crazy, killer cross over...Didn't have perfect form on his jump shots...He just...Exploded on motherfuckers man...Kobe is the modern day muscle car...He's got the power, but also the finess...He's got the Horsepower that the old cars have plus the fancy shit that comes with the progression of technology...

Sorry, I love analogies... :D But, that describes it perfectly for me...For what its worth, I'd say that if Kobe was in MJ's era, he would be MJ and vice versa...I love the new Dodge Chargers...But give me a '69 Charger any day...You can make your arguments for either, get the pavement painted in either...I guess that, much like this convo, is just personal preference...

I literally remember when Kobe was a youngster how close he was to MJ all the time...You could see Kobe talking to Michael on the court...Not trash, Kobe was trying to learn from him...I knew then that the Hornets would feel what the TrailBlazers felt when it was all said and done...

I remember watching MJ change hands...I was breathless...I couldn't believe that he'd done the shit...I'm not sure what the point of it was, but he had that look in his face like he wanted to jam it, took off, and realized he wasn't 24 years old anymore...I had not had a breathless moment with Kobe that I can remember until he did the change hands move in the Finals...