The Griffon News

I hear arguing about who the best player in the NBA is, so I’m just going to have to come out and say it: Kobe Bryant.

Many other players come up when this topic is being discussed. Players such as Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Tracy McGrady and Tim Duncan. While all these players are good, they just don’t compare to Kobe.

Kobe won three straight championships in 2001-2003. Yes, he did have Shaq, but nobody can win three straight championships by themselves. I know right now you’re thinking,
“What about Michael Jordan?”

I have to say that Jordan was on a totally different level, and Jordan also had good role players and an underrated Scottie Pippen. So you have to respect Kobe’s rings.

Dwyane Wade won a championship last year with Shaq, but he also has Jason Williams, Antoine Walker, Gary Payton and Alonzo Morning. That’s a pretty nice squad if you ask me, but Wade won’t win it again. That is one compared to three.

You also have to respect Kobe’s 35.4 pts/g last season, which includes an 81 point performance. He does shoot the ball a lot, but his shooting percentage was 45%, slightly better than Iverson’s. He shot 60% in the game where he scored 81. If my guy is shooting 60% from the field, I don’t care if he shoots every time, especially if I got guys on my team like Brian Cook, Devean George, Luke Walton and Kwame Brown. Who are these guys? That is not a good supporting cast.

Not only did he score, but he carried his team to the playoffs. LeBron James also carried his team, but he is still young and is in a weaker Eastern Conference where you have the Heat and the Pistons. At the same time, James also had a good team with players such as Larry Hughes, Damon Jones and Zydrunas Ilgauskas (who is pretty good). If Kobe had this cast then the Lakers would have been in the NBA finals. Instead they went to a game seven with the Suns, who made a nice run in the playoffs. Again, look at what Kobe had to work with.

Tracy McGrady has never done anything too special individually, or with a team for me to consider him as one of the best. Time Duncan, to be honest, is a great player with great numbers and he has championships under his belt. I just can’t consider him the best because he is just to dang boring. I hate watching him play, and I hate the Spurs. So he is out too.

So I think I made a good case for my man Kobe. You will find out this season what Kobe is really made of. Let Kobe get one good player come trade time, and it’s a wrap. The Lakers will always be a threat with Kobe on the team. Others will compete but, for now, he is the best in the game.