Jerry West says LeBron James was better than Kobe Bryant back in 2009: “Well to me, it’s a no brainer, LeBron James. Even though it’s hard for me to be objective because I brought Kobe to Los Angeles Lakers, I do think LeBron has surpassed Kobe as a player”

39 comments

  2. I remember the slander and vitriol Kobe stans had for Jerry after this. Really separated the Kobe fans from true Lakers fans

  3. best evaluator of NBA talent of all time. lebron over kobe in 09 was a pretty unpopular opinion even though all the numbers had lebron over kobe back then.

  4. It’s actually insane how many Kobe fans have diluted themselves into thinking LeBron STILL hasn’t passed Kobe… honestly it’s kinda sad in a way. Objectively Kobe has borderline no argument for being better than LeBron. He is an all-time great and the unquestioned 2nd greatest shooting guard of all-time. But he isn’t in the GOAT discussion.

  5. There’s an entire genre of youtube channels dedicated to hating LeBron James, which is insane in and of itself, but whats more fascinating is despite most of these videos being dedicated to how Jordan is much better most of them aren’t Jordan fans. I’ve watched lots of these videos, just because I’m a Bron fan and like listening to arguments that I haven’t heard (I know all the things that make Bron great but I love hearing people talk about their love for Jordan too, helps me appreciate both players better) and without fail you eventually realise that every single one of these Bron hater channels are Kobe fans. It’s so weird, I have no idea why Kobe fans ~~exist he’s a fucking weirdo~~ have such a hate boner for LeBron. Can anyone genuinely explain it to me as I’m a relatively new fan to the NBA

  7. In 2009 I feel like LeBron and Wade caught up to Kobe by then. That doesn’t diminish Kobe’s greatness at all

  8. What holds Kobe back imo is that he was looked at as the sidekick for 3 of his rings and Kobe got 1 mvp

  13. Everybody knew

    Even kobe rapist apologists, they knew

    Kobe got his little window, and then it was LBJs league

  15. Kobe was a bad shot taker and bad shot maker, the best at that actually. Not efficient at all, selfish on the court. But his work ethic was insane so gotta give him that.

    Pretty much any of Lebron’s seasons stats wise are better than any season Kobe had.

  18. Yall really love to have a dead guy living rent free in your head… OP really woke up and decided to shit on a dead guy first thing in the morning to farm for some upvotes

  21. I never liked Kobe but in 2009-2011 I would’ve rather had him during the playoffs than LeBron. It’s hard for me to consider LeBron the best player in the league at that time when he froze up during the 2011 finals and stopped shooting

  22. Fake News! All that matters is the number of rings a player has. Kobe 5 > LeBron 4, LeBron sucks…

  23. It’s kinda understandable where’s he’s coming from. Bron was a generational freak athlete in the same tier as Jordan, Giannis and Shaq.

  26. I love Kobe, but he’s one of the most overrated players ever. The fact that some people actually believe he was better than LeBron is insane. In 09 it was close, but knowing what we know now, LeBron is significantly greater. Kobe wasnt even the best player on his own team those first 3 titles. Some people legitimately believe Kobe is the 2nd best player of all time after Jordan. That has to be the hottest take I’ve ever heard.

  27. All the Laker uncles losing it back then .. Jerry was a real one, Lakers did him dirty.

  28. As much as I have never been a LeBron fan I have always understood that we have been lucky to witness an athlete of his class. We haven’t one that comes close to him since he was drafted. And who know how long it takes till we get another of his calibre.

  30. 2 totally different types of players…why are they always compared? Leave this shit be and just appreciate the game

  32. Kobe fans are delusional, they still try to put him in the goat category he definitely doesn’t belong in.

  33. Late 2000s and early 2010s, this was a conversation that always leaned to Bron as the better player. People were still saying Kobe wasn’t shit without Shaq, that LeBron just needed better teammates. Where it kind of became contentious was after Kobe got the first two rings while Bron was still ringless, and Kobe stans [and the “purists”] ran with that take even further [I guess justifiably] after the 2011 Finals lol.

  35. At no point was Kobe the best player in the world yet people still try to GOAT him

  38. Kobe went on to win the next 2 titles… also by 2009 Kobe was 30 and LeBron was 21.

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