Its that time of the year; the Lakers are playing the Cavaliers and once again we bring up the age old topic, who is better? Lebron or Kobe? are we done comparing Kobe to MJ? is Lebron the next MJ?

Through all the hoop-la tommorow, the focus will undoubtetly be on Kobe and Lebron who will little if all will be guarding eachother except for some rare fast break situations where quick matchups occur.

I will be blunt in my comparison because i feel that it is a fair one. Lebron James is a man child standing at 6 foot 8 weighing in at 265 pounds. He’s faster than most NFL cornerbacks and stronger than most linebackers. To say that he is a man playing amongst boys is quite an understatment. He is a man playing amongst boys, an amazing athlete. That however, is where he gets the bulk of his advantages over other players. Yes, he has improved his shooting, but his free throw percentage is still average at best and his defense is just the same. He has poor footwork with his so called “crab dribble”, but to his defense, a person that fast and that size doesnt need the footwork that Kevin McHale had to get by defenders.

Lebron James is a great basketball player, but relies on his athleticism where as a player like Kobe Bryant uses much more IQ and fundementals, combined with severe athleticism, to still be the best player in the NBA. It is no secret, Kobe’s quickness and athelticism have declined the last couple years. He’s getting older, and that is just part of the game. He still has managed to played great, shooting his highest percentage from the field this season than at any other time in his career. His knowledge on both the defensive and offensive end has enabled him to be subject to many double teams which in turn have contributed to others on his team having to score the basketball.

If any of you watched the the Lakers play the Magic, you saw Kobe get trapped on the corner of the box. He had nowhere to go so he reversed pivoted and shot a little baby jumper with his left hand from the free throw line. It is this wily play and craftiness that puts Kobe in his own league; one that Lebron James has yet to reach.

I fear that when Lebron’s freakishly ahtletic skills begin to deteriorate, so will his level of play. The same has not been said for Kobe Bryant who has not only kept up his level of play, but actually risen it.

I cannot wait to watch this upcoming game that showcases the best two players in the league today. Though both are great, and play their respective games to the fullest capacity, it is safe to say that still in this matchup, Kobe gets the nod.