Why I don’t like LeBron in the MVP race
I have to say — and I realize I’m distinctly in the minority here – the Portland-Cleveland game Thursday night reinforced in my mind why I’m not a huge LeBron James fan. I wouldn’t give my MVP vote to him, either.
James had his triple double and for most people, that’s enough analysis of his game. But the guy was 10 for 22 from the field and 6 for 11 from the line. He ran from ANY shot outside of about 10 feet. He was a minus-1 for the game, too. In other words, the Cavs were outscored by a point while he was on the floor.
I’m a grumpy old guy — yeah, we know that by now. I can’t stand the way he goofs around on the court during introductions and handles all his other pregame schtick, from the posing teammates while holding the invisible camera to the dancing around while shooting layups. But that’s not really important. What really bothered me was I thought last night he didn’t take the game or the Blazers seriously until the fourth quarter, when admittedly, he really turned it on. His two jump hooks in the lane at the end of overtime were incredible.
He’s a great player and a stat monster – nobody would argue that. But I am partial to shooters, guys who can cut your heart out with a tough jumper from distance with the game on the line. With LeBron, you beg him to shoot threes. You leave him wide open. You encourage the 20-foot jumper, too. I just don’t think he’s spent the time in the gym that Kobe Bryant has, honing his game.
I think he’s a little too busy being LeBron James. The guy seems more like a corporation than a basketball player sometimes. I think he sees himself as an entertainer first and a player second, which in today’s world is probably just fine. But it doesn’t feel right to me.
Sure, he doesn’t have to settle for long jumpers – he can get to the rim just about any time he wants. OK, that’s fine. But does he work as hard on his game as some of the other greats do? Or is he just relying on freakish skills he was born with?
Oh, that probably doesn’t matter. I guess he’s just not my type of player.
NBA | Dwight Jaynes | March 20, 2009
Cleveland Cavaliers, Dwight Jaynes, Lebron James, MVP, NBA, Portland Trail Blazers
You are flat out crazy Dwight. While LeBron was a -1 in that game, he’s 3rd in the NBA in adjusted plus/minus for the season (after Wade and Paul). If you want to make a case for one of those guys for MVP, I’d listen but calling LeBron a player second is absurd. There has never been a player with his strength, speed and athleticism (at least that I’ve seen– I’m only 25 though).
Yeah Dwight, you’re prefernces are keeping you from looking at James as a player first. Because he is new age and casual sometimes, to an observer, but that’s how today’s player truly excel at handling great expectations. Greg Oden needs to take a page from Lebron’s attitude. Not saying there’s anything wrong with Greg’s attitude. But it’s the demeanor Lebron carries that raises his teamates and his perception to another level. He obviously has the skills and the body to dominate in the NBA.
And Lebron has been working on his 3 for awhile now, he just perfers to drive and get to the foul line. Yes, he does need to improve his free-throw shooting but being the mvp isn’t about being flawless, or else steve nash never should have won even twice. Nor Dirk. Neither of those guys can do half of what Lebron does, or else the Suns and the Mavs wouldn’t be at the bottom of the West’s Elite 9 right now.
No arguement he is an absolute beast of a player. And he is the MVP, really hard to argue it. In spite of that, I agree with you dwight! He is not my type of player either. That pre-tipoff routine is just lousy sportsmanship! That kind of in-your-face circus has no place in sports. It’s taunting at the very least and he should be fined. It’s on the same level as the garnett dog stance fiasco. Lebron is a joke!
Actually Charlie, I think James needs to take a page out of Greg’s book. I like the no-nonsense, old time style where you dont jump into team mates, you dont toss chaulk into the air and you dont pose for invisible pictures. You just show up to the game and ball. Can you picture Bill Walton dancing in the layup line?
We see eye to eye on this one Dwight. I can’t stand the guy. Wow, he sure is good though.
I agree Dwight. I know he is talented, and is a exceptional athelete,but he is a bit of a histrionic and goes out of his way to try and keep the spotlight on himself. He has done this to the point at being a lil bit annoying…
If I need a clutch shot, I will go with Kobe everytime. Further, I am quite happy with Roy as our superstar. I really like how he conducts himself both on and off the court…
Lastly, Lebron definently does alot of boasting but honestly what has he ever won? I see no NBA rings on his finger, and the last time he made it to the finals the spurs absolutely shut him down
Great player, horrible ego
I will preface most post by saying that I am a biased blazer fan, but I would take B. Roy over Lebron if I had to choose a player for the last possession of a game. Lebron is the better player. He’s more dominating and physically gifted, but Roy can create his shot just as good (if not better) and Roy is flat out a better shooter. He’s made more game winning and game changing shots than Lebron has in his career. Roy is such a poised player when the money is on the line. I know I’m in the minority on this but Roy is no worse than a top 5 closer in the NBA and I’d take him any day over Lebron in the end of game scenario. I agree with DJ. My MVP has to be a better shooter. I might even go with D. Wade over Lebron this season. It’s very close for me though.
Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh won a gold medal for Lebron while he was selling shoes to the Chinese fans. Dwight Howard looked befuddle by international play. Don’t get me started on Kobe taking the last shot and all the glory. I know this all is off topic, but that can be extrapolated into the NBA regular season. Lebron sells shoes first and foremost. Of course he seems like a corporation. He wants to be a billionaire right? From the pre-game antics to the posing to the coasting into the forth quarter it gotta be (about selling) the shoes.
Yeah I kind of agree. I wonder if Lebron’s physical tools allow him to get away with not being quite as sharp as Kobe. That could be the one thing that stops Lebron from being better than Kobe or Michael. Physically he is better than both of them, but maybe that’s why he won’t develop as much mentally.
A lot of times when I watch him play, I think he makes it easy on the other teams by taking bad outside shots or not making the right decisions. You don’t see that from Kobe. Kobe is a little bit smarter with his game.
And to be honest, I dont think the Cavs are as good as their record indicates. Of the 3 elite teams, I think they have the worst shot at winning the title this year. My money is on Lakers vs Celtics again.
I think if you watched the game closely last night you would have noticed that Lebron had 5 or 6 jumpers rim out on him last night, they were not bricks by any stretch of the imagination. Granted, he did miss more free throws than he usually does. If those fall down, which most nights for him they do, the Cavs easily win the game and he drops 35-40. Another thing you need to understand, and since I watch every cavs game closely, is that Lebron almost always takes it easy in the first half of home games. He likes to get the other guys into a groove, so he can either keep feeding them or take over in the second half. Lastly, the goofing around thing is just what makes him fun to watch. Sure he scowls, he is intense and he clearly wants to win every game (look at all of the 4th quarter comebacks he has orchestrated), but at the same time he has fun playing a game.
Umm.. no way. Sorry Dwight I am a Blazer fan, but there is no way he is not the MVP, much less “in the MVP discussion”. Thos Jump Hooks you reference remind you of anyone? That is Patrick Ewing’s jump hook that Lebron just happened to pick up this summer, the only way you get that is by working your butt off.
MVP does not have to be a great jump shooter. They simply have to be the best player in the NBA, and Lebron is that without question. When is the last time a team has had a one loss home record this late in the season? He uses the tools that he has to be as effective as possible, which include strength and athleticism to finish inside. He is also learning from other players, he spent the first quarter trying to get the rest of his teammates involved and undeniably did that finishing with a triple-double. These stats are indicative of what he did do in the game. Often times Brandon will also finish either with a +1 or even negative compared to other players, such as Rudy. Does that mean Brandon is worse of a player than Rudy? no. That often means that the other team’s bench was fairly ineffective.
The antics before the game are great. They let you see his and his teams personality and has really bonded them as a team. They have a ton of fun playing the game of basketball and I like that a lot. I kind of wish the Blazers had some more of their confidence in that way honestly.
So yea anyways in short, I disagree
“Yeah I kind of agree. I wonder if Lebron’s physical tools allow him to get away with not being quite as sharp as Kobe. That could be the one thing that stops Lebron from being better than Kobe or Michael. Physically he is better than both of them, but maybe that’s why he won’t develop as much mentally.”
you realize he’s 24 years old right? he’s not a finished product by any means.
and, if memory serves me, both MJ and kobe both heavily relied on their athleticism in their early years. but regardless of that, he IS that athletic, so why wouldn’t he use those tools to his utmost advantage?
i don’t understand the lebron haters…what did MJ win when he was in his 6th year in the NBA? what has kobe done without one of the three greatest centers in NBA history? nothing. so they get a benefit of the doubt, but a guy who’s all but unstoppable is criticized? wow, that makes a lot of sense.
and for the last shot? why would i take kobe? because of his reputation? look at his % on those last shots, it’s around 25%…THAT’S good? come on people…take off the glasses, watch the games, and just appreciate lebron for who he is instead of creating grandoise expectations that NO player can live up to.
Wow, I can’t believe what I’m reading here. Mr. Jaynes, you’re going to knock to guy for having fun out there before the game? I’d argue that the league needs more guys like this. He doesn’t have the off the court issues, he’s an absolute killer in the 4th quarter….and he’s only 24!!! Cut him some slack on his jumper. He’s been working on it, and again…he’s only 24!
You mentioned Kobe Bryant. When Kobe was 24 years old, he shot 38% from 3′s…and is only a 34% three point shooter for his career. Lebron is a 33% three point shooter for his career, and 34% on threes this year.
Let’s look at Jordan. When he was 24 years old, he shot 13% from threes…and was a career 32% from threes. I’ll admit that both Kobe and Jordan have better mid range games…but that part of their game wasn’t perfected till much later in their careers.
The last point that I don’t agree with..is that you want a guy that “can cut your heart out with a tough jumper from distance with the game on the line”. Really? You’d rather rely on a jumper to win a game? Personally, I’d rather have a 6’8″, 270lb man taking it to the hole with incredible ball handling and equally incredible body control. Seems much more high percentage to me.
I’m as big of a Blazer fan as any…but please check the “I’d rather have Roy at the end of games than Lebron” argument at the door. It’s idiotic and makes you look like a homer that doesn’t know basketball.
Cleveland has the best record in the league for a reason. Mo Williams has been a HUGE addition because he’s a great shooter…but let’s realize that we’re watching a guy revolutionize the game..and he’s 24! Try and enjoy it.
LeBron has 0 rings.
Zero.
And he spent most of the gold medal game on the bench. D-Wade won that game.
D-Wade has rings.
Just so we’re clear – you’d never vote for a Center as MVP then? You are comparing LeBron, who is a Forward, with 2 shooting guards and saying because he doesn’t shoot as well as the shooting guards he shouldn’t be MVP. You don’t see the silliness of that?
D-Wade has one ring. He and Kobe both had the luxury of a certain 7’2″ monster on their teams too which freed them up tremendously.
Lebron has never had someone of shaq’s caliber on his team to help him.
And it doesn’t even matter, the MVP award doesn’t give a shit about how many rings you have won in the past. And Lebron was one of the biggest reasons team usa won the gold along with D-Wade you ignorant fool.
Mr. James how many games have you watched Lebron this year in comparison to all of his years in the league? I’ve watched Lebron since his high school games on espn. I’ve watched his jumpshot go from below average to average(which it is now). He’s shooting an all-time high in FG% & FT% as we speak. He’s scored over 40pts 9x already this season. Did you watch the game against Mil when he had 55pts, including 16 within 3 minutes? He shot 8-11(3pts fg’s) that game. How about miami when he scored 42pts including goin 6-7(3pt fg’s). He shot .30%(3pt%) the 1st 3 months of the season but in Jan he shot .40% & in Feb he shot .385%. Which clearly shows his stroke is improving.
I guess you also didnt see the game recently against orl when he hit a 3 within the last 30 seconds to seal the game or how about the game winning shot at the buzzer against GS which would classify him in your department of “shooters, guys who can cut your heart out with a tough jumper from distance with the game on the line.”
I don’t understand why someone has to change their game up to become a shooter in order to get MVP recognition. Does Shaq or Wilt have to start hitting 3′s to deserve an MVP? All players have weaknesses but you play to your strengths. And it would make alot more sense for him or anyone to go to the bucket rather than to bail out the defense with a jumper at the end of a game.
Furthermore, your point about not appreciating his pre-game “theatrics” shows that you are also out of touch with the youth of america. 1st of all if you or anyone received $90 million alone from nike while youre a senior in high school, i think you would have a reason to be seen smiling & dancing & happy. The man has the world at his feet & you want him to walk around lookin grumpy & intimidating like Greg Oden?! Give me a break. When he takes the fake pictures with the team, it shows how strong of a bond he has with everyone down to even the 12th man of a team. They feel that he is just as much a part as they are & NOT ABOVE THEM. Thats something Mr. Bryant will & could not ever understand.
It’s amazing that you try to find fault with him because he “didnt take the game over until the 4th”. Well I thought that’s what real champions & MVP’s were supposed to do? Try to involve your teammates & when the game is on the line, take it upon yourself to make the plays to win the game. Which is what he did, so instead of criticizing him for taking over the game when it mattered most, praise him for winning the game in a clutch situation. Which is exactly what he did.
Reading both this post and the comments, I am shocked at the arguments presented here.
First, statistical +/- of one game is the most useless, uncontrolled measurement of production, moreso than any other raw stat. If Lebron was -15 there might be point to be made, but a -1 doesn’t tell you anything. the difference between a -1 and a +5 is a few changes in substitution patterns and a few shots that roll in or out.
Second, Lebron probably works as hard on his game as any other player. Putting on 15+ pounds of muscle in the offseason takes work. Being able to consistently find the open man takes practice. Lebron is more Magic than Jordan in that he facilitates the game through the first three quarters, trying to get his teammates involved. While his shooting is not great, it has drastically improved from last season.
Some of the comparisons with Brandon Roy are valid, but please, Lebron is an entirely different class of player. I say that even as a fervent fan of Brandon Roy, who IMO is already comparable to Kobe Bryant. And while Lebron goofs off with his teammates before the game (how horrid! people having fun!), he’s always taken the game seriously once he’s on the court. And how does that fact that Lebron does not have any championships – which, you know, would have had to be won before this season – affect how good of a player he’s been in this current regular season?
dwade has 1 ring. and shaq led him to that, just like kobe.
The Stump… Of course you want to get to the hole but anyone who knows basketball knows that, in most cases, players, including Lebron James, can’t always get to the hole. Why do you think most game winners come from distance? That’s why you need to be able to hit a jumper. Stop making YOURSELF look idiotic by not having the basketball knowledge to realize this. NBA defenses pack it in and a guy that is a streaky shooter like Lebron is less likely to make the jumpshot than a guy like Kobe, MJ and yes, Brandon Roy. You’d rather have a streaky guy than a guy who is money from mid-range/long range? That’s stupid. Idiotic blazer homer or not, I’ll still take B. Roy at the end of a game before Lebron because when the defense collapses and the driving lanes close up, B. Roy’s going make the long range shot more often than Lebron. Roy has done it and Lebron hasn’t. If you don’t believe the idiotic blazer homer, look it up. Lebron has one game winning shot in his career. This year vs. Golden State.
I’ll admit I’m a Cleveland homer, but when I watch LeBron lately I think of Magic Johnson. You can really see the joy that he gets from competing and improvising and yes, pleasing the crowd. As a fan, I can’t imagine a more rewarding player to watch. Contrast that with someone like Kobe Bryant, who always seems to be playing in order to break or humiliate the other team. There seems to be a mean-spiritedness to his game which is fascinating to watch, but not all that likable.
I really respect players like Brandon Roy who just calmly and humbly go about their business on the court. That’s more my style when I play sports. But ultimately I watch professional ball for entertainment, so thank heavens for guys like LeBron who know how to keep it colorful.
the funny thing is lebron is playing around having fun throwing chalk, taking fake pics, doin the electric boogie and still dominating the game. lebron has one buzzer beater. but he has hit plenty of game winning shots. get it right JEFF!!!!! lebron is playin with the league and dominating cuz its easy for him.
Sorry CB.. The fact is he only has one game winner. This year vs. Golden State. It was a three at the buzzer, sideline right, all of the broadcasters and all of the news folks stated it: “Lebron’s first game winning shot of his career”. Not tryin’ to hate on Lebron because he’s a top two player in the league. I just happen to agree with dwight on the point that he’s not a great jump shooter. The dude can get to the hole but sooner or later, he’s got to hit the jumper when the d clogs the paint. Obviously, he’s gotten better with the jumper, but I like Kobe for those shots at the end of games. The guy wins plenty of games for his team. He just hasn’t done it with game winning shots and a lot of playoff games come down to that. I was shocked to find out he only has one game winner but it’s true. I think he may have had one other after the GS game this year.I love Lebron. If Portland had a chance to get him in a sign and trade, I’d be the happiest blazer fan around.
you guys might wanna stop watching & listening to the media. Lebron has 17 game-winning shots in his career up to date plus 6 winning 6 more games on assists. He leads the league in GAME WINNING SHOTS AFTER ONLY 6 YEARS. While everyone thinks they want kobe taking the last second shot of a game, kobe actually shoots .250%fg when the game is on the line which is the WORST IN THE LEAGUE. PLEASE check my source here. PEOPLE LIE, STATS DONT
http://www.82games.com/gamewinningshots.htm
Jeff Jeff Jeff….how do I argue with a guy that says he’d rather have Roy than Lebron at the end of games? I can’t…I’ll just let your ignorance speak for itself.
Answer this for me Jeff: If you asked every single GM in the league…which player (Roy or Lebron) they’d rather have with the ball in their hands…down one…with 15 seconds left on the clock…which do you think they’d pick? Do you honestly believe that outside of maybe a biased Pritchard (only because he HAS to say it) that ANY of them would pick Roy? Do you think that your opinion is more educated than theirs…or do you think that just maybe…just maybe…you are letting your love for the Blazers cloud your judgement?
I love your passion, but c’mon buddy.
So… Jeff, look up LeBron game winner against Washington (both times in the playoffs). Or LeBron game winner against the Hornets. Or LeBron game winner against the Bobcats.
Just because the shot went in and there was .2 seconds left it doesn’t mean it’s not a game winner.
Plus, the Cavaliers are too busy having a 9+ point differential against their opponents to have to be worrying about game winning shots. I’d rather have the blowout with LeBron sitting 13 4th quarters this year than have 14 buzzer beaters by LeBron.
Sorry, he’s just the MVP. And it’s silly to think otherwise.
I don’t know about your contentions! The Cav’s would be a 30 win team without Lebron. The Lakers would still get 45-50 without Kobe. Lebron is the core of that team.
Mr Jaynes for me personally the way LeBron or someone like Dwight Howard acts during pre-game is one of the reasons the NBA is so fun to watch. A lot of fans go to games early not only to watch the game but sometimes to see superstars make half court heaves or make goofy antics; for me it shows that even though they make millions they are people just like us. I know old school folks want more class and seriousness from them but honestly taking fake pictures or throwing chalk disrespects nobody. Players do that just to have fun and not to humiliate anybody! Like what the others said it just shows the camaraderie this team has built over the season.
I find it interesting that you are complaining about LeBRON’s 10-22 shooting (45.4%) in a one game that he won and give high regard to Kobe who AVERAGES 45.5% over his career. Not only that, the last two games Kobe has shot 33% in a loss to the 76ers and 36% in a close win against the Warriors who play ZERO defense. Your criticism of LeBRON’s free throw shooting is legitimate, however he is shooting over 75% (77% last I checked) from the line this year which is a great improvement. Also, Kobe is shooting 34.2% from 3pt lane this season. That’s not that much better than LeBRON’s 33.3%.
I think, what he was mostly pointing out is that when lebron was on the floor for the first half looking at his stats he was shooting horribly, had a couple assists, and a couple rebounds. Not a stellar first half at all. and in fact, not only wa she not into it, neither team was. What the man is trying to say is that if you are going to play around at the beginning of a game, you can’t turn in a sub-par half and then just barely have ur team win due to a chance.
For those who are hating on his facts about kobe. Yes, Kobe shoots 45% over his career which is 13 seasons long. That’s more full seasons than Jordan played throughout his career. he’s 30, has had re-constructive surgery on his knee, has a messed up shooting hand, and still plays through it every night. The thing is with his percentage unlike Lebron’s is the fact that the majority of his shots throughout his career have come from jump shots not really high percentage shots in the lane followed by a foul. Most of you forget that any analyst will tell you they want Kobe because he can hit a mid-range jumper anywhere on the court, something lebron can’t do, as well as he can drive and get the foul. He doesn’t drive as much just as jordan didn’t due to his age at the end of his career. so, i mean 17 game-winners in 6 years is good for him. but the majority of Kobe’s come from those tumultuous 06 and 07 years where his teams would’ve won less games than even lebron’s cavs and he had to shoot so many game-winners. And those stats only include shots in the last 24 seconds. For lebron, I can tell you that most of his are lay-ups because teams cannot match up with his size. so, yes i agree lebron is a monster player, his complete game is still lacking. This is one of those things you’ll have to see as time goes by cause when lebron is 30 and kobe is retired then you’ll really see who could adjust their game better as their career went on because by then you can actually do a better comparison. Jordan’s career started the same as Lebron’s but out of college. we’ll see if he can hold on to this after his athleticism and his body starts to go.
I was referencing kobe’s misses when speaking of game-winning stats. Basically trying to state that kobe shot more shots for game-winners that were contested with mostly double teams than any other player during those times. Besides in the playoffs they are equal. Kobe plays a different brand of ball, so its hard to compare the guys. but i think lebron will eventually get a jump-shot and surpass kobe, but kobe still has the better all-around game.
Dwight, I like your writing, and I have for a while. Good stuff. But you are miscasting your vote if you don’t vote for LeBron James. His physical talents put him in position to be the best, he is truly a freakish athlete. But it is his hard work and commitment to studying the game that has made him the MVP. He is dominant as both a one-on-one and help defender, he is unstoppable going to the rim, and he nails that jumper when he needs to. You don’t like him cause he’s cocky? Please. The guy is devastating the NBA right now, there is clearly no one better. Kobe’s lost a step, and LeBron was better than him last year already, despite the MVP.
I am sick of the silly stats in 82games.com. So, what if Lebron leads with 17 game-winners when most of them are made from November to April. Who cares if Carmelo is shooting at a .647 clip if he’s taking it against the defenses of the lower tier teams. Kobe is the real deal in the clutch. See:
http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/staff/posts/49281-si-players-nba-poll-with-the-game-on-the-line-which-nba-player-would-you-want-to-take-the-last-shot”
It’s a player’s poll. Not just anybody making silly comments. These are the players themselves. Even GMs around the league pick Kobe to take the last shot. You build this REPUTATION by making them when it really matters, when the shots you take actually has an impact… IN THE PLAYOFFS. Against the top teams in the league. Kobe showed he is the man when he single handedly carried the Lakers in the finals against the Pacers, When he hit a buzzer beating three in the face of Teyshaun Prince in the 2004 Finals, those grueling matchups against the Spurs while being heckled by Bowen and many more playoff showcases against the Blazers, Suns, Mavs, Kings, etc.
Another testament to this was during the 2008 Olympics. Clearly, when they needed a basket, a defensive stop, they always looked for Bryant to lead.
It is also been said that Lebron, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and the rest of the Olympians have benefited from a summer with Kobe Bryant. For they all saw his dedication on both ends of the floor.
This year, my MVP vote goes for Lebron, because it is his year, his regular season. After all, if the MVP award went to the best player in the NBA, then Michael Jordan would have had at least 10 Regular Season MVPs already.
The REAL season however… The Playoffs… belong to Mr. Bryant and his Lakers. After all… That’s where he built his reputation. MVP! MVP! MVP!
@Jeff
Riddle me this: would you rather have a 270 pound beast who can create his shot for an entire game thus taking all of the pressure off of his stable of stellar three point shooters on the last possession (Williams, West, Szczerbiak), or a guy who can hit that shot? Bron’s jumper will come with time, as did Jordan’s and Bryants. It’s freaking hard to hit the midrange. With his post moves, his drives, his hook, and his passing ability, he has more versatile offensive toolbox than anyone else in the league. Yeah, Roy’s a fantastic talent, but he didn’t single handedly beat a post-ring Detroit team to get to the finals, and I don’t think he could.
Most people don’t read those stats. If you showed them that page, you don’t think they’d be surprised at how many game-winners LeBron has? I sure didn’t know. Kobe is known for his game-winning shots, and to his credit, for a reason.. but people don’t give LeBron enough credit for his clutch play.
@The blog poster, people said it and I agree, his pregame antics are disrespectful to no one. He’s not taunting the other team, he’s just having fun. +/- is the most fickle stat we have, and as someone pointed out he’s actually one of the top players in that statistic. To suggest LeBron is not committed to improving his game is just plain stupidity, his shooting is up nearly every year.. and if you’ll recall he’s not whining to his coach to trade him or get him better players.. I would rate his attitude above Kobe’s.
Dwight,
I love Roy and hope that some day he will make a run at the MVP. I can see him perhaps edging Kobe in a given year because he is so clutch and does a lot of the things Kobe does well also. However, Lebron is a FREAK. Every time I have seen Roy match up against him late in the game, it seems to me that Lebron has physically overwhelmed him each time. Roy matches up favorably to all other NBA 2′s and 3′s. Forget all this Roy is a ‘throwback’ thinking type player. He’s as strong and explosive as just about anyone in the league. But Lebron totally overwhelms him. Given his physical tools, he is by FAR the most dominant, most valuable player in the league.
Lebron is the best all-around player in the game, but probably not the best clutch player just because he is not as good a shooter as Kobe or Wade. Oh well. Everyone would take Lebron on their team over anybody in the league besides maybe Kobe, Dwight Howard, Wade or Chris Paul. The end.
Lebron is incredible,no doubt.
Just remember back to the last game in Portland with Lebron
having to make a play and he did it.
I thought he did a great job wining this one too.
My heart is sick seeing Brandon’s toes go over the line with what
would have been the winning free throws.
And Lebron needed to make incredible shots again,and he did it
again. Wow,what’s not to like about that ?
But what i can’t stand about Lebron is his “King James” antics.
What a turn off ! Standing with his arms up in the air with the powder and all that crap with him and Garnett acting like they
are the Chosen ones.
Ick !
That is obnoxious.
To me he is the MVP this year.
But it wouldn’t be easy for me to hand him the trophy because I don’t like him.
I don’t care how good he is,he is creepy.
Now with Greg,I get soooo sick of everytime he opens his mouth he
starts a sentence with a negative comment.
My god,if only we could take a pinch of Lebron and put it into
Greg..I think we would see a different player.
If I were the one to interview Greg for the job so to speak,Greg’s Debbie Downer persona wouldn’t allow me to hire him.
So it is a fine line with confidence and out and out showboat.
As far as Kobe and Lebron,which one ?
They both take a ton of shots..but if I had to award the trophy it would be to Lebron.
The reason is Kobe almost always gets the call from the refs.
Tell me that doesn’t give him a ton more points per year and win a ton more games in his career.
So far Lebron isn’t to the point of Kobe’s refs in his pocket.
But boy he is close.
Think that 38 and 1 is all Lebron’s skills ??
i to a degree do believe lebron is overrated in terms of his stats being ballooned because he suffers from steve nash/cp3 sindrome in that he always has the ball in his hands so his assist/point numbers are always gonna be way up there…but in terms of mvp race lebron is gonna win it this yr and he has deserved unless its decided by the “best player on best team” criteria how it has been lately which means kobe will win it and dont forget kobe is still the best player in league by far he can do all those things james does oh but on top of that add the most deadly midrange jumper game in the league and a killer instinct that lebron himself dosent admit he has
and in quick reply to jeff’s statement of lebron being the best all around player in the game its just another reminder of how i dont like fans because they know nothing about sports but get caught up in the spectacular and dont actually break down a players attributes…kobe is the best all around player and its a consensus around the league just last yr lebron even admitted to tht..stephen jackson said “kobe has no tendencies”…kobes combination of scoring from anywhere on the court, defensive ability, and playmaking skills put him far and away at the top of the nba
Very nice Lebron information. I hope to be in Cleveland for a game this spring.
hjs777, so when satistics prove you wrong you use a poll for your argument!?! A poll?! Man, you are a joke. Give me your email, if I send you a poll that has Bernard Madoff as the safest person to invest your money with, you’d follow that too right?
Roy went 0-4 after Lebron switched to covering him when he was on fire. I was at the game.
@ Panama – As for the “What has he won” argument, please stop. That bears absolutely no substance at this stage in his career. Lebron has taken his team further during his tenure in the Association than Jordan has at this point. (Either age-wise or tenure-wise, but to make it fair I chose tenure.) If he keeps improving at the world-devouring rate that he is, the rings will arrive.
I’m not sure I understand the “boasting” argument. You make these assertions when you occasionally see him goofing off pregame, or when he brings down the house with a thunderous rim smashing dunk, and walks off with a scowl. If you had ever seen just one of his interviews, you might think differently. He is about as unselfish a player as you will find in the league. There are times when he should take the shot, and he dishes it out to anyone one of the others on the team, and sometimes it’s downright maddening when he does that.
I find it humorous that people are quick to point out his flaws, as he’s leading his team to the best record in the NBA. Keep hating, and I promise to keep smiling.
You sir, are a moron.
Before you doubt LeBron’s shooting you may want to check a stat sheet. He has shot 33% on the season from downtown and over 40% this month. Nobody can even compare to the help LeBron gives his team. The rest of that roster is close to nothing. Yes, Mo Williams is a good player. But I would never have even thought that it would be possible for a team to win 67 games (what they are on pace for) with him as the 2nd best player and only true sidekick.
And you dare quote a +/- stat?!? LeBron leads the NBA by a mile in that stat.
I think it’s time you stop talking.
HJS77, you’re lost. “Kobe showed he is the man when he single handedly carried the Lakers in the finals against the Pacers” Um Shaq averaged 36.25pts& 12.25rebs(who still carried who?) If Kobe carried anyone why wasnt he Finals MVP?
“When he hit a buzzer beating three in the face of Teyshaun Prince in the 2004 Finals”, Um the Lakers lost. They also lost because of Kobe. (43-113fg=.380fg% 22.6pts 2.8rebs 4.4asts) Dont even speak on the 2008 Olympics when kobe shot the 4th WORST ON THE TEAM. He led the team in shot attempts but was only 3rd in scoring due to his putrid shooting. He was maybe the 3rd best player on that USA team, just like he’s maybe the 3rd best player in the league right now. If that.
It’s time people stopped giving kobe so much undue credit. That USA team stepped up their defense because of the play of Lebron & D. Wade. The reason why kobe sucked in the olympics is because he didnt get those superstar calls to bail him out. As far as last second shots. Stop making things up. Lebron has single handedly driven that team to the finals hittinm game winners against washington year after year not to mention he looks likt the reason Detroit broke up. Its funny that you linked to the SI POll but did you read what it said or are u like most kobe lovers & have selective reading skills?
“Bryant has hit 14 game-winning shots since the start of the 2003–04 season, fourth highest in the league — but he also leads the NBA with 42 potential game-winners missed in that time….James is first in game-winners made in that period with 17.”
People Lie, Stats Dont
How many championships does Shaq have without D-Wade and KB24? He has Nash now and had Penny back then. So literally you can’t say he was the reason of a champioship. And futher more. The point of Lebronz shooting is that he isn’t consistant. NO MVP for him. Tuff luck, maybe next year.
Excuse me guy in the corner. What about subtracting his “in the paint FGs” then you should have outside jumpers left. Uhhh need I say more.
Johnny Yamz… I watched team USA trough out. Kobe actually didn’t really have to score in the world championships. He was more of a defender. Even you as a fan should have seen that. Offensively he took care of it. D-Wade took uppon that load though. Lebron actually did dissapear there. But if it wasn’t for Kobes last minute heroics Team USA would have been looking at a Silver medal and a dissapointment once again. As for the comment of Kobe having the refs on his back. Do you really watch the games. He gets hacked worst then anyone in the game. Watch the Finals and previous games against your fellow Crabaliers. He was getting wacked and getting no calls all game long.
The question is, would you rather have Lebron James take a game-winner or Kobe Bryant… I’m taking Kobe every single time. Lebron is a stud, but he is not near as clutch as Kobe.
While all this discussion has made me re-think my opinions on Kobe & Lebron, we all seem to be missing the person I think is the real MVP of the league. Yes, the Lakers & Cavaliers are wack w/o KB24 & The King, but Dewyane Wade has literally willed his team into the playoffs with NO help at all. And before the onslaught of ” mvp’s should be championship contenders…” starts, remember that Dirk Nowitzki won one year & Golden State bounced the Mavericks in the first round.