The Champ (photo. Chris Sembrot)Some said it was just a popularity contest. Some said the whole thing was tainted by the Great Brandon Roy Controversy. Some said the championship match — which everyone and their mom initially predicted would come down to Kobe and LeBron, should have involved KG and/or ‘Melo. But in the end, only one man was (hypothetically) left standing: Kobe Bryant.
For the last two months we’ve been pitting the NBA’s best up against each other in our pretend 1-on-1 tournament, starting with 96 players and having you guys, “American Idol”-style, determine who advanced and who went home. Last week the ‘chip came down to Kobe and LeBron, and after tallying your votes through Tuesday night, the winner wasn’t even close: Mamba got 73 votes next to just 16 for King James.
For what it’s worth, we’d like to think no one (except for the most die-hard Lakers fans) believes Kobe would destroy ‘Bron 1-on-1; and most of you acknowledged that it would be a close game before citing Kobe’s infamous killer instinct as giving him the slight edge despite LeBron’s physical advantages. That sounds about right. LeBron is bigger, stronger, faster and on multiple occasions has gotten the better of Kobe when the Cavs and Lakers go head-to-head, but in a straight mano y mano contest, Kobe has that Michael Jordan thing going where he refuses to get beat. Not to say that LeBron doesn’t have an intense will to win himself, but in this case he’d be dealing with someone who has been a relentless killer at the game’s highest level since ‘Bron was in middle school.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:24 am
btown says:
I’d still give it to eithe bron or melo
1ST
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:14 am
mister sun says:
melo? please tell me you are joking man
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:27 am
YOUNGFED says:
IT’S K-HOVA BABY!!!!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:36 am
GEE..Pimpiiiiiiiiiiiin! (Money Mike) says:
I would love to see a healthy in his prime T-Mac vs. Kobe. No doubt it would probably be the same outcome, but I would just enjoy seeing them go at it.
Kobe is the best hands down!
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:10 am
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Melo cant hold Kobe’s jock….Or Bron’s for that matter. What I would like to see is MJ in his prime VS KB24. I think Kobe is a little taller and stronger….but MJ I think wins just because he is slightly more competitive and a better defender. Toss up tho.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:12 am
Dip Set City says:
Let the love fest for Kobe continue. He is not the best player in the game, get over it G DAMN! If he played for anyone but the Lakers we wouldn’t be having this discussion. LBJ or Melo
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:22 am
E$ says:
that pic of #24 is “suspect” (ha)
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:22 am
hahns says:
im gona go out on a limb and say kobe could take jordan on a 1on1
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:29 am
Jason says:
Kobe stronger then Jordan? Since when?
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:29 am
QQ says:
Dip set city, he’s not the best player? Who is then?
Bron said it himself ‘there’s no one in the L near Kobe’s level right now’
Melo? Melo? Seriously, we’re talkin bout Melo here?
Back your shit up.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:31 am
kowtz says:
Dime should do a KB24 versus Air Jordan (prime) 1-on-1…
kinda like when you beat everyone else in a video game (including the boss) there’s this like etherial, all powerfull, godlike boss left to beat…
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:28 am
Celts Fan says:
MJ would beat Kobe one on one. He’d keep talking and get in his head. That’s a tough thing to do, but if Kobe’d get rattled by and listen to anyone, it’d be MJ…
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:46 am
Ace says:
Its the Mamba baby !!!!
73-16 !!
Props to Dime for trying to save face for Lebron - “we’d like to think no one (except for the most die-hard Lakers fans) believes Kobe would destroy ‘Bron 1-on-1″
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Kobe is stronger than MJ since out-weighs him by 15 lbs. Try posting up someone who’s got 15 pounds and an inch or two on you …
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:06 pm
doc says:
So Imagine Kobe stopping Bron in the post, he weigh way more than 15 pounds over Kobe.I got Bron taking him.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Juanito says:
Sheed should have won it all. He’s unstoppable…
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
YOUNGFED says:
Hell Ya Juanito
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
GEE..Pimpiiiiiiiiiiiin! (Money Mike) says:
Little known story but I want to say it was (I am bout to spell this totally wrong) Macmude Abdul Raouf and M.J. in a one on one and Raouf beat M.J.
Someone please spell that right for me lol!
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:01 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Get outta here with that lil Juan. Sheed is a role player, were talking about super-stars here.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:10 pm
nick says:
sheed is one of the toughest players to guard. he is not a ball hog thats why and he doesn’t always come with his game face on. he seems to just pace through games and then others he will pull out crazy games where is just unstoppable. explain to me why he causes problems for the top-tier bigs if he is just a role player. bosh, kg, duncan, D12, amare.etc.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:34 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Remind me, has kg amare, Superman, or bosh ever been run out of a city and accused of being a cancer? Have the ever led the league in techs? Been arrested for marijuana? Etc?
Sheed has done well taking a backseat to a guy like Billups who is a true leader and is respected throughout the league.
No one doubts sheeds talent, but he is nothing more than a role player which is why he barely made the all-star team.
He’s a super-star shit talker, no doubt.
Face!
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Austin Burton says:
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (then Chris Jackson) did beat MJ in a 1-on-1 game when he was in COLLEGE. It was a game to 5, but still. I think he actually beat MJ 5-0.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:42 pm
What is this!? says:
Oh what a surprise at the outcome *sarcasm*
Anyhow, I like B-Roy but he should have never gotten past D-Will, let alon AI or Melo…so I stop voting a lot time ago…
Also, Kobe is a great b-ball player and i’m not surprised he won…but in the words of Charles Barkeley “the only thing Kobe and MJ have in commen is they are both BLACK”. LMAO!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
drewstar says:
would’ve honestly had a harder time picking kobe over KG than say bron had KG gotten into the finals.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Dagomar says:
Lebron would beat Kobe.
All the evidence supports it - their games together, any time they are isolated one on one, Lebron has gotten the better of Kobe.
Then there’s the fact that Lebron is much bigger, much more athletic, and probably equally skilled. Kobe has better footwork, admittedly, but Lebron would score repeatedly just by driving to the hole. He would literally be impossible for Kobe to guard.
On the other end, Lebron would smother Kobe with his speed, length and strength.
Honestly, I think it wouldn’t be as close as most people seem to think. Kobe’s more experienced, but Lebron would win this pretty easily.
As for that killer instinct? Can we really say Lebron doesn’t have that anymore?
April 24th, 2008 at 12:51 am
GEE..What goes up....Must come down..Not me clown! says:
If you still in the office to read this AB you the first person to actually know about that story that I have come across. Yea it was in college. I used to attend this basketball camp in NC and Jordan would come at the end of the camp every year and play against the coaches and stuff.
Anyway at the beginning of camp one year they told us that story and everyone was of coursed wide eyed and amazed.
You got it down to, he was Chris Jackson and Money didn’t score and yea it was in college I think.
Crazy
April 24th, 2008 at 2:54 am
kowtz says:
@ DAgomar…
watch a tape/vid of the USA Olympic team exhibition games… Game 1…
last two possesions went to KB24 and LBJ… guarding each other on both ends, one on one…
Need I say more?
April 24th, 2008 at 2:54 am
kowtz says:
@ DAgomar…
watch a tape/vid of the USA Olympic team exhibition games… Game 1…
last two possesions went to KB24 and LBJ… guarding each other on both ends, one on one…
Need I say more?
April 24th, 2008 at 4:06 am
Leandro says:
Kobe has no chance against this guy:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=omLhUEwe5D4
April 24th, 2008 at 7:06 am
doc says:
You talking about a exhibition game kowtz.Look at this season sweep by Bron.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Austin Burton says:
In this case, I think Kobe is getting TOO much credit for his killer instinct, while LeBron isn’t getting enough credit for his. It’s like everyone forgot about those games where Kobe would mail it in at halftime (Game 7 against the Suns in ‘06 is one) - that’s not much killer instinct, as well as those games where LeBron took on the Pistons by himself (on the road) and won. Both guys have killer instinct, but I don’t think Kobe’s is as everything-proof as people like to believe.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Austin Burton says:
@GEE — Yeah, from what I heard, Abdul-Rauf was a freshman or sophomore at LSU and Mike was of course already a pro. Mahmoud got the ball first, two-pointer in Mike’s eye. Check ball, another two. Now Mike is pissed, so he checks ball and goes to attack Mahmoud. Pump-fake, Mike’s in the air, layup for one point. Game over.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:19 am
GEE...straight audacity & unmitigated gall says:
AB that is the story right there. They told us that as basketball campers (B-Ball camp I attended in NC) to prove to us that even the best player can lose and stuff. I don’t think anyone got the point cause we were all is so wow-ed by the story.
I wonder what happen to ol Abdul-Rauf. Him and Kenyon both have Terrets (spelled wrong) right? I remember when he wouldn’t stand for the National Anthem and stuff. Crazy.
Well he will always have that moment to take with him wherever he is.
Can you imagine being able to say you beat Money 1 0n 1 at any level lol. Until that story, Mike’s brother was the only one I knew of that had those bragging rights.