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In honor of Game 4 of the NBA Finals (yes, they're still going on, L.A., even if you didn't notice once your Lakers wilted in the first round), a little love for The King.
Please note: I said Top Ten because there are probably thousands of reasons, but I only have time and space for ten here.
10. Nicknames. Bron-Bron, King James, LBJ, The Chosen One, Video Game James. What does Kobe have? One word, and that's so been done: Cher, Madonna, Prince. One word names are old and boring.
9. Size. LeBron has two inches and 30 pounds on Kobe. I think James could probably take him a in fight, although Bryant strikes me as a guy who would fight dirty (see below).
8. Criminal charges. Rape accusations made against Kobe: 1 Rape accusations made against LeBron: 0 Need I say more?
7. Age. LeBron is only 22. He still hasn't hit his prime and has at least five more years of playing his best basketball ahead of him. Kobe is just past the peak, probably on the other side of the hill and headed for a long slide down.
6. Supporting casts. LeBron does it without a Phil Jackson, a Lamar Odom or a Smush Parker (OK, that second one is a joke. Kobe's supporting crew has diminished significantly in the past couple seasons).
5. Style. LeBron has that cool headband, a cool bit of facial hair and a mega-watt smile. Kobe has a permanent scowl.
4. Handling pressure. LeBron was the most hyped athlete of the last decade. He has been followed by the media since he was a teenager and called the next Jordan, the "Air Apparent." More people came to his high schools games than to local NCAA or Cavs games. And what did he do? Class act all around, never got in trouble, handled his finances and his personal life responsibly, and carried his hometown team to the NBA finals in just his fourth season. Kobe, in contrast, whines and moans, fights with his team's star, possibly forces a trade of that star to the Heat, and then starts demanding a trade of his own. Not hot.
3. We Are All Witnesses. Believe it.
2. Stats. This year LeBronmay have averaged a handful fewer points than Kobe, but career LeBron is at 26.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists. Kobe's career 24.6, 5.2 and 4.5. Bron-Bron's got a slight edge in steals and blocks too, making him an all-around better player than Kobe.
1. Playoffs. It's June and LeBron is still in it. Kobe has been out on the golf course or pretending to be LeBron on Xbox for weeks.
I just hope King James can pull it together for Game 4. I'm a Witness.
