Prime Kobe & T-Mac>>>Prime Lebron & Wade

[The Iron Fist]

Nah, Wade and LeBron much more efficient, better defensive duo, and individually just as good or better.

Kobe wouldn't handle playing with another dude as good as him. Plus T-Mac isn't a winner.

So Shaq wasn't all that good eh?

[KenneBell]

"...knowing how to run a good fast break is a skill. So is busting your hump and getting out on the wing and filling the lane at the proper angle...

Knowing how to rub off a defender when you use a pick is a skill. Knowing how to feel a defender with your body and read the court to see where help is coming from is a skill. Knowing how to stay in control, pace yourself, and not use all of your energy too early or give away all of your tricks, that's a skill. Setting solid picks and knowing how to get yourself open from them; knowing how to hit a guy with a pass the exact moment he frees himself and how to get him the ball in a place and at a time that allows him to shoot in rhythm; getting position low on the post; boxing out; playing solid man-to-man defense while also knowing where the ball is-- those are skills."

I think Kobe does all of those things described in that quote very well. I can't say the same for the others.

[G-Funk]

Firstly, it is completely impossible to dominate the NBA in the 21st century with only athleticism. If one could, then players such as Gerald Green, Stromile Swift, and James White would be stars. Some level of skill must be present. Lebron and Wade are both athletic and skilled.

Secondly I laugh all the time at arguments that certain players are not legitimately good or not as good as others because they use their athletic advantages. Ummm...Isn't basketball an "ATHLETIC" competition? Aren't the players called...ATHLETES? So now an athlete using athleticism is supposed to be a bad thing...OKaaaay? Basketball is not darts or chess. It's not a sport based totally on skill. 9 times out of 10 some level of athleticism is required whether it's speed, quickness, strength, jumping ability, or endurance.

Finally there are more skills to the game than just having a nice jumper and low post footwork. Let's face it. In most discussions today, that's basically what a poster is thinking when he says that player A is more skilled than player B. I'll just let Oscar Robertson, who was arguably the most fundamentally skilled player ever, give his perspective on what constitutes basketball skills:

"...knowing how to run a good fast break is a skill. So is busting your hump and getting out on the wing and filling the lane at the proper angle...

Knowing how to rub off a defender when you use a pick is a skill. Knowing how to feel a defender with your body and read the court to see where help is coming from is a skill. Knowing how to stay in control, pace yourself, and not use all of your energy too early or give away all of your tricks, that's a skill. Setting solid picks and knowing how to get yourself open from them; knowing how to hit a guy with a pass the exact moment he frees himself and how to get him the ball in a place and at a time that allows him to shoot in rhythm; getting position low on the post; boxing out; playing solid man-to-man defense while also knowing where the ball is-- those are skills."

http://books.google.com/books?id=fs6...0skill&f=false

yeah, yeah...every player in the NBA is atheletic, some more then others. Prime T-mac & Kobe were very athletic, and Wade and Lebron are really skilled just not at the level of T-mac/Kobe

[I.R.Beast]

Watch run down Tmac in Detroit. He has better court vision and passing skills than Lebron will ever have. Drive and kick every possession to rack up assists does not equal better playmaking ability.

Don't even need to bring up Tmac in his prime.

i agree. T-mac pre-fall had the best vision of all the superstar swing men...T-Mac was a beast...it's a shame he couldnt stay healthy...I'm still hope that he can be good this coming season(if it comes)

[Theoo's Daddy]

yeah, yeah...every player in the NBA is atheletic, some more then others. Prime T-mac & Kobe were very athletic, and Wade and Lebron are really skilled just not at the level of T-mac/Kobe

This is some funny shit.

[Heavincent]

Kobe wouldn't handle playing with another dude as good as him. Plus T-Mac isn't a winner.

Shaq would like a word with you.

And it's not like Lebron is a winner. At least not right now he's not.

[thejumpa]

Nah, Wade and LeBron much more efficient, better defensive duo, and individually just as good or better.

Kobe wouldn't handle playing with another dude as good as him. Plus T-Mac isn't a winner.

@you or anyone acting like Kobe couldn't play with TMac. News flash...they are really good friends and for years trained in the offseason together. Even now, they laugh and joke around on the court. It's laughable to think they couldn't co-exist together. As for defense, Kobe was once a lockdown defender. Man or help. TMac was never on his level, but I have no doubt that would have come playing next to a guy like Kobe.

BTW who cares if he never got out of the 1st round. At the end of the day, talent is talent and skill is skill. Prime Kobe+TMac could have gone down as the greatest duo of all time. lol they would dominate...

[lefthook00]

Notice how well he plays off the ball? Better than Kobe and LeBron and Wade at that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf0h0A8kiAk

Against the Cavs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVY3boYcNAE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOQPgeLm7AM(great playmaker, also just plain sick game highlights)

Rare Magic Clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyNhgbzKkTw

[catch24]

2003 Tmac would carve LeBron up for 45+... easily.

[RazorBaLade]

@you or anyone acting like Kobe couldn't play with TMac. News flash...they are really good friends and for years trained in the offseason together. Even now, they laugh and joke around on the court. It's laughable to think they couldn't co-exist together. As for defense, Kobe was once a lockdown defender. Man or help. TMac was never on his level, but I have no doubt that would have come playing next to a guy like Kobe.

BTW who cares if he never got out of the 1st round. At the end of the day, talent is talent and skill is skill. Prime Kobe+TMac could have gone down as the greatest duo of all time. lol they would dominate...

seriously if theres anyone kobe could flawlessly coexist with its a tmac,vc,gasol type personality

[Rojogaqu11]

Prime Kobe and prime Tmac would be a better duo than Lebron and Wade.

Kobe and Tmac:
3ptrs, mid-range, post ups, free throws, height, rebounds, man-to-man defense, clutch, winning, chucking, injuries

Lebron and Wade:
Slashing, passing, strength, steals, blocks, flops, turnovers, choking, fake injuries

[G-Funk]

This is some funny shit.

[PJR]

Man, I guess some of y'all dudes are suckers for deep shooting range and "bad shot" makers. I simply don't understand why Mcgrady is held in such high regard on here. Dude didn't elevate a single team to playoff series victory. Not a single one. That sh*t is hard to do, man.. Yea, he played with crap in Orlando, and put up numbers. But not ONE time? I mean just mentioning guys in that era.... Paul Pierce did. Iverson did. Hell, even Vince did. McGrady? Never.

"Tmac" is overrated to me. But that's just me.

[lefthook00]

Man, I guess some of y'all dudes are suckers for deep shooting range and "bad shot" makers. I simply don't understand why Mcgrady is held in such high regard on here. Dude didn't elevate a single team to playoff series victory. Not a single one. That sh*t is hard to do, man.. Yea, he played with crap in Orlando, and put up numbers. But not ONE time? I mean just mentioning guys in that era.... Paul Pierce did. Iverson did. Hell, even Vince did. McGrady? Never.

"Tmac" is overrated to me. But that's just me.

He wouldn't be the only one responsible for that if he was playing with Kobe. It's such a shame that Yao and T-Mac couldn't stay healthy. That would have been crazy.

[MaxFly]

2003 Kobe Bryant: 30.0/6.9/5.9
2003 Tracy McGrady: 32.1/6.5/5.5

Obviously their numbers would look different if they were playing together, but that duo would be hard to beat... extremely hard to beat. Replace D. Wade and LeBron from last year with those two and the Heat win a championship.