Kobe Bryant vs. Hakeem Olajuwon

[HoopsNY]

na that's retarded. Kobe probly has like 100 more 40 point games, 10 times as many 50 point games. and more scored in one half than Hakeem ever dropped in regulation plus overtime.


the only guys as dominant as kobe all time are wilt and MJ. and shaq for a few finals series vs bums


Hakeem was great but he couldn't call his own number every time up the floor...


more valuable with both ends combined on a nightly bases? perhaps. maybe for a few years. but kobes level of dominance is basically 1 man show type shit. Hakeem has to pass out if a double team. Kobe doesn't

1 man type show shit? Did you forget Hakeem between 1993-95? Hakeem averaged 33.0 PPG in the 1995 playoffs going up against elite defensive teams and centers. That's more PPG than any playoff run Kobe had for his entire career (albeit Kobe's best was 32.8).

Hakeem averaged 32.8 PPG against prime Shaq, higher than any finals performance that Kobe had (32.4).

Take a look at Hakeem's spread:

Finals: 28/11/3/2/3 on 49%

Playoffs: 26/11/3/2/3 on 53%

Game 7s: 27/14/5/2/2 on 50%

Elimination Games: 24/12/3/2/3 on 53%

His elimination games numbers are skewed because they include his demise where he was on teams where he was over the hill while Kobe had torn his achilles, so we didn't get to see him in the same situation. Otherwise:

Elimination Games ('85-'99): 26/12/3/2/3 on 53%

Let's look at Kobe's:

Finals: 25/6/5/2/1 on 41%

Playoffs: 26/5/5/1/1 on 45%

Game 7s: 22/8/5/1/1 on 39%

Elimination Games: 22/6/3/1/1 on 41%

This isn't even a debate.

[ShawkFactory]

exactly. no need to go any further with this comparison. this is why bigs don't belong in goat debates cause they have a cap on how much they can do. even shaq really only broke out one time vs the clippers. most of the time a big night for shaq was 35 to 40. he couldn't get 50 barely ever

hes looked at as one of the most dominant players ever cause he averaged almost 40 in the finals vs some really poor competition. but he wasn't doing that vs sanantonio or Portland or Sacramento. they wouldn't allow it. when they played great teams kobe had to pick up his game cause you need a dynamic wing to break down a great defense. a big would just get suffocated.

I mean if your cap is 40-50 point games against mediocre teams then sure. I don't view the game that way.

Bigs in the 90s dictated how defenses played. To bring you a baseball analogy, getting intentionally walked half the time doesn't make you less dominant than they guy who doesn't but hits more home runs.

[HoopsNY]

As you said earlier, it's different. I've watched a lot of Hakeem and he was doubled pretty much every time he touched the ball. It's easier and more practical to double a big man than a guard for obvious reasons, and Hakeem was a smart player who wouldn't force things if it wasn't necessary. By nature it's easier to take away big scoring games from a post player. But by doing so you're fvcking up your entire defense. Pick your poison. But teams in the 90s were more concerned with taking away bigs. That doesn't make the guard more dominant.

The playoffs are where it really mattered though. I'm not as concerned about a 45 point game against the Pacers or Timberwolves in February on the wrong end of a back to back. Kobe started 200 playoff games and scored 40 just 13 times. Hakeem did it 11 times in 140 games.

[SouBeachTalents]

1 man type show shit? Did you forget Hakeem between 1993-95? Hakeem averaged 33.0 PPG in the 1995 playoffs going up against elite defensive teams and centers. That's more PPG than any playoff run Kobe had for his entire career (albeit Kobe's best was 32.8).

Hakeem averaged 32.8 PPG against prime Shaq, higher than any finals performance that Kobe had (32.4).

Take a look at Hakeem's spread:

Finals: 28/11/3/2/3 on 49%

Playoffs: 26/11/3/2/3 on 53%

Game 7s: 27/14/5/2/2 on 50%

Elimination Games: 24/12/3/2/3 on 53%

His elimination games numbers are skewed because they include his demise where he was on teams where he was over the hill while Kobe had torn his achilles, so we didn't get to see him in the same situation. Otherwise:

Elimination Games ('85-'99): 26/12/3/2/3 on 53%

Let's look at Kobe's:

Finals: 25/6/5/2/1 on 41%

Playoffs: 26/5/5/1/1 on 45%

Game 7s: 22/8/5/1/1 on 39%

Elimination Games: 22/6/3/1/1 on 41%

This isn't even a debate.

Who ranks higher is one thing, but discussing who the better basketball player was? I honestly don't see how anyone could pick Kobe over Hakeem. He basically matches Kobe in his greatest asset while being one of the greatest defensive players ever. And as you pointed out, wipes the floor with Kobe in big games & clutch performances.

And comparing their playoff runs? Hakeem had one of the greatest carry jobs ever in '94, then defeated a gauntlet of superstars and HOF's all on the road in '95. He went h2h with the greatest centers of his era, obliterating Ewing & Robinson and outplaying Shaq.

[Manny98]

I have Kobe 6th and Hakeem 9th all time

[HoopsNY]

I have Kobe 6th and Hakeem 9th all time

Shameful

[John_Connor]

1 man type show shit? Did you forget Hakeem between 1993-95? Hakeem averaged 33.0 PPG in the 1995 playoffs going up against elite defensive teams and centers. That's more PPG than any playoff run Kobe had for his entire career (albeit Kobe's best was 32.8).

Hakeem averaged 32.8 PPG against prime Shaq, higher than any finals performance that Kobe had (32.4).

Take a look at Hakeem's spread:

[B]Finals: 28/11/3/2/3 on 49%

Playoffs: 26/11/3/2/3 on 53%

Game 7s: 27/14/5/2/2 on 50%

Elimination Games: 24/12/3/2/3 on 53%

His elimination games numbers are skewed because they include his demise where he was on teams where he was over the hill while Kobe had torn his achilles, so we didn't get to see him in the same situation. Otherwise:

Elimination Games ('85-'99): 26/12/3/2/3 on 53%

Let's look at Kobe's:

Finals: 25/6/5/2/1 on 41%

Playoffs: 26/5/5/1/1 on 45%

Game 7s: 22/8/5/1/1 on 39%

Elimination Games: 22/6/3/1/1 on 41%

This isn't even a debate.

first smart thing you've said ITT


cant say I've ever seen any player put Hakeem over kobe other than kenny Smith and he has nate Archibald over kobe and lebron outside of the top 10 all time so I wouldn't take his word for anything important relating to basketball



judging a player all time goes way deeper than some fg% efficiency and rebounding

- skills
- records
- achievements
- big games
- respect
- competition
- eras


like yeah Hakeem had one of the most dominant playoff runs but it would be like if kobe won with Tim Duncan retired and doing gay porn for a year and a half

then coming back all skinny and out of shape midway through the next season from all the jizz he swallowed ruining his appetite


just isn't the type of legacy I would be proud of tbh

[John_Connor]

https://voca.ro/18HATA1mS3Vl

[Rysio]

Kobe. Better scorer and obviously better playmaker. Kobe was a qb/wr while hakeem only a wr.

[Cold soul]

Hakeem the better player but Kobe had the better career though.

[BarberSchool]

both higher than bran

Both sincerely loved by BOTH the domestic and international public, in ways LeFraud Shames could never dream of.

[Round Mound]

Hakeem the better player but Kobe had the better career though.

This

[1987_Lakers]

You can make a solid case for both. But when both were at their peak Hakeem was a tier ahead of Kobe. I have them #10 and #11.

[RRR3]

On what basis? Hakeem between 1994-99 shot almost 29% from three (23-81). He was a 76% FTH shooter in his prime/peak years, and the data we have from '97-'99 ('99 being the last of his prime years) had him shooting 44% from 10-16 ft, and 46% from 16-29 ft.

Hakeem was an elite mid-range shooter who was well capable of developing the three ball as other centers in today's game did (Horford, Embiid, Jonas, Lopez, etc). Put Hakeem in this era and he's a 30/15/5/3/5 player on insane efficiency. He'd be MVP every single year.

It's basically impossible to average 5 BPG now

[houston]

Kobe because he was just flat out better

exactly man. Hakeem has overrated legacy