MJ's NBA FINALS game by game box scores

[Da_Realist]

Kobe would get killed by his haters though if he was putting up those kind of numbers in the finals or any other playoff series. Especially the '98 one.

Not if he was 35 and had put up years similar to MJ's 91-93. Not if he retired during two years of his prime and came back to lead a second three-peat. Not if Kobe played defense as well as MJ did instead of concentrating most of his energy on scoring. Not if Kobe led an aging team to win against the defending western conference champs when the second best player on the team has a back hurting so badly he could barely play. Not if Kobe played in a league built on physical defense and he was the focal point of every team even at the age of 35.

Show me another guard that played better while leading a team to 3 straight championships around the ages of 33-35. The NBA is a young man's league. Show me another situation where no one could wrestle the title from a 33-35 year old guard.

Kobe is 29. Look at what MJ did when he was 29.

[MochaUdoka]

those raw stats from MJ's 1st championship are simply unbelievable. shot% is amazing across the board

[Diesel J]

Not if he was 35 and had put up years similar to MJ's 91-93. Not if he retired during two years of his prime and came back to lead a second three-peat. Not if Kobe played defense as well as MJ did instead of concentrating most of his energy on scoring. Not if Kobe led an aging team to win against the defending western conference champs when the second best player on the team has a back hurting so badly he could barely play. Not if Kobe played in a league built on physical defense and he was the focal point of every team even at the age of 35.

Show me another guard that played better while leading a team to 3 straight championships around the ages of 33-35. The NBA is a young man's league. Show me another situation where no one could wrestle the title from a 33-35 year old guard.

Kobe is 29. Look at what MJ did when he was 29.

exactly

[Da_Realist]

Ya...like Kobe couldn't dominate a one-legged Hornacek either

Really? MJ only had to play one series to win the championship in 97 and 98?

[Brunch@Five]

Not if Kobe played defense as well as MJ did instead of concentrating most of his energy on scoring.

Kobe right now plays better defense than MJ did post-retirement.

[Da_Realist]

Kobe right now plays better defense than MJ did post-retirement.

[goldgrill4me]

Kobe right now plays better defense than MJ did post-retirement.

[Da_Realist]

MJ 1998 (Age 35)
28.7 Pts, 46.5%, 5.8 rbs, 3.5 asts, 1.7 steals, 38.8 mpg

Kobe 2008 (Age 29)
28.3 Pts, 45.9%, 6.3 rbs, 5.4 asts, 1.8 steals, 38.9 mpg

Comparable numbers...but MJ played in a much more physically defensive league.

[Loki]

Kobe right now plays better defense than MJ did post-retirement.

Uhh, no.

[Pujolsmj23]

LOL MJ 'sworst FG% full season in 98 is better than Kobe's best,Kobe's never shot 47% ONE BLASTED TIME!!!! whats your point in comparing it in 1998?How bout the years he shot 54%,52%,Oh wait hes a stinkin 50% career shooter 13 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!If u want me 2 bring out all the stats u will b embarrassed quickly...

[KenneBell]

LOL MJ 'sworst FG% full season in 98 is better than Kobe's best,Kobe's never shot 47% ONE BLASTED TIME!!!! whats your point in comparing it in 1998?How bout the years he shot 54%,52%,Oh wait hes a stinkin 50% career shooter 13 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!If u want me 2 bring out all the stats u will b embarrassed quickly...

Why would anyone be embarrassed? I think everyone's heard that argument before.

[Pujolsmj23]

Because they compared Kobes season this year 2 MJ's worst year as a Bull and said see there very similar where MJ's FG% that year was way low compared to every year he played.Its not really a argument but stating the facts in there right place they didnt compare it to 88 where he shot 54% or any other season

[R11DMAN]

Come on that second three peat. Just look at the shooting percentages. Sure he scored the points, but if Kobe shoots that kind of percentage, people are on him immeadiately.

Who's gonna criticize MJ for shooting at a lower % during his aging years? He still won it all for a second 3peat. Who cares if you ave. 65% FG if you still can't bring home the bacon?

And maybe I was wrong about Kobe, maybe he does mirror MJ...

PRIME KOBE MIRRORS AN AGING MICHAEL JORDAN.

Kobe better win it all this year, He has a lot of catching up to do

[Loki]

Kobe would get killed by his haters though if he was putting up those kind of numbers in the finals or any other playoff series. Especially the '98 one.

Jordan shot 42.7% in the '98 Finals while being the sole focus of the defense and being 35 years old running on fumes, and with his second option hobbled for the entire series. He also shot basically what his team did for the series (43.2% vs. 42.7%) despite the extra pressure and much higher ppg volume.

Kobe would get killed for putting up those numbers? Perhaps you forget that Kobe put up basically those FG% numbers from age 23-25 over three entire playoff runs (not just one series). And this was in his physical prime and with Shaq drawing multiple defenders every time down! Kobe shot 43.4%, 43.2%, and 41.3% in '02-'04 playoffs, respectively. Kobe would get killed for putting up those numbers in a series? He put them up for 53 playoff games over 3 postseasons under far more favorable circumstances than Jordan (age, support, defensive attention paid to him) -- yet we still have to endure claims that Kobe = Jordan daily.


Cut the nonsense, Brunch. If Kobe would get "killed" for shooting like that in a series, he should have been cremated and his legacy erased from the books by now for doing so not only in one series, but in three separate postseasons.

[Pujolsmj23]

Great post Loki!!!!Just what i meant....