[NBAblogjobParticipant]

Before this article gets started, let’s get one thing straight: Kobe Bryant is not better than Michael Jordan, and never will be. Even if Kobe goes on to win two more rings giving him seven, one more than MJ, he still falls short in comparison. There will never be another Michael Jordan. The legacy he left will never be matched and it may be taboo to even compare with another player’s. Winning was not enough, he had to bury his competition. Do not let Kobe’s glare/under bite growl fool you, it is a front, and an attempt by Kobe to patent a facial expression like MJ’s tongue wag. Let us please squash this debate before some people begin to take it seriously. Kobe is not better than MJ, however, his Lakers may just be better than Jordan’s Bulls.

The rest at: http://nbablogjob.blogspot.com/

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

I read it and have a couple disagreements

Harper would have shut down Fisher. He still had the defense in 96. Rodman was a bully and I think he would have gotten more rebounds then Gasol. Gasol would have scored on him but not by much so I’d say that’s a push

The Bench should go to Chicago IMO.

Good read.

[NBAblogjobParticipant]

Thanks my man. Gasol would be outrebounded by Rodman. But he’s also going to get 20 every game in all liklihood. Harper and Fisher are not much more than role players at the PG spot. They would account for 2 or 3 big players per game.

[llperez]

2000-01 lakers would beat both these teams.

[JoeWolf1]

Don’t forget a 1995-1996 took a 7’1” 300+ pound Shaq out of the game in the Eastern Conference Finals. Rodman got in his head, and if he could get Shaq out of the game he could get Gasol or Bynum out of it too.

[NBAblogjobParticipant]

True, but Rodman can only D up one player. That leaves gasol or bynum free, essentially. Shaq was great then, but not near as good as when he was in LA. He was one dimensional. Gasol has a multitude of skills

[JoeWolf1]

Very true, Longley wasn’t a liability on defense because he was so big, but he’d have a hard time with Bynum. I’d love to see Jordan then go against Kobe now, it’d be a great matchup.

[NBAblogjobParticipant]

Oh yea, NBA fans salivate over the idea. Jordan is better, but Kobe is the next best thing.

[dwat4444Participant]

I feel like there has to be some sort of computer programmer out there who could simulate this series, or atleast one game. Like, anyone watch Deadliest Warrior on SPIKETV? some program like that. ESPN should definetely look into that. They could program all great teams from the past to play eachother. This matchup, or 66 celtics vs 83 Lakers, or other sports, Like Montana’s 49er’s vs. 03-04 Patriots, stuff like that. I know i’d watch it

[mbdParticipant]

U do realize Harper sacrifced his Scoring to win Fisher is definetly not better than Harper, Harper avg 20pts the year before he came to the Bulls. Harper is 6’6 Fisher is 6’1 matchup problem all day.Rodman was much bigger and much more versatile than you give him credit. The Bulls Bench was way better than the Lakers. Bulls two best players are better than the Lakers in the end thats all thats matters Jordan is better than Kobe, Artest cant hold Pippen. The only matchup problem is Gasol and Gasol is not going to get 30 on the Bulls. Did you forget about handchecking The Bulls could bodied the Lakers all day.

[BasketballGuru24Participant]

SPIKE TV ” A MAN’S CHANNEL”

[NYK2010Participant]

You fail to mention Pippen would school Artest becaz he’s a much smarter player.
The Lakers have no bench outside of Odom really and Kukoc would score easily on anyone else like Walton, Sasha.
Bulls had plenty of bodies to throw at Bynum.
They barely beat the Celtics they’d definately struggle agains the Bulls.
96 Bulls lost 1 playoff game that was in OT till they were up 3-0 on the Sonics.
Lakers lost 7 games in the playoffs this year.
The Bulls would’ve swept the Thunder no way MJ let a young team push them to a basket from a Game 7.

[llperez]

how would kukoc score easily on walton and vujacic if they hardly even play? You cant score on guys when they are on the bench. Kukoc would have to score on artest and odom and they aint happening. As sound of an all around player kukoc was, i never heard him and "score easily" in the same sentence before.

[sacphil_08Participant]

If we look into this you realize that the bulls were 72-10. Not that it matters in the sense that they had the best regular season record ever, but that it proves that the bulls tool no games off and throttled their competition every night. They would go on to beat hall of famer Gary Payton while he was still in his prime which was like rajon rondo times two. Yes the lakers played against potentially 3 HOFers buy none of them were in their prime and it was obvious. Furthermore, the comparison of fisher and Harper by whoever said that is absurd. Harper was a 20 ppg scorer for a good portion of his career before he went to Chicago and took an obviously lesser role. Offensively the bulls would cause a million mismatches just from Harper pippen and Jordan. With Jordan better than Kobe, pippen a HOFer and artest being… Artest and Harper over fisher they cause multiple issues. Rodman on gasol would be intriguing. Gasol would be able to get his but he won’t bury chicago, bynum and longley: longley is big enough to take away Bynums advantages. Chicagoa bench was consistent which is something the lakers struggled with all year long. In the end no matter how everything else were to work out (although I feel Chicago would win most of the important matchups) the bulls had Jordan in his prime and I’ll take that over anyone any day. You could make a couple valid arguments as to why the lakers MIGHT be able to win but I don’t think you can come to a definite concrete LEGITIMATE argumentative point (unless you’re a laker fan of course)

[llperez]

there is no "defenite concrete LEGITIMATE argumentative point" for either team. This whole hting is completely hypothetical. It’s all fantasy, so nothing can be concrete about it.

[SubZeroParticipant]

I think Kobe is closer to being Jordan than you’re giving him credit for. Jordan is better, but not by as big of a landslide as you’re saying

[llperez]

yeah, ill give jordan the edge, but people acting like it is not even close are just hating on kobe. Jordan’s stats in those 2006 finals were like 27ppg on 41% shooting. He struggled big time agains the defense of payton.

[sacphil_08Participant]

If we are going to sit up and look at the matchups then we can come to conclusions nothing concrete like I said. I just took some obvious
matchups and gave an opinion which is what the point of the thread is right? Posting your opinion

[llperez]

yes it is. But since we will never know, not sure how you can say there is nothing concrete to prove for the lakers argument as if there is anything truly concrete for either side

[Chicago1980Participant]

I think that sacphil_08 made some very good points and I completely agree with him the 96 bulls were unstoppable and if you look at how they beat people in the regular season as well as the playoffs its not even close. The bulls swept a good Miami Heat team, then they beat a good knicks team in 5 then they swept a very good defending eastern conference champion Orlando team and finally they took care of a very good Seattle team with gary payton and shawn Kemp in their primes in 6 games. I dont believe that this lakers team could handle the bulls defense or the many matchup problems that they would have given them. Most of the people that dont agree are lakers fans and I understand that.

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