*NEW* Phil Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe (2009)

[@christianarcilla]

man phil's one lucky coach! coaching the 2 greatest players and winning 11 championships (maybe 12 next year). greatest basketball coach of all time

[@chriswalls5831]

Reason Phil has so many titles

[@faiithe]

I can tell you ive watched both of them play in their prime. One thing they have very much in common. Is they want to win. They want the ball when the game on the line.

[@nardo363636]

Magic Johnson is a great man. He is such a positive awesome guy, always smiling, i love that guy ,especially when hes analizing on espn. Cause everyone else has a personal agenda and hes just there to be positive and fair and a good guy.

[@GregoryAlanBaileygamereviews]

hes a good guy

[@Jaimevee90033]

So it's Kobe 1, Jordan 0 from the words coming from the best coach that, I believe, ever lived (in my era). All time! (y)

[@EmmanuelStalling]

If you watch or have watched MJ, you'll see that his hands were a big part of what separated him from other players. It made those crazy scoop shots possible, made him a dynamic ball handler, and made him a great defender. The rest was magic Zeus power..

[@sergiogarcia5593]

Yeah I know it's impressive just that going to the Finals 7 times is also a great feat.

[@leobsession123456789]

"I am Legend. I am Michael Jordan. G.O.A.T."

[@lucyaklar6345]

"I don't get 5 championships here without him" - Kobe's comment about Michael Jordan 🐐 in the Last Dance Documentary

[@Hueco514]

I look forward to see what he's learned (in terms of footwork, etc.) when he's Kobe's age. But to say Kobe barely learned post moves is wrong, he's had them just never needed to use them. He did work with Hakeem over the summer, but only to enhance his game. Kobe adapts. If LeBron adapts, then more power to him. But when Kobe was LeBron's age, he could already shoot like this. At 24? Don't tell me he wasn't already good. Sure LeBron has much more athletic ability, he's a freak of nature, but -

[@resn2enak]

Both are best at what they do. They both have something people doesn't understand, Which is Kobe and Michael both have their own ways of being one of a kind. No one could be like Michael and no one could be like Kobe. Simply stated.

[@krms101]

Magic ,Kobe ,and Jordan, are the best players of all time.

[@Hueco514]

Good point. But that was a first round series, as opposed to a conference finals series, determining who would have a chance at the chip.

[@usernameufo123]

Come on guys give these 2 great players credit. I am a Kobe fan and I have to admit Jordan changed the entire game respect points for him a living legend. But there is no need to put down Kobe to recognize that. They are all great players and I am just glad I live to see their plays.

[@MillzTheAthlete]

I'm not the biggest Kobe fan, I don't consider him a top 10 player of all-time, and with good reason. But even I can appreciate his work ethic and ability to play through moderate injuries where most would sit. It's his longevity that puts Kobe above other scorers in his era. Guys like Iverson, TMac, Vince, etc, couldn't sustain their scoring pace like Kobe has. With Shaq, they were a top 5 greatest 1-2 punch ever. When Kobe retires, he will be remember most for his scoring longevity.

[@wornoutshoes11]

the true fans of the sport of basketball knows the truth... MJ will always be the greatest ever... NO ONE COMES CLOSE! he is in a league of his own! and that is without any politics whatsoever!

[@mvrugby04]

Jordan played against the zone while in Washington and still did pretty good. He wasnt driving as much as he did in his prime, but he still knew how at age 40. Like I mentioned earlier, there also arent as many quality big men as before.

[@ChomskyAnarchist]

Having bigger hands usually brings down your shooting percentage. The fact that Jordan's FG% is much higher than Kobe's is a testament to Jordan's supreme basketball skills and athleticism. Bigger hands only help you in the post and on the drive when you pull up off the dribble next to the basket.

[@jeremyshockey234]

IMHO, Michael Jordan will always be the greatest, I don't think anyone's gonna argue with that. It'd be interesting to see how he'd handle the steady parade of 7-footers now in the league though, anyone out there with me on that.

[@DrewReyes]

in my mind,I say that nobody is better,they are both good players....

[@sukhpal23]

@Kurpag24 well whats worse a 30 year old player with a injury OR and 40 year old with a injury?

[@DTDCRapture]

@300josh incorrect 1. Michael Jordan 2. Julius Erving 3. Wilt Chamberlain

[@JackJonesYom]

True, that's why I put it in quotations marks. No one can win a title by himself.

[@jaydanfort]

@bretcarr2001 dude the game has changed since jordans era, hand checking was introduced (in jordans day you were allowed to have 2 hands pushing the player away, these days you have to have one and the arm has to be bent so there is no pushin back) they also changed body contact rules to allow offensive players to score easier.....and if you do also wanna think, jordan did return and he is now the oldest player to score over 40 in a play off game..... woops :)

[@damadcow]

jordan elevated the game for the new gen. players

[@LakersDynasty42]

I'm not "holding on to the glory days". I'm only 19 but I know basketball history and I would never disrespect a legend to make another player look good.

[@klabkebash]

As a Knicks fan.. there was nobody who wanted Jordan to fail more than us.. We couldn't even get to the finals until he retired those 2 times.. How many times Did Tim Duncan and the Spurs not only reach the finals but win it.. Four (4) ?? On the Kobe's watch ?? Jordan is the best ever because once he reached that level he never relinquish it, like the way Kobe did against Chauncey Billups in 04 and Paul Peirce in 08.

[@mmaxsters]

michael jordan is widely regarded in the whole universe as the greatest player ever in the history of basketball

[@totnuckers]

It's great that people love LeBron James and people love guys like Kobe Bryant.... don't ever forget, Michael Jordan did everything they did at a more consistent and dominating level. Enjoy what you have now, because they will get old and retire. Don't ever forget to take the extra time to learn about the career of one Michael Jordan. He is the greatest of all time after all.

[@酎ハイ飲んだらいい感じ]

"Not that I want you to compare the two, just tell me if they have similar ways" LOL

[@FerrariSorry]

@GamerAntman I'm talking about Kobe being the best player of all time, Michael being #2. You'll see, once Kobe earns his 7th ring; everyone will flock toward his side over Jordan. Jordan has always had better teams than Kobe has when winning championships, Kobe did it with Shaq; yeah... But, just 3/5 of his rings have been with SHAQ. At the end, it'll be 3/7 with SHAQ. Jordan = 6/6 with Pippen AND some of his rings spawned from having the likes of Rodman, Harper etc. on his team. >=D

[@wannabeserpento99]

i wanna ask you a question, is it better to win 4-4 or 4-6??? if you win 4-4 it means that you have been eliminated earlier, it doesn't make your team any better

[@latinsizer]

Whos more deserving to compare both players than the man who coach the two best ever to play the game

[@chicagosfinest15]

nobody will EVER be better than Michael Jordan.

[@Blackwiz]

Again, defensive boards aren't a defensive stat when talking about someone being a great defender. I dont see what part of "someone grabbing a lot of defensive boards doesn't not make him a great defensive player" didn't you get. Grabbing a defensive board does not stop the other teams offense. Where did you get that from? When a team misses the shot, most of the players are already heading down to the other side of the court. Offensive boards are what changes the scheme of things.

[@03mangoepie1]

@Machiminimo i agree wd you dude...although im a big fan of kobe bryant but i do respect mj so much for being one of the greatest player dat ever played in d nba...go lakers...go kobe...

[@imsljr420]

@jonnyrisas : he already gave high praise to jordan by saying no one will even match what michael has done for the game & his greatness will never be superseded.

[@MillzTheAthlete]

Both are correct. I said 4th in spg (steals per game), not steals all-time. SPG + games played is more important than where you are on the all-time steals list. Is Jason Kidd better than MJ on defensive because he has more steals all-time (+300 more games played)? JKidd avg 1.9 spg (17th all-time) to Jordan's 2.3. The 2.3 spg over 1000 games is more impressive than 1.9 spg over 1,300 games.

[@christhehighguy]

if kobe wins 2 more rings, he will be GOAT. He didn't do it like mike did, two 3 peats, 6 time finals MVP, but rings talk and once he gets that 7th it will just solidify his GOAT status. ............ loyal jordan stan

[@Fangsterish]

@Hawkhunter07 hey thanks dude? kinda like rondo huh? but could u spell out the word too please?

[@FrancoDFernando]

@TyronakaBallar You forget that at age 40, Jordan was still posting 20 ppg in this era

[@trowabarton321]

Kobe has this much talent around him coming to 3 years now.

[@zendersn]

NBA has changed and is more difficult to get through the lane without being doubled and tripled teamed! and yet Kobe is the only player i know tht cant be stopped! if MJ played today's ball, he wouldnt b sht!

[@SmooveShotta]

@SILVERK0 an to answer your question, i think pippen was one of the reasons they won, an jordan was the main reason, go back to the 93-94 season the bulls were doing great without jordan, then the next year they were struggling to stay at .500, untill jordan came back for the second half of that season

[@pariket]

to see the link, type in "Phil Jackson compares Kobe and MJ (2008)"

[@Makaveli5458]

Face facts people tour hat for kobe is beacuse he is a huge threat to mj legacy as the greatest of all time you don't want that to happen so you hate on him tha'ts why mj tried to denoun's kobe's 81 point's because mj realizes kobe could become better than he was

[@AnvilWitch]

@300josh so absolutely right! the best will be forever mj and bird!

[@sunike07]

damn right those mits of MJ are fucking incredible...makes his 3 point plays so much easier, gets fouled and still dunks it in like nothing...while KB has to do acrobatic clutch layups/shots to get those 3 point plays and talking about MJ's hands...ppl should check out the clip where MJ intercepted the ball singlehandedly in mid air and settled for an instant jumper! hella EPIC!!!

[@LiqCharles]

lol so many haters. Still stuck in the past, Jordan will forever be the greatest of all time because of what he did and when he did it, no one will ever match that. Kobe for me is still the better basketball player, this is my opinion by the way. He has the most complete and diverse skill set, I've ever seen. Reason why MJ got such a high percentage from the field and advantage on almost all stat category is 'cause it was easier to score back then and the competition was basically the Bulls.

[@anyaluva25]

When its all Said and Done...Kobe Will be Missed

[@user-ke3wp7cn1i]

i believe people are just hating on kobe fans and not kobe. i mean there is really no reason to hate great players. like kobe fans hatin' on lbj fans and vice versa. The best moments in sports are the times when u dont know what is going to happen and u get surprised by players or teams that rise to the challenge. Stop comparing the past, because it gets u nowhere, who cares who WAS the best when the joy as a fan is to see a player constantly rise to future challanges.

[@rsdarknewbie6]

Kobe is great, will never doubt him as one of the best player to ever play the game. but Jordan is the GREATEST. End of it.

[@NOZ88]

MJ has 6 rings with 6 nice Finals MVPs, he has 5 MVP awards, the highest career scoring rate ever AND he got Defensive Player of the year...there are so many awards I could post... But the awards are only one point! To find out about the second and in my opinion major point of why MJ is the greatest ever...you should watch him play! There are a lot of videos, full games, documentaries and so on...his ability to score the game decisive shot, to score unbelievable shots, his ability to win! ...

[@nbagoats4819]

@screwopenborders - Right now the NBA is a bout money first. Hopefully the league will do a full circle and get back to what matters most. Sportsmanship and hard work.

[@SourceSACNR]

Never said he did, I said this is before he carried the Lakers to back-to-back championships from the '09 season to the '10 season.

[@DestinationAirsoft13]

@jdave17 yea.. and he also needs 3 more finals MVPs, 4 more reg. MVPs, 8 more scoring titles, 1 more defensive player of the year award and 7,000 more points to have the same stuff as michael(doesnt mean hell be better)

[@MrGyonex]

He was better according to numbers and he was even better taking context in to account.

[@impbadminton]

The difference between micheal and kobe the mids that michael have? I can't hear he said mids right?

[@Jaimevee90033]

M.J. will go-down, as the greatest basketball player that ever played the sport...Unequal! Give credit, where credit is due! THE greatest player that ever played professionally(N.B.A.). Next ('hater')question? :-) (y)

[@AzogBolg]

@thegreatmoto Jackson reached the eastern conference semi finals without Jordan.. Michael's replacement was Pete Myers.. Isnt that tell u anything at all?

[@Althanarpremium]

Man i totally agree with you!

[@palitos23]

that I can possibly accept 2nd best but there are questions to be answered still where as in MJs there is no question even Magic said it 'the best player to have ever played the game of basketball' referring to Jordan

[@mike.soto_]

Jordan is the GOAT Because the way he plays He knows he's really good and can handle a lot of situations but he still chooses to pass as well

[@idster7]

that was good. i wish phil would have elaborated as to how "those mitts" really helped michael's game out though.

[@sumskater999]

Kobe's the best player in the league today. Jordan was the best player in the history of the league. But Kobe deserves MAD props for his 80-point game. Shit, the record should be his. Chamberlain set the record of 100 in 1962 when defense didn't mean what it does in today's NBA. Having an 80-point game in the modern NBA is remarkable.

[@catdogcirca1990s]

its really hard to compare people from different eras per say but kobe was the jordan of the last decade plus it helps when you have the best perimeter defender in the league and one of the best rebounders

[@nanablvd]

i agree with Phil. Kobe's hands are so small that he cant even grab the ball in one hand, which makes him not as efficient and dominant as MJ. But Kobe being able to do what he does best, given his small hands and his other physical weaknesses, make him a very special player and possibly one of the all-time greats.

[@blommen]

so what you are saying is, you will take a game winning "shot" over a game winning "Lay-up"? thats idiocy and you know it. i was referrinng to lebrons overall jumpshot percentage, when i said his shot was better. when it comes to crunch time it doesn't matter where the points come from, as long as they come, and they come way more efficiently at lebron than at kobe. while lebron does this, he also has a better percentage a shooting the ball so its not a contest between the two.

[@aydobo]

@CroPride7 just because someone is smaller and lighter doesnt mean that the person is faster, who's faster lebron or kobe? anyways mj and kobe r both 6'6 and around 215-225 lbs

[@whsie1]

Actually, you can see go before that. The 1980s Larry Bird led Celtics also ran a variation of the zone defense. It was also "illegal defense" back then. But as I said, it's nearly impossible to officiate.

[@fccl1]

There you go, Kobe got small hands and MJ got amazing huge hands. Something hard work cannot overcome. I think Iverson would rule NBA if he was 6'6. Or if Magic was 6'0 instead of 6'9, he would be just another good PG. Very few can do single hand fakes... and do them well. Needless to say how explosive MJ was compare to other players, even 6'0 guards. Or how fast he was at 39, it's not something you overcome with training, I am sure they all trained very hard.

[@Hueco514]

I completely agree. He's top 10-15 all time. Can't crack the 5 when Jordan, Magic, Bird and Russell are there and their accomplishments. At this point, present day, I believe Kobe is still the best. Shaq was definitely the best when Kobe and Shaq won, but Kobe was deserved too. LeBron will pass him up, I believe that. But it hasn't happened yet.

[@ramonchitobosque]

MJ G.O.A.T & Clutchest Player I've ever seen!

[@BrawlerTM]

people should really listen to what phil says...and stop trying to argue....there is no arguing, he is the man who knows them best....and doesn't give high praise to anyone....MJ is the best though...no doubt

[@OriginalJamaican]

Kobe himself said that he's tired of the comparison and everybody knows that Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time.

[@GemZel16]

when it's all said and done.. that's when Phil could make an unbiased comparison of the two.. and if there would be a very valid comparison of these two greats.. It's Phil and we all know that..

[@mikester8821]

@TyronakaBallar Those players are good but there is a reason. When Jordan left, the NBA's ratings sunk dramatically. The league needed more highlights and flashy guards to draw attention. Just like the quote I provided with my last response, the rule changes opened up the game so players could get better shots.

[@Blackwiz]

Not really. Boards aren't really a defense stat when you're talking about someone being a great defensive player. Someone grabbing a lot of boards does not make them a great defensive player.

[@erikman21]

Just because MJ is the greatest doesn't mean Kobe shouldn't get respect. He is no doubt one of the greatest the league has ever seen and haters should realize that.

[@catdogcirca1990s]

he lead the lakers in assists 8 years in that last decade

[@cabalogia]

There is absolutely no comparison. Kobe is a great player and one of the all time greats no doubt about that but Michael is simply the best there has ever been. Many of the people who say kobe is the better are the younger generation of NBA fans the one's that dont remember how Michael could have won 8 championships in a row had he not decided to go play baseball. Heck the guy was so good he played into his 40's and still competed at a high level.

[@BettaWithToast]

i think its pretty close on jumping ability jordan is better at team defense kobe is better at man defense kobe and MJ both got to the hole at will idk jordan is a better leader but thats a close argument on whos the better player its hands down that jordan is greater though he's accomplished much more...but instead of being mad at kobe for being 2nd best i think people should enjoy him while he lasts because he does so much amazing thing on the court its impressive

[@MrTehbigcheese]

mj is the goat and always will be nuff said

[@CaliJatt0809]

When Kobe retires it's gona be a sad day in bball. One of the few legends from the 90's era. Old school basketball. I don't think we're gona see another player with the will of Kobe for a long time. Globally he's unmatched. He's show time, every where he goes it's a sellout. I think we should all appreciate Kobe while he's still playing because I'm sure every bball fan will miss him when he retires.

[@atlnigga03]

@macnastee Yeah u're right. Players today are just spoiled because sometimes refs make sorry calls. They should make it less strict like back in the day so the players can just play.

[@MrSquaky]

"Mike D'Antoni vowed to give Kobe more top defensive assignments this season" Hence the word "MORE". Meaning Kobe defend both On & Off ball and watching multiple players at a time. And this is ONLY referring to Kobe at 34 YEARS OLD! Steven A said Kobe is STILL a lockdown defender at his age, and sure he struggles off the ball because as of now HE'S 34! He's not making All Def Teams at 34, NEITHER WAS SHAQ AT 34. In his Prime, Kobe excel both off & on ball defensively and you can't deny that.

[@Stanzo86]

@dmun5587red123 dude redick guarded him like twice. who did jordan have guarding him in the 91 finals? how about 93? 96? tell me where the strong defender is

[@basiclover69]

no body knows kobe and MJ more than PHIL JACKSON. but i still believe MJ is far better.

[@KingJames1871]

What do you mean by "the NBA said it itself"? During the time he and Kobe were together, Shaq won a regular season MVP and 3 Finals MVP's. What did Kobe win during that time? 3-peat championship years, playoff averages: Shaq- 29.9ppg, 55.2%fg, 14.5reb, 3.0ast, 2.4blk, 12.2 win shares Kobe- 25.3ppg, 44.7%fg, 5.7reb, 4.9ast, 1.1blk, 8.5 win shares Their 4 Finals together: Shaq- 33.6ppg, 14.1reb, 3.0ast, 2.4blk, 60.2%fg Kobe- 22.1ppg, 5.2reb, 4.6ast, 1.0blk, 41.6%fg

[@amishbros]

@tigerwoods232000 ???? they are both great defenders! whats the difference?

[@N3wEra24]

im a huge fan of both i could care less whos better. also i feel people will always say jordon is better because jordan had such an amazing career first and people will never put kobe over jordon and when kobe retires kobe will be in jordons position and lebron will be in kobe bryants position.

[@Blackwiz]

More than half of the boards a guard grabs in a game, just fell in his hands. Im not saying defensive boards are irrelevant, but that doesn't make Magic a great defender. Fact is, he did not lock players down.

[@MillzTheAthlete]

Listen, before Magic and Larry, the best players to ever play were Russell, Wilt and Oscar (Kareem wasn't done yet). I've watched a lot of Kareem, Wilt and Russell games enough to accurately rank them and Oscar's greatness is undeniable, even by watching 15 games. Now to suggest that a players greatest can only be measured by watching a players entire career is crazy. Just because you never seen Oscar play doesn't mean he didn't achieved what he did during his career or have any less value.

[@mvrugby04]

Watch MJ's Wizards' highlights on here. Sure, he wasnt the same MJ from the Bulls, but still damn good.

[@mikester8821]

@TyronakaBallar Speculation, no facts here. I'll give you a fact though. Ever since rule changes, stats from perimeter players have gotten better, while big men have gotten worst.

[@KreolaBoy]

KOBE DID 'N IS DOIN ALOTA THANGS THAT JORDAN NEVER DID..... 5 RINGS AT THE AGE OF 31, 5 RINGS COMIN' FROM HIGH SCHOOL, 81PTS IN A GAME, PLUS KOBE BROKE ALOTA JORDAN'S RECORDS__ I Mean Even Though Jordan is Probly Better Than Him, Kobe Can Be Proud of His Legacy. BTW This Comparison Dont Have to Exist, KOBE IS KOBE JORDAN IS JORDAN PERIOD

[@BettaWithToast]

@stringskippa i can't find the comment that you sent at me to reply but you said that they should have beaten the Celtics easily? are you kidding me that team was put together for no other reason than to win the championship, one of the best defensive teams ever, and they had 3 hall of famers in their starting line...and a lost is a lost just like a win is a win it really doesn't matter how many you win or lose by

[@lumipifeslb]

Even Magic says "Jordan the best has ever played"

[@alibogs1]

When ever someone new comes to the NBA and has some skills, they always compare him to MJ. Why? Because MJ is the GOAT. People compare Kobe to Jordan and not the other way around. Right there is the answer. The NBA is a business, and a great way for them to increase viewership is to make people think that there's someone playing now that plays like MJ. If the NBA allow 80's or 90's style defense to be play, and Kobe still put those numbers up, maybe I would think about comparing him to MJ

[@Jiltedin2007]

Has Phil Jackson proposed to "The Boss' Daughter" yet? It would be sooooo very good to see a Hall of Famer like him married to the Los Angeles Lakers.

[@DaRealNaga]

thats the best question....