Quick First-Half Thoughts: Kobe Bryant Once Again Proves He Gets The Flow Of The Game

I don’t know if I’m ready to say Kobe Bryant is a better player than LeBron James. Kobe has so many built-in advantages that LeBron has never had. He has a coach that knows how to use him correctly, a big man that is both unbelievably skilled and willing to defer, a surrounding group of strong-willed role players who won’t take his BS and a front office that won’t let him walk all over them. So while it’s tempting, I won’t do it, not until I see LeBron in a better situation than the 2003-2010 versions of the Cavaliers.

But I will say this: if there’s something that this playoffs has proved, it’s this: Kobe knows just when to unleash his full arsenal so much better than LeBron. So many of us expected him to come out of the gate quickly, including Magic Johnson. So many of us, including me, expected him to break the Triangle early and often. Instead, he made sure the Lakers ran the offense early, and when the time came late in the first half, he pounced. He shifted gears and allowed the Lakers to maintain their lead.

I like to think of this as the final test of true superstardom. Once you can figure out exactly when to shift gears to help your team win, you’ve passed basketball’s final test. For all of LeBron James’ physical gifts, he’s not there yet, not against the league’s best defense. This first half proved Kobe Bryant is there right now, and in his own way, that makes him “better” than LeBron. So to speak, at least.