LeBron James vs Kobe Bryant Career Comparison
By Jerry Trotta
The NBA's primetime Saturday night fixture will see the Los Angeles Lakers slated against the Philadelphia 76ers.
While the Lakers' top priority lies with them finishing their road trip on a high note, all eyes will be on LeBron James, who is just 18 points shy of passing Kobe Bryant for No.3 on the all-time scoring list.
In honor of The King likely making history by displacing The Black Mamba against Philly, it's only fitting that we dive into a meticulous comparison of their legendary careers.
Real recognize real ??@KingJames is 18 points away from passing @kobebryant all-time, the two have always shown appreciation for each other's game! pic.twitter.com/XMJCgA4Kh9
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 25, 2020
LeBron James vs Kobe Bryant Career Stats
LeBron Averages: 27.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 3.5 turnovers per game, while shooting 50.4% from the floor, 34.4% from three, and 73.5% on free throws.
Kobe Averages: 25 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 3 turnovers, while shooting 44.7% from the floor, 32.9% from three, and 83.7% on free throws.
LeBron Totals: 33,626 points, 9,126 assists, 9,210 rebounds, 1,995 steals, 942 blocks, and 4,328 turnovers
Kobe Totals: 33,643 points, 7,047 rebounds, 6,306 assists, 1,944 steals, 640 blocks, and 4,010 turnovers.
LeBron James needs 18 points to pass Kobe Bryant for the 3rd-most points in NBA history.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 25, 2020
Lakers at 76ers, 8:30 ET on ABC. pic.twitter.com/hpl3rqhggS
LeBron James vs Kobe Bryant Career Championships
LeBron: Three-time champion (2012, 2013, 2016)
Kobe: Five-time champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2010)
Kobe Bryant's stats throughout the 2010 Playoffs
— Mamba Insider (@Mamba_Insider) January 2, 2019
29 PPG
6 RPG
5.5 APG
1.3 SPG
46% FG
Kobe won the 2010 Championship and carried the Lakers while playing with a broken index finger on his shooting hand ?? pic.twitter.com/ZTFUGpIRfy
LeBron James vs Kobe Bryant Career Awards:
LeBron: Three-time champion, four-time MVP, Scoring Champ (2007-08), three-time Finals MVP, 16-time All-Star, three-time ASG MVP, six-time All Defense, 15-time All-NBA, Rookie of the Year (2003-04), All Rookie.
Kobe: Five-time champion, MVP (2007-08), two-time Scoring Champ, two-time Finals MVP, 18-time All-Star, four-time ASG MVP, 12-time All-Defense, 15-time All-NBA, All-Rookie.
It doesn’t seem possible that LeBron James is about to pass Kobe Bryant on the all-time scoring list. Both have the utmost respect for each other as competitors, and more importantly, as men. pic.twitter.com/BaGIc7Db8P
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 26, 2020
There you have it, folks.
Let's save the debate for who is the superior player for another day. Tonight is all about recognizing the greatness of James and Bryant, and the historic imprints they have imposed on the NBA, and sport of basketball altogether.