Kobe-Lebron Stats on Head to Head Matchup

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Kobe-Lebron Stats on Head to Head Matchup

ClutchZone 8/11/18 10:02 AM

NBA Legends Kobe Bryant and Lebron James have been pitted against each other in conversations on who is the better player between the two.

Kobe, the Black Mamba, was drafted 13th overall on 1996 while Lebron, the King, was drafted 1st overall on 2003. Each of them possesses the kind of generational talent where the mere mention of their first names equates to the word greatness. Looking at the pair’s careers overall, the amount of accolades they’ve amassed is immense.

We've been treated to 22 games between the two for the 13 years they've played together. The numbers over that span for both of them have been as fun as you'd expect:

Out of the 22 games the two MVPs played against each other, 16 of those have been won by Lebron and his team, and stats show Lebron having better performances on average. One can argue, though, that Kobe was on his peak and decline, while Lebron was on his rise and peek.

Highlights on social media show Kobe getting past Lebron on 1-on-1 moves and post matchups. Lebron, on his part, needed team plays whenever Kobe was assigned to him. These were expected for both players as Lebron didn't yet have that post moves unlike his game today where he relies on it every game.

Both competitors, though, share the same sentiment when it comes to their rivalry. “I wouldn’t say he was a rival,” Bryant said of James. “I just felt like we were completely different generations. I just missed that thing completely. Not like a Magic and Bird kind of thing.”

James seconded, drawing a distinction between Bryant’s generation (including Duncan, Garnett and Nowitzki) and his own generation (which included Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade and Stephen Curry ), while saying Pierce was his top rival.