What are the odds of LeBron James joining Kobe Bryant on his retirement team? The Lakers have already brought in both players for promotional purposes, so it’s only a matter of time before they officially join forces. This is an interesting question because although having two legends playing together would be quite cool, there are some significant differences between their games that could make this match-up difficult to predict.
The “who is better lebron or jordan” is a question that has been asked for years. The answer to the question depends on who you ask and what they believe.
Between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, the question of a lifetime is who was better. The Orlando Magic deprived us of the chance to watch the Lakers vs. Cavaliers Finals game we all wanted to see in 2009. Instead, we were left wondering who would emerge victorious in a duel between two of the greatest athletes of all time.
It got us wondering about what might happen if the two clubs formed an exhibition game with some of their old players. Bryant won three titles with superstar center Shaquille O’Neal and two with Pau Gasol, while LeBron had nine NBA Finals appearances with his team.
Who would win if a seven-game series and a championship were on the line between the All-Kobe and All-LeBron teams? Let’s take a look at the teammates and what can happen if something goes wrong.
Derek Fisher vs. Kyrie Irving at point guard
Derek Fisher may not have been in an All-Star game, but when it came to starting point guards, he was as dependable as they come. With Bryant, Fisher won five titles. That’s some serious chemistry there. Fisher was a good defender and game manager in his career, shooting 37 percent from three-point range. When it comes to selecting a quarterback, you could do a lot worse.
Irving, on the other side, is one of the finest ball handlers we’ve ever seen. He has a lethal baseline move that is practically unguardable. In recent years, he has also developed a three-point shot that has hovered around 40%. While his defense is questionable, his attack is phenomenal. In 2016, Irving won a championship alongside LeBron James in Cleveland, where he also made three straight Finals appearances. Because the two players have only played two games against each other, there isn’t much of a sample size to compare.
Kobe Bryant vs. Dwyane Wade at Shooting Guard
In the 2000s, we saw a lot of this. Bryant never encountered Wade in the NBA Finals or the playoffs since he spent his whole career with the Western Conference’s Lakers. While Bryant was winning MVP awards, Wade was entering his peak seasons. He also won two scoring championships in which he averaged 35.4 points per game over the course of a season.
While Bryant was in the league, Wade also won a scoring championship, so this would be a genuine back-and-forth duel. Bryant averaged 26.1 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 20 games versus Wade. Wade averaged 24.3 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in the same games. Bryant is the superior defender, but it doesn’t seem to be by much in this game.
Lamar Odom vs. LeBron James at small forward
It would be a difficult order for Odom to defend LeBron. Odom was a Sixth Man of the Year at best, so he’d have to start against the second-greatest player of all time in this scenario. Odom was a solid player who averaged about 13 points and eight rebounds throughout the course of his career. On the defensive end, Odom would need assistance.
We’ve seen LeBron score 50 points against some of the best defenders. In this series, he would undoubtedly have the biggest offensive edge. Why should we expect anything less from LeBron than a triple-double in the NBA Finals against the likes of Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant? LeBron James averaged 26.5 points, 7.2 assists, and 7.0 rebounds in 22 games versus Lamar Odom. Odom has only averaged 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in the same games.
Pau Gasol vs. Chris Bosh, Power Forward
When Gasol arrived in Los Angeles, he was the ideal complement to Bryant. He had an instant impact on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court, helping the Lakers win back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. He was a guy who could put up 18 points and 10 rebounds on any given night. Not to add, we’ve seen Gasol go toe-to-toe with Bosh and come out on top in terms of rebounding, passing, and defense.
Between the two, Bosh was the superior scorer, but Gasol had more success. Gasol averaged 19.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 20 games versus Bosh. Bosh averaged 18.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in the same games. It’s a razor-thin margin of victory, but Gasol has always had the upper hand.
Shaquille O’Neal vs. Anthony Davis, center
This is a difficult one to solve. Both players never played against one other, and even if they had, Davis was still a rookie and Shaq was towards the end of his career. It wouldn’t have been a genuine Shaq vs. AD showdown anyway. All we have is history to look back on. Shaq has a large side advantage, converts at a high percentage in the paint (8th highest all-time), and can block shots when necessary.
Davis is a strong contender for Defensive Player of the Year, can easily score 20 points and grab 10 rebounds, and has a developing outside shooting. In the element of centers, this would be “old school vs. new school.” With an MVP and three Finals MVPs, Shaq has the edge, whereas Davis has only been in the NBA Finals once with LeBron.
Advantages of an All-Kobe Team
It is evident that the paint has a distinct benefit. According to the data, Gasol and Shaq look to be a superior combo than Gasol and Davis. Gasol and Shaq should be able to dominate the boards on paper, allowing the club to push the ball in transition. Bryant is one of the finest one-on-one ballplayers in the game’s history, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to cash in.
Another benefit is having Bryant and his two former bigs on the inside. With Bryant, they’ve won five championships together, so he’s got the chemistry. It has already worked against teams, and it will most likely work here as well.
Advantages of a LeBron-only team
When the squad won the Finals in 2020, LeBron and Davis were one of the strongest transition duos in the league. Despite his age, LeBron led the league in assists, with many of those assists going to Davis. Consider the possibilities if Irving, Wade, LeBron, and Davis were to team together. Wade and LeBron might be one of the best duos in NBA history. That ball movement would be quick and difficult to stop.
LeBron James and Lamar Odom are another clear matchup issue. The fact that LeBron has doubled his productivity over Odom has to be a major worry. Bryant would most likely switch, but LeBron has had equal success against Bryant. When LeBron played him, he averaged 28.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in 22 games.
Who Will Win A Seven-Game Series?
This series may easily be a genuine back-and-forth, with one game going in one direction and the next going in the opposite. All-LeBron would win the opening game in a series that might easily be a coin flip. The All-Kobe squad did not make any modifications and attempted to restrict LeBron, but Odom scored 35 points to lead the club to a 110-89 triumph. Following some defensive improvements, a rotation of Bryant, Odom, and Gasol kept LeBron quieter in the second game, with Bryant and Shaq combining for 70 points to lead All-Kobe to a 101-96 triumph.
With their twin towers in the paint, All-Kobe would win their second game in a row. Gasol’s ability to play beyond the arc would draw Bosh down low, allowing Shaq and Davis to face off in one-on-one situations. Shaq used his size to intimidate the “smaller” center, scoring 25 points and grabbing 19 rebounds for a 20-20 game.
All-LeBron would take Davis out of the center position in the fourth game to attempt to get Shaq to leave the post. With the guards with Bosh and Davis, there would be plenty of pick-and-roll opportunities. All-Kobe would only make 18-of-37 free throws, making free throws the name of the game. This includes Shaq himself missing eight free shots. To win a tight 100-94 game, Irving, Wade, and Bosh would make 25 of 31 shots.
With another outstanding effort from LeBron, All-LeBron would win the fifth game. LeBron would emerge from a difficult shooting slump in Games 3 and 4, scoring 37 points, 12 rebounds, and dishing out 10 assists for his first triple-double of the series. LeBron would concentrate on one-on-one confrontations with Bryant and Odom, destroying them with his ferocious strength. A 112-101 triumph, on the other hand, would be followed by a 121-109 defeat, with Bryant scoring 40 points, because you know he wasn’t going to let this series conclude in six games.
Finally, Bryant and Shaq revert to their old school three-peat days and put on a show that stuns the globe. Shaq had a 30-point, 20-rebound game, totally dominating Davis and everyone else who attempts to defend him. Bryant had one of his greatest shooting outings of the season, scoring 50 points, including the last ten points of the game. With 36 points, LeBron attempts to equal, but the old-school Lakers reclaim their supremacy. Despite having five probable Hall of Famers on his team, LeBron James Bryant continues to do what he does best, which is win.
Team All-Kobe defeats Team All-Lebron 4-3 in the series.
Kobe Bryant is the MVP of the series.
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