Basketball fans all over the world have participated in the debate of who is the best basketball player today. The debate has been narrowed down to two candidates: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Both Kobe and LeBron have their fans, but they also have their biggest critics. Many say Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player on the planet, but there are just as many people claiming that LeBron James is the best. I am here to tell you why Kobe Bryant has the slight edge over LeBron James.

The first aspect that I’m going to analyze is the shooting ability of each player. For their careers, neither Kobe Bryant or LeBron James have been considered 3 point shooters. The edge for 3 point shooting goes to Kobe Bryant because Kobe has a career 3 point percentage of 33.7%. LeBron is a hair behind that with 33.1% from the 3 point arc. Regarding free throw shooting, Kobe Bryant also beats LeBron James in that category. Kobe for his career shoots 83.8% from the free throw line while LeBron James shoots at 74.6%. Kobe Bryant is ahead by nearly 10% in free throw shooting. As for overall field goal percentage, LeBron has the edge. LeBron shoots 48.3% from the field for his career, whereas Kobe is shooting at 45.3% from the field for his career. The field goal percentage can be skewed because LeBron plays at the rim while Kobe is more of a jump shooter.

Next is the defense. LeBron James has the advantage when it comes to defense because of his height and strength. LeBron is averaging .8 blocks per game while Kobe is barely behind at .5 blocks per game. Also, LeBron has 1.7 steals per game and Kobe is at 1.5 steals per game.

The last part I’m going to analyze is the play of LeBron and Kobe in the playoffs. LeBron averages 29.4 points per game in the playoffs while Kobe scores 25 points per game. LeBron’s field goal percentage is at 45.2% and Kobe’s is 44.7%. Eventhoughh LeBron’s numbers are better, Kobe is still the best player in the NBA. Here is why:

Kobe Bryant is a winner. Every level of basketball he has ever played, he’s been a winner. He is a 5-time NBA champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 14-time NBA All Star, 13-time All NBA Shooting Guard, 11-time All NBA Defense, 4-time All Star Game MVP, 2-time scoring champion, and the NBA MVP in 2008. Kobe has proven time and time again, he is unstoppable. At the age of 33, Kobe Bryant is outplaying the young superstars of the NBA and shows no signs of slowing down. Also, Kobe Bryant is clutch. With the game on the line, Kobe has come through in the clutch and has carried the Lakers on his back. LeBron has been to the Finals twice and has a record of 2-8 while Kobe has been to the Finals seven times and has a record of 23-17 in those games. Also, Kobe Bryant is currently 5th in NBA history in all-time scoring and 3rd in all-time playoff scoring. Kobe is simply the best basketball player today.