Here are my rough drafts to my I-Search Paper, this is our last assignment that our professor has assigned us. We must choose a topic that creates room for debate. I chose LeBron Vs. Kobe because I felt it was very interesting and a broad topic that was simple to find other writers opinions on it.
LeBron vs. Kobe
Early December and before I know it, it’s my best friends birthday. She’s finally legal! What’s better than that? Maybe turning 21, but that’s a few years too far away. We’re focused on the now and the fact that we can do “adult” things, like make a trip to Cleveland to watch our favorite basketball player play against his own personal rival. Cavaliers vs. Lakers, in other words… LeBron The King James vs. Kobe Bryant. She doesn’t know anything about this trip I have planned for us. I talked to her parents to make sure everything was okay and they thought it was a fantastic idea. The flight doesn’t leave until early evening time, so I have all day to get ready and surprise her. I can’t wait to see the look on her face, I know for a fact the first thing that comes out of her mouth will be, “I’m too hype to see LeBron kick Kobe’s ass! Everyone knows LeBron is better, it’s a fact that’s gone world-wide.” Almost all year around we argue that LeBron is better to people all over our county. It’s a debate that we love picking at, seeing men and their competitiveness, arguing till the end of time makes my life! So who’s better? Well, it’s easy for my best friend and I to tell you that LeBron James is better, whereas Michael Jordan doesn’t argue, but states that Kobe Bryant is the better ball player.
Michael Jordan lets us know that Kobe is a stronger basketball player than LeBron in a few different ways. I found a few articles on complex.com that shows evidence of Kobe being better, but all of those comments are qualified to argue against. According to this article that was released December 9, 2014 written by Maurice Peebles, Michael Jordan states that “five is bigger than one” even though James now has two championships, that number is still smaller than five. Maurice goes on and tells us more of what Jordan has to say, and he tells us that when you become a professional athlete the only thing that matters is the number of championships you bring home. Michael informs us that Kobe has brought home double the amount than LeBron, and he did it unselfishly. MJ thinks LeBron was selfish for leaving his home team behind and going to Miami just to win a championship. He reminds us that Kobe never had to leave his team even if they were in the dumps, because he could carry them on his back, and Kobe never had to write any apology letters to reunite with his hometown. In my opinion, hearing that Michael Jordan compares the amount of championships one has to be the best player is unfair. LeBron is a few years younger and started the league six years later than Kobe. Take a look at the stats! LeBron is mostly caught up and beats Kobe in some aspects. You also can’t compare how someone has more championships than another because it’s a team sport. Kobe didn’t win all of those championships himself. Sure, maybe his team is better than LeBrons, but that doesn’t make him personally any better than LeBron himself. In order to compare the two players, you have to narrow it down to their statistics that have been recorded from the time they started in the NBA until now.
On the other side of the fence, I came across another sports writer on huffingtonpost.com named Gus Turner arguing that LeBron is better than Kobe. Gus tells us that LeBron is a better figure to look up to. He feels that is a very important role for athletes to obtain. Not only is LeBron a good role model for young children but according to Gus Turner, LeBron James helped his friend become more wealthy. That may not be an important factor but that definitely does help him become well liked. To the bigger things, during Gus Turners video clip a major fact that should stand out to most of us is how LeBron James is a very flexible player. Gus shows us that he can play anywhere on the court offensively and defensively whereas Kobe is more so the type of guy to sit back and take jumpers all day. I will give credit to Kobe and his jumper because it is incredible, but that will only take a basketball player so far. If the defense and your overall offensive skills aren’t there, you shouldn’t qualify to be the best player in the NBA. Another huge factor from Gus Turners video clip is the last thing that we see. He shows a pic of LeBron holding four MVP’s, comparing him to Kobe where he only has one MVP. Look at the math side of this, Kobe has been in the league six years longer than LeBron and LeBron has three times more MVP’s than Kobe will most likely ever have. Once again, Gus Turner makes another good point that LeBron never had his teams carry him to the championship. LeBron leaving his hometown to go to Miami made it seem like he wanted them to carry him to a championship but in reality, he just wanted to make the team stronger, and he did!
From my point of view, I’m sure it’s easy to tell that I feel LeBron is better than Kobe. I don’t have to repeat anything Gus Turner said, because I agree with it all! I would just like to add that by looking at their statistics head to head, LeBron is most definitely the better basketball player. Compare the two in championships and seasons… well of course Kobe is going to have more seasons played and most opportunities to make it to the championship, he’s older therefore he’s been in the league longer. Take a peek at the honors and awards, same thing of course Kobe is going to be ahead because he’s had a longer chance to make it to where he is at now. Comparing these two is almost unfair because Kobe has had a tremendous head start. But then we look at regular season and total stats, LeBron is either right behind Kobe or ahead of him. LeBron scores, rebounds, passes, steals and blocks more in games than Kobe (average wise). Look at their total stats. Kobe isn’t too far ahead, but consider his head start, if he played as well as LeBron did he would be doing much better. The farther these stats go down the page, the more you will realize that LeBron is a better basketball player than Kobe. Some people may so how LeBron has more youth in him, but Kobe was young once also. He just didn’t shine as bright as LeBron.
Talk about shining bright. My best friend and I finally land in Cleveland to see the sun was shining brighter than usual for a cold day. We walked off the plane, grabbed our luggage and went looking for our Chauffer. He was easy to pick out considering he was the only one wearing a bright yellow Laker’s jersey. Right at that moment I looked to my right, my best friend looked to her left and we gave each other that “we know what’s coming next” look. A new person with the same old debate was about to arise.
Draft 2
LeBron vs. Kobe
Early December and before I know it, it’s my best friend’s birthday. She’s finally legal! What’s better than that? Maybe turning 21, but that’s a few years too far away. We’re focused on the now and the fact that we can do “adult” things, like make a trip to Cleveland to watch our favorite basketball player play against his own personal rival. Cavaliers vs. Lakers, in other words… LeBron The King James vs. Kobe Bryant. She doesn’t know anything about this trip I have planned for us. I talked to her parents to make sure everything was okay and they thought it was a fantastic idea. The flight doesn’t leave until early evening time, so I have all day to get ready and surprise her. I can’t wait to see the look on her face, I know for a fact the first thing that comes out of her mouth will be, “I’m too hype to see LeBron kick Kobe’s ass! Everyone knows LeBron is better, it’s a fact that’s gone world-wide.” Almost all year around we argue that LeBron is better to people all over our county. It’s a debate that we love picking at, seeing men and their competitiveness, arguing till the end of time makes my life! So who’s better? We can tell that Jordan favors Kobe, but here I will tell you why I favor LeBron.
Michael Jordan lets us know that Kobe is a stronger basketball player than LeBron in a few different ways. I found a few articles on complex.com that shows evidence of Kobe being better, but all of those comments are qualified to argue against. According to this article that was released December 9, 2014 written by Maurice Peebles, she interviewed Michael Jordan and he states that “five is bigger than one” even though James now has two championships, that number is still smaller than five. Maurice goes on and tells us more of what Jordan has to say, and he tells us that when you become a professional athlete the only thing that matters is the number of championships you bring home. Michael informs us that Kobe has brought home double the amount than LeBron, and he did it unselfishly. MJ thinks LeBron was selfish for leaving his home team behind and going to Miami just to win a championship. He reminds us that Kobe never had to leave his team even if they were in the dumps, because he could carry them on his back, and Kobe never had to write any apology letters to reunite with his hometown. In my opinion, hearing that Michael Jordan compares the amount of championships one has to be the best player is unfair. LeBron is a few years younger and started the league six years later than Kobe. It’s unfair to compare how someone has more championships than another because it’s a team sport. Kobe didn’t win all of those championships himself. His team helped carry those wins as well. Sure, maybe Kobe’s team is better than LeBrons, but that doesn’t make him personally any better than “The King” himself. In order to compare the two players, you have to narrow it down to their statistics that have been recorded from the time they started in the NBA until now.
On the other side of the fence, I came across another sports writer on huffingtonpost.com named Gus Turner arguing that LeBron is better than Kobe. Gus tells us that LeBron is a better figure to look up to. He feels that it is a very important role for athletes to obtain. During Gus Turners video clip a major fact that should stand out to most of us is how LeBron James portrays to us that he is a very flexible player. Gus shows us that he can play anywhere on the court offensively and defensively, whereas Kobe is more so the type of guy to sit back and take jumpers all day. I will give credit to Kobe and his jumper because it is incredible, but that will only take a basketball player so far. If the defense and your overall offensive skills aren’t there, you shouldn’t qualify to be the best player in the NBA. Having the skills to play anywhere on the court, and do it just as well, if not better than the other NBA players makes LeBron standout. Another huge factor from Gus Turners video clip is the last thing that we see. He shows a picture of LeBron holding four MVP’s. Compare him to Kobe where he only has one MVP. Look at the math side of this, Kobe has been in the league six years longer than LeBron and LeBron has three times more MVP’s than Kobe will most likely ever have. Looking at other websites we see many people argue that LeBron is a stronger player. Out of the two we can tell that Kobe is more successful as of right now, but to the years ahead of us LeBron has plenty of time to prove he is and always will be better when Kobe leaves the league.
Statistics
From my point of view, I’m sure it’s easy to tell that I feel LeBron is better than Kobe. I don’t have to repeat anything Gus Turner said, because I agree with it all! I would just like to add that by looking at their statistics head to head, LeBron is most definitely the better basketball player. Compare the two in championships and seasons… well of course Kobe is going to have more seasons played and most opportunities to make it to the championship, he’s older therefore he’s been in the league longer. Take a peek at the honors and awards, same thing of course Kobe is going to be ahead because he’s had a longer chance to make it to where he is at now. Comparing these two is almost unfair because Kobe has had a tremendous head start. But then we look at regular season and total stats, LeBron is either right behind Kobe or ahead of him. LeBron scores, rebounds, passes, steals and blocks more in games than Kobe (average wise). Look at their total stats. Kobe isn’t too far ahead, but consider his head start, if he played as well as LeBron did he would be doing much better. The farther these stats go down the page, the more you will realize that LeBron is a better basketball player than Kobe. Some people may so how LeBron has more youth in him, but Kobe was young once also. He just didn’t shine as bright as LeBron.
Talk about shining bright. My best friend and I finally land in Cleveland to see the sun was shining brighter than usual for a cold day. We walked off the plane, grabbed our luggage and went looking for our Chauffer. He was easy to pick out considering he was the only one wearing a bright yellow Laker’s jersey. Right at that moment I looked to my right, my best friend looked to her left and we gave each other that “we know what’s coming next” look. A new person with the same old debate was about to arise.
Final Draft:
Proposal
Why is LeBron James better than Kobe Bryant? According to Gus Turner on Complex Sports LeBron never had his team carry him to any championships. The author lets us know that LeBron was the type to take his team and carry them on his shoulders.He states that when James came to Miami Dwayne Wade had to take the backseat to LeBron, but LeBron wasn't selfish and still allowed Dwayne Wade to shine on the court. Gus Turner also makes a good remark that LeBron can play any position on the court whereas Kobe Bryant just sits back and shoots more than half of the time. Every once in a while I feel Kobe will drive to the basket but never as much as LeBron. I would have to agree with Gus and say that LeBron is better than Kobe. He reminds us that LeBron's offense and defense statistics wise, seems to be much stronger than Kobe's. He also reminds us that James has four MVP's and Kobe only has one. From another experts point of view some may disagree and argue that Kobe is better than LeBron. Why? Well Maurice Peebles tells us that she had a discussion with Michael Jordan on Complex Sports and he states that 5>2 and always will be, which in this case means Kobe has brought home more championships than LeBron has. I beg to differ because Michael tells us, "When a player's career is over, their greatness is always measured in championships." In my opinion, Michael can't tell us that Kobe is a better player because he has more championships and at the same time he can't make that statement knowing LeBron's career isn't over yet. LeBron still has plenty of time to catch up and even get ahead of Kobe in the championship statistic part of it. Another problem I have with Michael Jordan comparing Kobe to LeBron is that Kobe has been in the league six years ahead of LeBron. That gives him a huge advantage and head start, it seems to be unfair, right? Also, Kobe has had the chance to play with players who are well known for their talent on the court. Kobe got the chance to play with Shaq,Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and plenty more. That gave him an easier opportunity to win titles and really get a good chance at becoming a better player. When surrounded with ball players that know how to play really well, it's easier for you to improve on your skills, but playing with men who aren't as skilled makes it harder to become better. The unskilled aren't teaching anything. LeBron on the other hand has played with more of a team that doesn't bring as much skill to the table as Kobe's team did. Some of his teammates were Damon Jones, Dwayne Jones, Ira Newble. They've made it to the NBA so they must be good, but there names are not known like the players Kobe has been teamed up with.
Process
Where to begin... About two weeks ago I began to do some research for my final assignment. I went back and reviewed the work I've done on Food Matters, a video we watched in class. It was very interesting and it really brought to my attention how America abuses their own bodies and is completely aware of it. Example, we know that fast food is terrible for us but we still choose to eat it. For what reason? I'm not quite sure, maybe it's the taste or maybe it's the money factor. Fast food tends to be way cheaper than organic foods. Maybe that's America's number one problem. We like to be cheap, but anything worth having now a days is expensive. I know many people who would rather save money than spend it on real food. Buying 20 nuggets for 5 dollars from McDonalds is outrageous. Right then and there, we should realize that meat is 98% if not more, processed.
After thinking about doing this topic as my research paper I came up with another idea. I decided to do something that involves sports. I grew up with boys, I was obligated to play sports. My dad was born a natural athlete and so were all of my brothers, and then I came into the picture. I grew up to be just like my father, a natural athlete. I enjoyed playing basketball, baseball, soccer and football. Growing up and going through middle school it was impossible for me to choose my favorite sport. In every sport I encountered at school, every coach would tell parents that I could really go far. But then high school began. I changed schools and slowly stopped caring about one sport after the other. Don't get me wrong, I played soccer, basketball and softball all four years of high school and football my senior year. If your wondering, I played the boys team because there is no girls team where I live. I still love the sports and engage in them but sometimes when we reach the high school level, you'll get a coach and they will either make you fall in love with the sport even more or completely despise the sport. Unfortunately that happened to myself with basketball, softball and almost soccer. Soccer is my all time favorite and I couldn't imagine living without it. My coach hated me, and I hated him. The feelings were mutual, but his hatred had no affect on me. I was too good that he had to put me in the game. I always got my playing time in soccer. That's part of the reason I'm still in love with the game.
As you can tell, I grew up with sports all of my life. They intrigue my mind, which always makes an assignment more simple. That's why I came to the conclusion that I'm going to write my I-Search paper on LeBron Vs Kobe, who's better? This is an argument that many people fought over for a good while. The argument still occurs to this day. Even though basketball is one of my least liked sports, this topic is something that almost everyone has heard at one point in time. There are many statistics to look at and there is also a lot of feedback from sports writers.
LeBron vs. Kobe
Early December and before I know it, it’s my best friend’s birthday. She’s finally legal! What’s better than that? Maybe turning 21, but that’s a few years too far away. We’re focused on the now and the fact that we can do “adult” things, like make a trip to Cleveland to watch our favorite basketball player play against his own personal rival. Cavaliers vs. Lakers, in other words… LeBron The King James vs. Kobe Bryant. She doesn’t know anything about this trip I have planned for us. I talked to her parents to make sure everything was okay and they thought it was a fantastic idea. The flight doesn’t leave until early evening time, so I have all day to get ready and surprise her. I can’t wait to see the look on her face, I know for a fact the first thing that comes out of her mouth will be, “I’m too hype to see LeBron kick Kobe’s ass! Everyone knows LeBron is better, it’s a fact that’s gone world-wide.” Almost all year around we argue that LeBron is better to people all over our county. It’s a debate that we love picking at, seeing men and their competitiveness, arguing till the end of time makes my life! So who’s better? MJ makes it clear that Kobe is better, but here I will tell you why LeBron is better.
Versatile. On huffingtonpost.com Gus Turner, a sports writer, reminds us that LeBrons versatility on the basketball court is much stronger than Kobe's. I visited another site, quora.com, and according to Alex Suchman, LeBron James is one of the most versatile basketball players currently in the NBA. He states that LeBron James along with Kevin Durant are to go down in history as two of the most efficient scorers in the league. While LeBron proves to us he can score, so does Kobe. Bleacherreport.com states that Kobe is one of the top 10 best shooters in the NBA. They say “a great pull-up jumper requires a lot of skill and athleticism.” But who’s to say LeBron doesn’t have a great jump shot also? He is one of the leading scorers in the league! Which means LeBron has the skill and athleticism that Kobe portrays out on the court as well. Not only does LeBron show us his shooting skills, but his passing, defensive, small forward, ball handling and quality sportsmanship as well. Compare him to Kobe and he crushes his ability to be versatile on the court. What’s Kobe good for? His jump shot?! Yeah it’s pretty good, but that will only take a player so far. LeBron’s got strong defense and his ability to play almost anywhere on the court really gives him an advantage. Also, when we watch LeBron play, we can tell that he puts passion into everything he does. It’s easily noticeable. When we watch Kobe play, we see that he likes to go through the motions. He’s a strong component when on the court but it’s harder to tell that he puts his heart into it. I feel that LeBron showing he has more heart and passion puts him a step ahead of Kobe. Alex Suchman also makes the statement that LeBron’s passing skills are phenomenal. He can open up the court and make it easy for his teammates to have wide open shots Alex tells us. LeBron is unselfish, you’ll notice that comparing LeBron’s and Kobe’s statistics. Kobe has overall more career points and that’s mostly because he’s a ball hog. He’s aware of his skill and takes advantage of it. Always sitting back, taking his “pretty” jump shots. Almost leaving his teammates in the dust and not giving them the opportunity to shine. Maybe that’s the way Kobe likes to play but he’s not proving his skills to anyone by being selfish on the court. He doesn't show his versatility.
Another topic of discussion is LeBron’s impact vs Kobe’s impact on each of their teams. Reading Alex Suchman’s words, LeBron makes a bigger impact on every team he’s ever been on. Kobe has helped his team make it to the championship multiple times, but Kobe also had the chance to play with big named players in the league. Whereas LeBron has played most of the important roles on the court with the men he was teamed up with. He didn't get the chance to play with big named players until he left his hometown for Miami. Then he got the chance to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. The first year they made it to the championship but lost, the second time around they made it to the championship again and won. Did LeBron complain about being the only real big named player in Cleveland? No. He played with his heart and gave it his all in every game to prove that he is the best. After awhile without complaint, he decided to move on to Miami where he knew he had the chance of winning a title. Was this selfish? Yes. But with all respect, he just wanted to win, and he did. LeBron ended up winning two championship titles while playing with the Miami Heat. On sportsillustrated.com we read that Kobe’s impact on his team has less affect than LeBron does. Kobe has had multiple injuries and that puts him behind LeBron. The website tells us Kobe’s heart is too big to give up his love for the game. He’s played with injuries and has done well but they have put him at a major set-back compared to LeBron, who rarely ever gets injured. LeBron is younger, stronger and has more to offer to his team than Kobe ever will at this point in time.
Reading the Statistics LeBron beats Kobe yet again. Kobe has been in the league six years longer than LeBron. Of course Kobe is going to have more titles, points and career highlights than LeBron, but that doesn't mean LeBron is right behind Kobe's ass with every statistic shown. If we take a look at their total stats, Kobe has played 220 games all together and LeBron has played 162. LeBron beats him in total rebounds, assists and blocks. He's right up his ass with points and steals. Give LeBron the chance to play as many games as Kobe has in his career and he will prove to everyone that his abilities are much stronger.
From my point of view, I’m sure it’s easy to tell that I feel LeBron is better than Kobe. I don’t have to repeat anything Gus Turner said, because I agree with it all! I would just like to add that by looking at their statistics head to head, LeBron is most definitely the better basketball player. Compare the two in championships and seasons… well of course Kobe is going to have more seasons played and most opportunities to make it to the championship, he’s older therefore he’s been in the league longer. Take a peek at the honors and awards, same thing of course Kobe is going to be ahead because he’s had a longer chance to make it to where he is at now. Comparing these two is almost unfair because Kobe has had a tremendous head start. But then we look at regular season and total stats, LeBron is either right behind Kobe or ahead of him. LeBron scores, rebounds, passes, steals and blocks more in games than Kobe (average wise). Look at their total stats. Kobe isn’t too far ahead, but consider his head start, if he played as well as LeBron did he would be doing much better. The farther these stats go down the page, the more you will realize that LeBron is a better basketball player than Kobe. Some people may say how LeBron has more youth in him, but Kobe was young once also. He just didn’t shine as bright as LeBron.
Talk about shining bright. My best friend and I finally land in Cleveland to see the sun was shining brighter than usual for a cold day. We walked off the plane, grabbed our luggage and went looking for our Chauffer. He was easy to pick out considering he was the only one wearing a bright yellow Laker’s jersey. Right at that moment I looked to my right, my best friend looked to her left and we gave each other that “we know what’s coming next” look. A new person with the same old debate was about to arise.
Ponder
Do you wanna hear the thoughts I have on my paper..? First off, I feel it’s very hard to write a research paper without being able to have most of my opinion recorded. I am a very opinionated individual and I will put my two cents in when I feel it’s necessary. Apparently my two cents is more like a dollar. I always put more of my opinion in than fact from writers. I worked really hard on this assignment, and I hope you enjoy it. My first and second drafts are completely different from my draft. I hope that you realize I tried taking everything you said into consideration. I organized my paper and made it more “down to the point” rather than having it so broad with so many different point of views. It was very difficult and at times I wanted to stop writing. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that it’s the end of the semester and I’ve worked too hard to end with a bad grade.
Work Cited
Turner, Gus, "10 Reason why LeBron is better than Kobe" Publications(12/9/14) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/09/lebron-vs-kobe-reasons_n_6295660.html
Suchman, Alex, "Is LeBron James the Most Versatile Basketball Player of all time?" Publications(unknown) http://www.quora.com/Is-LeBron-James-the-most-versatile-basketball-player-of-all-time
Author, Unknown "How Kobe Bryant's Injury Impacts his Future, the Lakers, and the All-Star Game" Publications(1/22/15) http://www.si.com/nba/2015/01/22/kobe-bryant-torn-rotator-cuff-injury-lakers-nba-future
LeBron vs. Kobe
Early December and before I know it, it’s my best friends birthday. She’s finally legal! What’s better than that? Maybe turning 21, but that’s a few years too far away. We’re focused on the now and the fact that we can do “adult” things, like make a trip to Cleveland to watch our favorite basketball player play against his own personal rival. Cavaliers vs. Lakers, in other words… LeBron The King James vs. Kobe Bryant. She doesn’t know anything about this trip I have planned for us. I talked to her parents to make sure everything was okay and they thought it was a fantastic idea. The flight doesn’t leave until early evening time, so I have all day to get ready and surprise her. I can’t wait to see the look on her face, I know for a fact the first thing that comes out of her mouth will be, “I’m too hype to see LeBron kick Kobe’s ass! Everyone knows LeBron is better, it’s a fact that’s gone world-wide.” Almost all year around we argue that LeBron is better to people all over our county. It’s a debate that we love picking at, seeing men and their competitiveness, arguing till the end of time makes my life! So who’s better? Well, it’s easy for my best friend and I to tell you that LeBron James is better, whereas Michael Jordan doesn’t argue, but states that Kobe Bryant is the better ball player.
Michael Jordan lets us know that Kobe is a stronger basketball player than LeBron in a few different ways. I found a few articles on complex.com that shows evidence of Kobe being better, but all of those comments are qualified to argue against. According to this article that was released December 9, 2014 written by Maurice Peebles, Michael Jordan states that “five is bigger than one” even though James now has two championships, that number is still smaller than five. Maurice goes on and tells us more of what Jordan has to say, and he tells us that when you become a professional athlete the only thing that matters is the number of championships you bring home. Michael informs us that Kobe has brought home double the amount than LeBron, and he did it unselfishly. MJ thinks LeBron was selfish for leaving his home team behind and going to Miami just to win a championship. He reminds us that Kobe never had to leave his team even if they were in the dumps, because he could carry them on his back, and Kobe never had to write any apology letters to reunite with his hometown. In my opinion, hearing that Michael Jordan compares the amount of championships one has to be the best player is unfair. LeBron is a few years younger and started the league six years later than Kobe. Take a look at the stats! LeBron is mostly caught up and beats Kobe in some aspects. You also can’t compare how someone has more championships than another because it’s a team sport. Kobe didn’t win all of those championships himself. Sure, maybe his team is better than LeBrons, but that doesn’t make him personally any better than LeBron himself. In order to compare the two players, you have to narrow it down to their statistics that have been recorded from the time they started in the NBA until now.
On the other side of the fence, I came across another sports writer on huffingtonpost.com named Gus Turner arguing that LeBron is better than Kobe. Gus tells us that LeBron is a better figure to look up to. He feels that is a very important role for athletes to obtain. Not only is LeBron a good role model for young children but according to Gus Turner, LeBron James helped his friend become more wealthy. That may not be an important factor but that definitely does help him become well liked. To the bigger things, during Gus Turners video clip a major fact that should stand out to most of us is how LeBron James is a very flexible player. Gus shows us that he can play anywhere on the court offensively and defensively whereas Kobe is more so the type of guy to sit back and take jumpers all day. I will give credit to Kobe and his jumper because it is incredible, but that will only take a basketball player so far. If the defense and your overall offensive skills aren’t there, you shouldn’t qualify to be the best player in the NBA. Another huge factor from Gus Turners video clip is the last thing that we see. He shows a pic of LeBron holding four MVP’s, comparing him to Kobe where he only has one MVP. Look at the math side of this, Kobe has been in the league six years longer than LeBron and LeBron has three times more MVP’s than Kobe will most likely ever have. Once again, Gus Turner makes another good point that LeBron never had his teams carry him to the championship. LeBron leaving his hometown to go to Miami made it seem like he wanted them to carry him to a championship but in reality, he just wanted to make the team stronger, and he did!
From my point of view, I’m sure it’s easy to tell that I feel LeBron is better than Kobe. I don’t have to repeat anything Gus Turner said, because I agree with it all! I would just like to add that by looking at their statistics head to head, LeBron is most definitely the better basketball player. Compare the two in championships and seasons… well of course Kobe is going to have more seasons played and most opportunities to make it to the championship, he’s older therefore he’s been in the league longer. Take a peek at the honors and awards, same thing of course Kobe is going to be ahead because he’s had a longer chance to make it to where he is at now. Comparing these two is almost unfair because Kobe has had a tremendous head start. But then we look at regular season and total stats, LeBron is either right behind Kobe or ahead of him. LeBron scores, rebounds, passes, steals and blocks more in games than Kobe (average wise). Look at their total stats. Kobe isn’t too far ahead, but consider his head start, if he played as well as LeBron did he would be doing much better. The farther these stats go down the page, the more you will realize that LeBron is a better basketball player than Kobe. Some people may so how LeBron has more youth in him, but Kobe was young once also. He just didn’t shine as bright as LeBron.
Talk about shining bright. My best friend and I finally land in Cleveland to see the sun was shining brighter than usual for a cold day. We walked off the plane, grabbed our luggage and went looking for our Chauffer. He was easy to pick out considering he was the only one wearing a bright yellow Laker’s jersey. Right at that moment I looked to my right, my best friend looked to her left and we gave each other that “we know what’s coming next” look. A new person with the same old debate was about to arise.
Draft 2
LeBron vs. Kobe
Early December and before I know it, it’s my best friend’s birthday. She’s finally legal! What’s better than that? Maybe turning 21, but that’s a few years too far away. We’re focused on the now and the fact that we can do “adult” things, like make a trip to Cleveland to watch our favorite basketball player play against his own personal rival. Cavaliers vs. Lakers, in other words… LeBron The King James vs. Kobe Bryant. She doesn’t know anything about this trip I have planned for us. I talked to her parents to make sure everything was okay and they thought it was a fantastic idea. The flight doesn’t leave until early evening time, so I have all day to get ready and surprise her. I can’t wait to see the look on her face, I know for a fact the first thing that comes out of her mouth will be, “I’m too hype to see LeBron kick Kobe’s ass! Everyone knows LeBron is better, it’s a fact that’s gone world-wide.” Almost all year around we argue that LeBron is better to people all over our county. It’s a debate that we love picking at, seeing men and their competitiveness, arguing till the end of time makes my life! So who’s better? We can tell that Jordan favors Kobe, but here I will tell you why I favor LeBron.
Michael Jordan lets us know that Kobe is a stronger basketball player than LeBron in a few different ways. I found a few articles on complex.com that shows evidence of Kobe being better, but all of those comments are qualified to argue against. According to this article that was released December 9, 2014 written by Maurice Peebles, she interviewed Michael Jordan and he states that “five is bigger than one” even though James now has two championships, that number is still smaller than five. Maurice goes on and tells us more of what Jordan has to say, and he tells us that when you become a professional athlete the only thing that matters is the number of championships you bring home. Michael informs us that Kobe has brought home double the amount than LeBron, and he did it unselfishly. MJ thinks LeBron was selfish for leaving his home team behind and going to Miami just to win a championship. He reminds us that Kobe never had to leave his team even if they were in the dumps, because he could carry them on his back, and Kobe never had to write any apology letters to reunite with his hometown. In my opinion, hearing that Michael Jordan compares the amount of championships one has to be the best player is unfair. LeBron is a few years younger and started the league six years later than Kobe. It’s unfair to compare how someone has more championships than another because it’s a team sport. Kobe didn’t win all of those championships himself. His team helped carry those wins as well. Sure, maybe Kobe’s team is better than LeBrons, but that doesn’t make him personally any better than “The King” himself. In order to compare the two players, you have to narrow it down to their statistics that have been recorded from the time they started in the NBA until now.
On the other side of the fence, I came across another sports writer on huffingtonpost.com named Gus Turner arguing that LeBron is better than Kobe. Gus tells us that LeBron is a better figure to look up to. He feels that it is a very important role for athletes to obtain. During Gus Turners video clip a major fact that should stand out to most of us is how LeBron James portrays to us that he is a very flexible player. Gus shows us that he can play anywhere on the court offensively and defensively, whereas Kobe is more so the type of guy to sit back and take jumpers all day. I will give credit to Kobe and his jumper because it is incredible, but that will only take a basketball player so far. If the defense and your overall offensive skills aren’t there, you shouldn’t qualify to be the best player in the NBA. Having the skills to play anywhere on the court, and do it just as well, if not better than the other NBA players makes LeBron standout. Another huge factor from Gus Turners video clip is the last thing that we see. He shows a picture of LeBron holding four MVP’s. Compare him to Kobe where he only has one MVP. Look at the math side of this, Kobe has been in the league six years longer than LeBron and LeBron has three times more MVP’s than Kobe will most likely ever have. Looking at other websites we see many people argue that LeBron is a stronger player. Out of the two we can tell that Kobe is more successful as of right now, but to the years ahead of us LeBron has plenty of time to prove he is and always will be better when Kobe leaves the league.
Statistics
From my point of view, I’m sure it’s easy to tell that I feel LeBron is better than Kobe. I don’t have to repeat anything Gus Turner said, because I agree with it all! I would just like to add that by looking at their statistics head to head, LeBron is most definitely the better basketball player. Compare the two in championships and seasons… well of course Kobe is going to have more seasons played and most opportunities to make it to the championship, he’s older therefore he’s been in the league longer. Take a peek at the honors and awards, same thing of course Kobe is going to be ahead because he’s had a longer chance to make it to where he is at now. Comparing these two is almost unfair because Kobe has had a tremendous head start. But then we look at regular season and total stats, LeBron is either right behind Kobe or ahead of him. LeBron scores, rebounds, passes, steals and blocks more in games than Kobe (average wise). Look at their total stats. Kobe isn’t too far ahead, but consider his head start, if he played as well as LeBron did he would be doing much better. The farther these stats go down the page, the more you will realize that LeBron is a better basketball player than Kobe. Some people may so how LeBron has more youth in him, but Kobe was young once also. He just didn’t shine as bright as LeBron.
Talk about shining bright. My best friend and I finally land in Cleveland to see the sun was shining brighter than usual for a cold day. We walked off the plane, grabbed our luggage and went looking for our Chauffer. He was easy to pick out considering he was the only one wearing a bright yellow Laker’s jersey. Right at that moment I looked to my right, my best friend looked to her left and we gave each other that “we know what’s coming next” look. A new person with the same old debate was about to arise.
Final Draft:
Proposal
Why is LeBron James better than Kobe Bryant? According to Gus Turner on Complex Sports LeBron never had his team carry him to any championships. The author lets us know that LeBron was the type to take his team and carry them on his shoulders.He states that when James came to Miami Dwayne Wade had to take the backseat to LeBron, but LeBron wasn't selfish and still allowed Dwayne Wade to shine on the court. Gus Turner also makes a good remark that LeBron can play any position on the court whereas Kobe Bryant just sits back and shoots more than half of the time. Every once in a while I feel Kobe will drive to the basket but never as much as LeBron. I would have to agree with Gus and say that LeBron is better than Kobe. He reminds us that LeBron's offense and defense statistics wise, seems to be much stronger than Kobe's. He also reminds us that James has four MVP's and Kobe only has one. From another experts point of view some may disagree and argue that Kobe is better than LeBron. Why? Well Maurice Peebles tells us that she had a discussion with Michael Jordan on Complex Sports and he states that 5>2 and always will be, which in this case means Kobe has brought home more championships than LeBron has. I beg to differ because Michael tells us, "When a player's career is over, their greatness is always measured in championships." In my opinion, Michael can't tell us that Kobe is a better player because he has more championships and at the same time he can't make that statement knowing LeBron's career isn't over yet. LeBron still has plenty of time to catch up and even get ahead of Kobe in the championship statistic part of it. Another problem I have with Michael Jordan comparing Kobe to LeBron is that Kobe has been in the league six years ahead of LeBron. That gives him a huge advantage and head start, it seems to be unfair, right? Also, Kobe has had the chance to play with players who are well known for their talent on the court. Kobe got the chance to play with Shaq,Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and plenty more. That gave him an easier opportunity to win titles and really get a good chance at becoming a better player. When surrounded with ball players that know how to play really well, it's easier for you to improve on your skills, but playing with men who aren't as skilled makes it harder to become better. The unskilled aren't teaching anything. LeBron on the other hand has played with more of a team that doesn't bring as much skill to the table as Kobe's team did. Some of his teammates were Damon Jones, Dwayne Jones, Ira Newble. They've made it to the NBA so they must be good, but there names are not known like the players Kobe has been teamed up with.
Process
Where to begin... About two weeks ago I began to do some research for my final assignment. I went back and reviewed the work I've done on Food Matters, a video we watched in class. It was very interesting and it really brought to my attention how America abuses their own bodies and is completely aware of it. Example, we know that fast food is terrible for us but we still choose to eat it. For what reason? I'm not quite sure, maybe it's the taste or maybe it's the money factor. Fast food tends to be way cheaper than organic foods. Maybe that's America's number one problem. We like to be cheap, but anything worth having now a days is expensive. I know many people who would rather save money than spend it on real food. Buying 20 nuggets for 5 dollars from McDonalds is outrageous. Right then and there, we should realize that meat is 98% if not more, processed.
After thinking about doing this topic as my research paper I came up with another idea. I decided to do something that involves sports. I grew up with boys, I was obligated to play sports. My dad was born a natural athlete and so were all of my brothers, and then I came into the picture. I grew up to be just like my father, a natural athlete. I enjoyed playing basketball, baseball, soccer and football. Growing up and going through middle school it was impossible for me to choose my favorite sport. In every sport I encountered at school, every coach would tell parents that I could really go far. But then high school began. I changed schools and slowly stopped caring about one sport after the other. Don't get me wrong, I played soccer, basketball and softball all four years of high school and football my senior year. If your wondering, I played the boys team because there is no girls team where I live. I still love the sports and engage in them but sometimes when we reach the high school level, you'll get a coach and they will either make you fall in love with the sport even more or completely despise the sport. Unfortunately that happened to myself with basketball, softball and almost soccer. Soccer is my all time favorite and I couldn't imagine living without it. My coach hated me, and I hated him. The feelings were mutual, but his hatred had no affect on me. I was too good that he had to put me in the game. I always got my playing time in soccer. That's part of the reason I'm still in love with the game.
As you can tell, I grew up with sports all of my life. They intrigue my mind, which always makes an assignment more simple. That's why I came to the conclusion that I'm going to write my I-Search paper on LeBron Vs Kobe, who's better? This is an argument that many people fought over for a good while. The argument still occurs to this day. Even though basketball is one of my least liked sports, this topic is something that almost everyone has heard at one point in time. There are many statistics to look at and there is also a lot of feedback from sports writers.
LeBron vs. Kobe
Early December and before I know it, it’s my best friend’s birthday. She’s finally legal! What’s better than that? Maybe turning 21, but that’s a few years too far away. We’re focused on the now and the fact that we can do “adult” things, like make a trip to Cleveland to watch our favorite basketball player play against his own personal rival. Cavaliers vs. Lakers, in other words… LeBron The King James vs. Kobe Bryant. She doesn’t know anything about this trip I have planned for us. I talked to her parents to make sure everything was okay and they thought it was a fantastic idea. The flight doesn’t leave until early evening time, so I have all day to get ready and surprise her. I can’t wait to see the look on her face, I know for a fact the first thing that comes out of her mouth will be, “I’m too hype to see LeBron kick Kobe’s ass! Everyone knows LeBron is better, it’s a fact that’s gone world-wide.” Almost all year around we argue that LeBron is better to people all over our county. It’s a debate that we love picking at, seeing men and their competitiveness, arguing till the end of time makes my life! So who’s better? MJ makes it clear that Kobe is better, but here I will tell you why LeBron is better.
Versatile. On huffingtonpost.com Gus Turner, a sports writer, reminds us that LeBrons versatility on the basketball court is much stronger than Kobe's. I visited another site, quora.com, and according to Alex Suchman, LeBron James is one of the most versatile basketball players currently in the NBA. He states that LeBron James along with Kevin Durant are to go down in history as two of the most efficient scorers in the league. While LeBron proves to us he can score, so does Kobe. Bleacherreport.com states that Kobe is one of the top 10 best shooters in the NBA. They say “a great pull-up jumper requires a lot of skill and athleticism.” But who’s to say LeBron doesn’t have a great jump shot also? He is one of the leading scorers in the league! Which means LeBron has the skill and athleticism that Kobe portrays out on the court as well. Not only does LeBron show us his shooting skills, but his passing, defensive, small forward, ball handling and quality sportsmanship as well. Compare him to Kobe and he crushes his ability to be versatile on the court. What’s Kobe good for? His jump shot?! Yeah it’s pretty good, but that will only take a player so far. LeBron’s got strong defense and his ability to play almost anywhere on the court really gives him an advantage. Also, when we watch LeBron play, we can tell that he puts passion into everything he does. It’s easily noticeable. When we watch Kobe play, we see that he likes to go through the motions. He’s a strong component when on the court but it’s harder to tell that he puts his heart into it. I feel that LeBron showing he has more heart and passion puts him a step ahead of Kobe. Alex Suchman also makes the statement that LeBron’s passing skills are phenomenal. He can open up the court and make it easy for his teammates to have wide open shots Alex tells us. LeBron is unselfish, you’ll notice that comparing LeBron’s and Kobe’s statistics. Kobe has overall more career points and that’s mostly because he’s a ball hog. He’s aware of his skill and takes advantage of it. Always sitting back, taking his “pretty” jump shots. Almost leaving his teammates in the dust and not giving them the opportunity to shine. Maybe that’s the way Kobe likes to play but he’s not proving his skills to anyone by being selfish on the court. He doesn't show his versatility.
Another topic of discussion is LeBron’s impact vs Kobe’s impact on each of their teams. Reading Alex Suchman’s words, LeBron makes a bigger impact on every team he’s ever been on. Kobe has helped his team make it to the championship multiple times, but Kobe also had the chance to play with big named players in the league. Whereas LeBron has played most of the important roles on the court with the men he was teamed up with. He didn't get the chance to play with big named players until he left his hometown for Miami. Then he got the chance to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. The first year they made it to the championship but lost, the second time around they made it to the championship again and won. Did LeBron complain about being the only real big named player in Cleveland? No. He played with his heart and gave it his all in every game to prove that he is the best. After awhile without complaint, he decided to move on to Miami where he knew he had the chance of winning a title. Was this selfish? Yes. But with all respect, he just wanted to win, and he did. LeBron ended up winning two championship titles while playing with the Miami Heat. On sportsillustrated.com we read that Kobe’s impact on his team has less affect than LeBron does. Kobe has had multiple injuries and that puts him behind LeBron. The website tells us Kobe’s heart is too big to give up his love for the game. He’s played with injuries and has done well but they have put him at a major set-back compared to LeBron, who rarely ever gets injured. LeBron is younger, stronger and has more to offer to his team than Kobe ever will at this point in time.
Reading the Statistics LeBron beats Kobe yet again. Kobe has been in the league six years longer than LeBron. Of course Kobe is going to have more titles, points and career highlights than LeBron, but that doesn't mean LeBron is right behind Kobe's ass with every statistic shown. If we take a look at their total stats, Kobe has played 220 games all together and LeBron has played 162. LeBron beats him in total rebounds, assists and blocks. He's right up his ass with points and steals. Give LeBron the chance to play as many games as Kobe has in his career and he will prove to everyone that his abilities are much stronger.
From my point of view, I’m sure it’s easy to tell that I feel LeBron is better than Kobe. I don’t have to repeat anything Gus Turner said, because I agree with it all! I would just like to add that by looking at their statistics head to head, LeBron is most definitely the better basketball player. Compare the two in championships and seasons… well of course Kobe is going to have more seasons played and most opportunities to make it to the championship, he’s older therefore he’s been in the league longer. Take a peek at the honors and awards, same thing of course Kobe is going to be ahead because he’s had a longer chance to make it to where he is at now. Comparing these two is almost unfair because Kobe has had a tremendous head start. But then we look at regular season and total stats, LeBron is either right behind Kobe or ahead of him. LeBron scores, rebounds, passes, steals and blocks more in games than Kobe (average wise). Look at their total stats. Kobe isn’t too far ahead, but consider his head start, if he played as well as LeBron did he would be doing much better. The farther these stats go down the page, the more you will realize that LeBron is a better basketball player than Kobe. Some people may say how LeBron has more youth in him, but Kobe was young once also. He just didn’t shine as bright as LeBron.
Talk about shining bright. My best friend and I finally land in Cleveland to see the sun was shining brighter than usual for a cold day. We walked off the plane, grabbed our luggage and went looking for our Chauffer. He was easy to pick out considering he was the only one wearing a bright yellow Laker’s jersey. Right at that moment I looked to my right, my best friend looked to her left and we gave each other that “we know what’s coming next” look. A new person with the same old debate was about to arise.
Ponder
Do you wanna hear the thoughts I have on my paper..? First off, I feel it’s very hard to write a research paper without being able to have most of my opinion recorded. I am a very opinionated individual and I will put my two cents in when I feel it’s necessary. Apparently my two cents is more like a dollar. I always put more of my opinion in than fact from writers. I worked really hard on this assignment, and I hope you enjoy it. My first and second drafts are completely different from my draft. I hope that you realize I tried taking everything you said into consideration. I organized my paper and made it more “down to the point” rather than having it so broad with so many different point of views. It was very difficult and at times I wanted to stop writing. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that it’s the end of the semester and I’ve worked too hard to end with a bad grade.
Work Cited
Turner, Gus, "10 Reason why LeBron is better than Kobe" Publications(12/9/14) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/09/lebron-vs-kobe-reasons_n_6295660.html
Suchman, Alex, "Is LeBron James the Most Versatile Basketball Player of all time?" Publications(unknown) http://www.quora.com/Is-LeBron-James-the-most-versatile-basketball-player-of-all-time
Author, Unknown "How Kobe Bryant's Injury Impacts his Future, the Lakers, and the All-Star Game" Publications(1/22/15) http://www.si.com/nba/2015/01/22/kobe-bryant-torn-rotator-cuff-injury-lakers-nba-future