You know what's funny, could someone with a brain, not with hate, with a brain please explain to me the definitive proof that Magic is a better basketball player overall, than Kobe?
Please don't troll me and say Magic >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Kobe because he passes.
And stall me with the Kobe rode Shaq around, and Magic played his whole career with Kurt Rambis, that argument goes out the window too.
I'm talkin total game, as in, COMPLETE game.
Because Magic was a passer, we all know that, and he was amazing. And he grabbed 7 boards a game, awesome numbers there. But was Magic a lockdown defender? No, he wasn't. Could Magic shoot with any sort of range outside 17-18 feet? No, he couldn't. Magic had handles, so does Kobe. Magic can pass, and clearly better than Kobe, but Kobe can indeed move the ball when needed. He even has the flare that Magic did with the no looks, behind the backs and such.
Was Magic's post game better than Kobe's? No.
Magic have better footwork than Kobe? No.
So I ask, breaking down the game, their game, what is SPECIFICALLY, that makes Magic CLEARLY better than Kobe so much so, that it is RIDICULOUS to say they are close in terms of GLOAT?
And make no mistake, let their be zero confusion, Magic Johnson is my favorite NBA player of all time. Do not for one second get that confused. But with all the shock and drama regarding Magic so CLEARLY better than Kobe as some of you suggest, I wonder why that is you think that, when skill by skill, Magic was not superior to Bryant. As Ska has argued, Magic was better at passing, than Kobe is scoring, therefore, his belief was Magic >>>>>>>Kobe.
But when I say who is the better defender? It would look a lot like Kobe >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Magic, and now the gap closes, does it not?
Magic was a dominant distributor, and he could get to the rim at will with his handles, and the open court, uptempo game that the Lakers played, Rajon Rondo can get dimes, and get to the rim, and get triple doubles with ease, can Rondo make a jumper with ease? Does he lockdown his man on D? I would argue, Rondo is an even better defender than Magic was, Magic's gift was he was 6-9 therefore taller than everyone at his position, it covered him for a lot of things. But that doesn't make him a lockdown defender. Makes him useable.
For fun, I have some wonders about if they switched teams, Kobe in the 80's offense with Worthy/Kareem/Scott, scoring at will, passing when needed for his 5-6 assists, his range pulling defenders out off Kareem.
What about Magic? Clearly he gets the ball to Shaq more, but when they double/triple Shaq, he kicks it out to Magic, does he make the shots? On defense, does Magic stop his man enough to prevent penetration and guys getting Shaq in foul trouble?
*shrugs*
Like I said, 1A, 1B. I change my mind all the time who the "best" Laker is. Kobe's career resume might pass Magic, but I don't know if his "game" does as well. But there isn't some big huge gap like some of you would like me to believe.