Former Lakers coach reveals difference in leadership between Kobe Bryant, LeBron James originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As two of the absolute best players in the history of the NBA, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have been constantly compared against each other for the past twenty-plus years. Everybody seems to have an opinion regarding who is better between the two, and intriguing arguments can be made both ways.
Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott is uniquely qualified to discuss the topic, as he both played with and coached Bryant, and he also coached against James for years. So, he has firsthand knowledge of both guys.
During a conversation with former Lakers forward Trevor Ariza on a recent episode of his Fast Break podcast, Scott revealed the difference in leadership in his eyes between James and Bryant.
“I think one of the differences, too, Trevor [Ariza], correct me if I’m wrong — when you see those two guys on the basketball court, LeBron will, and it’s not a bad thing, but he’ll let you off the hook,” Scott said. “Kobe will not. Kobe is trying to kill you on the basketball court. So, in other words, LeBron’s a lot nicer on that basketball court. Kobe’s an absolute killer.”
Ariza agreed with Scott’s assessment.
“Kobe was like one of those people that could kill you, then go home, eat dinner with his family, and not think about what he did,” Ariza added.
It’s not necessarily a groundbreaking comparison from Scott, but it’s interesting to hear, nonetheless. Bryant was notorious for his intense individual approach to the game, while James’ reputation is more of a motivator and morale guy. Both styles have proven to be successful, as James and Bryant have a total of nine rings between them.
Overall, basketball discourse would probably benefit if there was less comparison between players and eras and more appreciation for the unique greatness of guys like LeBron and Kobe. But don’t expect that to happen anytime soon.
