The Los Angeles Lakers fought, but fell to the Miami Heat Thursday night 99-90. LeBron James led his team to victory while the other superstar, Kobe Bryant was absent for most of the game. Is there any way after play side-by-side that anybody could consider Bryant the best player in the world? After James performance it is clear who the No. 1 player in the world is today.
This isn't jumping on the bandwagon or being a Kobe hater, it's just time we passed down the torch. You can sit here and compare Bryant's body of work, but James' career isn't even done yet.
Let's compare their effectiveness in Thursday's game. James and Bryant took the same amount of shots, the biggest difference was James making nine more shots than Bryant going 17-25 from the floor. That's 68 percent shooting. He dropped 37 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished eight assists and had a +13. Those totals gave him the team's high and lead all scorers in general.
Bryant on the other hand went 8-25 (40%), scored 22 points, grabbed four boards and had one assist, he finished the game -9.
It could be said that Bryant lost the game for the Lakers. Had he made a couple of more shots, this game would have gone the Lakers' way. However, that's unfair to say because you never know what adjustments James would have made to help his team win.
It was about the things James did that make him the NBA's No. 1 player. First thing you need is consistency. When you're out on the floor the sole purpose is to make your team better and help your team win. James is the ultimate team player, but can quickly take over a game when necessary.
In the fourth quarter, when the Lakers were creeping back and battling with the Heat, James took matters into his own hands. He broke down the Lakers' defense and just rumbled his way to the basket. He's an agile freight train, once James gathers speed, just move out of the way. He can finish at the basket like he did on Pau Gasol and draw the foul.
Just to add to his dominant performance, James finished with the last points of the game and dropped the last five to lock up the game for the Heat. This is another trait of a dominant player, getting the last word and shutting down the opponents for good.
Bryant on the other hand needed time to warm up. He wasn't there when his team needed him, especially in the third quarter where he shot a miserable 3-16, which allowed the Heat to regain the lead and take the game's momentum.
Bryant's sole assist was pretty memorable because he passed up an open three and instead chose to dish the ball to Antawn Jamison for the high percentage shot. Bryant finally picked it up in the fourth quarter, but by that time, James and the Heat were looking to close out the game.
Being that Bryant isn't surrounded with as many shooters as James, he has lesser chances of having on off night and yesterday we saw just that. Maybe the pressure is getting too much for the 34-year-old's shoulders? As Bryant heated up in the fourth, things became interesting, but isn't that what the No. 2 guy is supposed to do, make things interesting?
It is time people understood there's nobody stronger and more agile than James. James is the best finisher at the basket, but give him space and he can kill you from the outside as well.
Whether Bryant and his fan base recognize it or not, the face of the NBA and the best player today is in fact LeBron James.
