Kobe vs. LeBron I: T-Minus Five Days

LeBron. Kobe.

Kobe. LeBron.

In a little more than five days, LeBron James and the Cavaliers will travel to Los Angeles to take on Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. It is their first meeting of the season, and only the 10th meeting ever between the two superstars. Kobe has three rings, yet none without Shaquille O'Neal. LeBron has been crowned the king since his arrival in 2004, but has only one Finals appearance. LeBron fills a stat sheet in incredible ways; Kobe won the MVP last season. Kobe is the embodiment of lethal precision; LeBron the next step of athletic evolution.

In a season filled with "Games of the Year," this is unquestionably the Game of the Year.

Over the next five days, we'll be bringing you posts about metrics and legend, nuance and intensity, and speed and power, in anticipation of this matchup. We look forward to sharing with you our anticipation of this game, between not only two giants in basketball, but the two best teams in the league. We'll have haters and lovers of both players, defense and prosecution of both sides of the Kobe V. LeBron schism. We all have opinions about it, as we're sure you do. We invite you to share, because we won't get many of these, and we should enjoy every one. Not only are these two exemplary entities of the NBA, but their teams aren't too shabby either.

The Lakers started the season with a dominance rarely seen in the league. They've trailed off a bit, particularly defensively, but the question is whether it represents a fundamental flaw or a lack of interest in the regular season. The fact is they share the league's best record, have won convincingly and consistently, and feature an incredible lineup. Pau Gasol on the inside with Andrew Bynum. Experienced dream killer Derek Fisher at point, The Machine Sasha Vujacic the shooter off the bench, and the instant energy Trevor Ariza. Cleveland, on the other hand, has the best incarnation with James it has ever had, hitting on all cylinders on offense as well as defense. The addition of Mo Williams has sparked the backcourt with Delonte West and Daniel Gibson, and provided James with the offensive weaponry he has long asked for. The game's supporting cast make up a formidable set of rotations, deep and versatile.

But ultimately, everything comes back to Kobe vs. LeBron. Through their nine meetings, LeBron owns the series, 6-3, leading in points, rebounds, assists (!), steals, and blocks, but also leading in turnovers. He's outperformed Kobe in FG% and, amazingly, 3 point shooting, but of course trails at the stripe. It's important to note that in the first two games they played at Staples, Kobe was suffering from a shoulder injury in 2004 and a tweaked ankle in 2005. Still, you have to give the numbers edge to LeBron.

This matchup represents something greater when you take it to the philosophical level. Kobe is so often compared to Jordan, and for a long time, it was merely due to them both being guards and the level of greatness that Kobe has risen to. It's an unfair comparison for dozens of reasons, but there is an intricate link between the two, and it is what separates him from LeBron. Kobe is the natural evolution of the path Jordan set. Not better, but the final link in the elite shooting guard chain: The post-up turnaround fadeaway, the running leaner, the quick striking dunks, the shut-down man defense. Everything that an NBA player is supposed to be at his height, Kobe has become. And while he may never reach the level of Jordan (and I'm not definitively saying he won't), he's to be considered in that line. He's the modern payoff for the work of history.

LeBron, on the other hand, could be considered the next step in basketball evolution. While it's true we've seen point forwards before, players with power that could pass, who could drive and could handle, we've never seen this combination. And the haters will note how easy it has come to James. While Bryant has had to work endlessly, mercilessly, to become the greatest he can be, LeBron is largely more athletically gifted than 99% of the planet. This matchup represents precision built by resolve versus lethal efficiency built by determination. Kobe wills himself to be better than you, better than anyone; LeBron asserts self-determination to be a force of nature.

And, as always, something's gotta give.

What will be lost in the breakdown of shooting, living up to their own standards, and in each team's finals hopes is how amazing these two players are, and how incredible it is that we get to see their careers intersect. It's a golden era of basketball we live in, and this game is a shining example. Where amazing hap...no. Hope you'll enjoy it. We know we will.