Over the past couple of seasons, there have been heated debates about Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. While their places in NBA history will always stir up a conversation, the daughter of Celtics’ Red Auerbach recently praised the Lakers future Hall of Famer and five-time champion.
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In an interview with CLNS Radio, Randy Auerbach says James doesn’t have the same intensity as Bryant when he is on the court:
“I’m not a fan of LeBron. He’s very talented, but he’s not always focused. He doesn’t have the intensity that Kobe, even Kobe. As much as you know how I feel about Kobe, but you can’t take away his talent and his intensity. He gives you 150 percent every game and I don’t know that LeBron does. Sometimes I see him (LeBron) on the court and he looks like he’s staring into space, then he snaps into it, but it’s inconsistent for me.”
In addition to talking about Kobe’s intensity on the court, Auerbach believes the Achilles injury could have been avoided, and says he is one of the greatest players ever:
“When I saw that injury, he didn’t need to have that injury the first one that took him out last year. I saw him fall, he said no I can go back in, saw him fall again, no I can go back in. Never should have put him in again. He was definitely off his game and they didn’t need him. It wasn’t a playoff game. I don’t understand why they did that. That to me is a case where the player ruling the team and not the coach. It’s a shame because regardless of my feelings about the Lakers and Kobe, he’s an enormous talent and one of the greatest players ever.”
Despite the heated rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, true basketball fans can appreciate Kobe’s talent and intensity on the court. Although LeBron has had the most recent success with two straight championships and Kobe is making his way back from injuries, there is no denying that Bryant is one of the greatest players ever. Even Kevin Durant believes Kobe and Michael Jordan are “neck and neck” in terms of skills.
With seven months to prepare for the 2014-15 season, Bryant enters the final two years of his career with hopes of winning another championship that would obviously tie him with Michael Jordan. Although the Lakers have been eliminated from the playoffs, the team will have a high draft pick and cap room to turn the franchise around as soon as this off-season.
(H/T Kobe Bryant – Our Legend)
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