Jeremy lin

[MerrittsMustache]

Kobe Bryant is absolutley one of the all time greats, he has won 5 titles, 2 of which without Shaq, and has been dominant for his entire career.  Right now, in a condensed season he is leading the league in scoring as a 33 year old 15 year NBA vet.  When it is all said and done, Kobe will be considered a top 5 NBA player. 

He's also averaging the 2nd most shots/game in his career (30% of the team's total shots!) and shooting his lowest FG% in 7 seasons.

[MU82]

I guess one could argue that Kobe was "playing second-fiddle to Shaq," but it was Kobe (or even Robert Horry, after being set up by Kobe) who took every big shot in every big game during the 3 Shaq-Kobe title runs. Phil Jackson often had to take Shaq out of the game during crunch time for fear that Shaq would get fouled.

Kobe has won two titles without Shaq. Shaq wins nothing without either Kobe or Wade.

Scottie Pippen ... now there was the classic second fiddle. He NEVER took the final shot in a big game during the Jordan years. The couple of times Jordan didn't, it was Paxson or Kerr. Hell, in the 55-point game, it was Wennington! In fact, Jackson didn't even trust Pippen to take the final shot against the Knicks the year after Jordan retired, drawing the play for Kukoc -- who made the shot after a pouty Pip refused to go back into the game.

Pippen was a very good player who doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same MUScoop post as Bryant -- let alone in any argument of the greatest players ever.

Bryant isn't as good as Jordan was, but he is the closest the NBA has come to the next Jordan. Even Jordan has said that. Kobe is not top 5 yet and might never be, but he obviously is top 20 and probably will retire in the top 10.

[MerrittsMustache]

Scottie Pippen ... now there was the classic second fiddle. He NEVER took the final shot in a big game during the Jordan years. The couple of times Jordan didn't, it was Paxson or Kerr. Hell, in the 55-point game, it was Wennington! In fact, Jackson didn't even trust Pippen to take the final shot against the Knicks the year after Jordan retired, drawing the play for Kukoc -- who made the shot after a pouty Pip refused to go back into the game.

Pippen was a very good player who doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same MUScoop post as Bryant -- let alone in any argument of the greatest players ever.

I seem to recall Pippen hitting a game-winner in a playoff series against the Knicks (maybe Detroit?) fairly early in his career. I'm sure there were others but to say NEVER is simply wrong. When you have the greatest crunch time player in NBA history on your team, why would you draw up a play for anyone else anyway? It's not like the plays you referenced were designed to go to Paxson, Kerr and Wennington. Jordan drew the D and found the open man and that man who the D left open was certainly not going to be one of the 5 best players in the NBA.

Kobe is obviously more of a scorer but if Pippen was a better defender and put up better all-around numbers. For his career, Pippen averaged more rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, had a better FG% and roughly the same 3pt% when compared to Kobe. To say that he doesn't deserve to even be mentioned in the same post as Kobe is just ignorant.

Oh, and Jordan would have NEVER quit on his team in the playoffs like Kobe has done.

[MU82]

Oh, and Jordan would have NEVER quit on his team in the playoffs like Kobe has done.

Ummm ... look up playoff quitter in the dictionary and there's Pippen. Literally -- not just figuratively, but literally -- quit on the team in '94.

The Kerr shot ... during the timeout, Jordan told Kerr to be ready for a pass if the Jazz double-teams. Jordan sure as hell didn't tell Pippen to be ready.

Jordan himself would never think about arguing that Pippen was a better player than Kobe Bryant -- who, by the way, is considered one of the best defenders of the post-Jordan era.

I can't believe I'm defending Bryant, who is a scumbag, but please.

He is a classic go-to player, one of the very best in NBA history. Pippen is the classic second fiddle.

Sorry, but it's not even close.

[MerrittsMustache]

Ummm ... look up playoff quitter in the dictionary and there's Pippen. Literally -- not just figuratively, but literally -- quit on the team in '94.

The Kerr shot ... during the timeout, Jordan told Kerr to be ready for a pass if the Jazz double-teams. Jordan sure as hell didn't tell Pippen to be ready.

Jordan himself would never think about arguing that Pippen was a better player than Kobe Bryant -- who, by the way, is considered one of the best defenders of the post-Jordan era.

I can't believe I'm defending Bryant, who is a scumbag, but please.

He is a classic go-to player, one of the very best in NBA history. Pippen is the classic second fiddle.

Sorry, but it's not even close.

Where did I say that Pippen would never quit on his team in the playoffs? I said that Jordan would never quit on his team. Both Pippen and Kobe did.

Jordan didn't tell Pippen to be ready because he knew the double team wasn't going to come from Pippen's man. Just like (as I stated earlier) the double wasn't going to come from Pippen's man when Paxson and Wennington were left open. It's Basketball 101.

I never said that Pippen was better than Bryant. I said that it was ignorant to say that he shouldn't be mentioned in the same post.

Might I suggest that you start reading what I actually write and not what you want me to have written.

[MU82]

OK, dude. Relax. I misread a couple of things.

You win on that point, and I win on Bryant! 

[jesmu84]

http://www.hulu.com/watch/332847/late-night-with-jimmy-fallon-pearl-jam-sings-jeremy-lin

humorous cover.