Because I feel that that’s somehow still an argument that people make.  It’s ridiculous.  LeBron James is a great player, but he’s simply not as good as Kobe Bryant.  Everything points to Kobe being the superior player, especially considering what he did last night.

CHICAGO (AP)—Whether he was in the trainers’ room or on the court, Kobe Bryant couldn’t escape the pain. He did a better job avoiding defenders.

Bryant scored a season-high 42 points despite a broken finger, and the Los Angeles Lakers won for the 12th time in 13 games, beating the fading Chicago Bulls 96-87 on Tuesday.

A broken finger on his shooting hand, and Kobe goes out and drops 42 like it’s nothing.  Kobe is simply a cold-blooded killer who will do whatever it takes to win a basketball game.  You simply can’t say the same thing about LeBron.

Kobe’s won four championships, while LeBron has never been to the finals.  Kobe is one of – if not the – best perimeter defenders in the league.  He has as complete a game as a basketball player can have, while LeBron, after about 6 years in the league, still doesn’t have a post-up game.

LeBron is arguably the most athletic guy on the planet, but he hasn’t yet translated that into being the best basketball player in the world.  And I think that comes down to two things: work ethic and heart, and Kobe’s got him trumped in both categories.  I’m not saying LeBron doesn’t work hard, but nobody works harder than Kobe.  And I’m not saying LeBron doesn’t have heart, either, but he just doesn’t have the same mindset as a killer.

Maybe if LeBron quit practicing trick shots, dancing like a fool, and stealing french fries, he could develop a post game and rely on something besides athleticism to dominate the game.  When Kobe can’t jump anymore, he’s still going to be a nasty player just based on his understanding of the game.  If LeBron somehow lost his athleticism, would anybody really be impressed by his head-down, three-step drives to the basket?

Kobe’s better, and it’s not even close.

[Yahoo! Sports]