Which is a greater accomplishment

[MarkGrace]

Kobe had a teammate score 31 the same night he scored 61. LBJ didnt. Z scored 15 points. LBJ clearly had the ball in his hands more.

I don't know that it's that cut and dry. It's interesting to note that both players scored the exact same % of their team's total points: 48%. So LBJ didn't have a teammate drop 31, but as overall representation of what their teams did as a whole, they were basically carrying the same amount of scoring weight.

Without going through and calculating each player's usage rate for just this game (I don't want to take the time to do it), looking at the season numbers Bron ranks 2 (32.5) and Kobe 3 (30.1). Usage rate is the number of the team's possessions that a player uses per 40 minutes, and it is adjusted for pace. So even though Kobe's team plays much faster (they use almost a full 7 possessions more per game than the Cavs -- something which was obviously represented in the total scores of each game), their usage rates tell us that if they were playing at the same pace, Bron overall still uses a modestly larger portion of the team's possessions. But looking at the numbers, the difference, on average, is not big at all.

How it would have played out in their games against NY remains unseen, but I doubt there was a dramatic difference.

[Flystripper]

Ilgauskas is a 2 time all star.

that's pathetic. Was he that year?

[MarkGrace]

Ilgauskas is a 2 time all star.

Once an AS =/= always an AS. The year the Cavs went to the Finals Z was definitely removed from AS form. In the '03 and '05 seasons, he was scoring 17 points per game and his AS selection was still very arguable. In '07, the year the Cavs made their run to the Finals, he was putting up a very modest 11.9 ppg -- nowhere near AS numbers.

Pippen and Kobe were AS's, and legitimately playing at AS level, every year they made the Finals. Lebron's squad that went to the Finals was just nasty. What he did that year was incredible.

[il Padrino Ute]

All stars starters are chosen by the fans and they usually are the best players, but I believe a better measure of "all-star" would be who the coaches pick as the backups.

How many teams got to the finals with a backup all-star? I can't think of even a single one.

Not sure what relevance my post has, but I just thought I'd throw it out there just for the heck of it.

[Surfah]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Video-Slap-an-asterisk-on-LeBron-s-MSG-triple-d?urn=nba,139191

[TripletDaddy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/bal...urn=nba,139191

It doesn't really matter. Had that rebound not counted, he would have figured out a way to dive for another one with a second left on the clock.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Yes. Ask the duo that went to the finals 4 times in 5 years. They will both attest to that.

Wait. So it's just a duo game? I am confused.

[Surfah]

It doesn't really matter. Had that rebound not counted, he would have figured out a way to dive for another one with a second left on the clock.

Wow! Apparently it did matter!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3889674

Has this ever happened before? I wonder to what extent did the Yahoo! Sports blogger contribute to this.

Should make Sunday's game a bit more interesting!

[TripletDaddy]

Wow! Apparently it did matter!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3889674

Has this ever happened before? I wonder to what extent did the Yahoo! Sports blogger contribute to this.

Should make Sunday's game a bit more interesting!

LOL. Well, there is one thing LBJ has done that Kobe has not quite yet managed to do.

On Sunday, I expect to see 23 (a ripoff of MJ) do a talc clap at the beginning of the game (a ripoff of KG) and then pad his stats once the game is out of reach (a ripoff Ricky Davis).

[SoCalCoug]

Kobe's 81 points.

3 rings is the greater accomplishment.

Also, LeBron needs to stop getting credit for ripping KG off with his talc clap. KG had been doing that for years. LeBron simply threw the talc in the air.

KG ripped it off of Jordan.

[SoCalCoug]

53, 10 and 11 is up there with 81 in my opinion.

How about 81 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a block?

[TripletDaddy]

How about 81 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a block?

nah. LBJ's extra 4 rebounds is mind boggling.

[ERCougar]

Where did this 81 business come from? Funny, that people still think more of James' accomplishment when we spot Kobe an extra 20.

[RockyBalboa]

The Better accomplishment is LeBron.

Kobe is still the overall better player though and has the rings.

For now.

[SoCalCoug]

nah. LBJ's extra 4 rebounds is mind boggling.

Extra 3 rebounds. The NBA took away the triple-double.