“I would beat LeBron James in a 1v1, no question as I’m the best to ever do it”: When Kobe Bryant boldly asserted his offensive superiority over ‘The King’

Kobe Bryant once stated that he would easily beat LeBron James in a one-on-one game because he’s the best to ever do it. 

Kobe Bryant is perhaps the most offensively skilled player the NBA has ever seen. There are several legends and superstars up for decision here with guys like Kevin Durant and Michael Jordan up there. However, when it comes to the latter especially, the remix may just be better than the original in this debate. 

Jordan actually once playfully admitted that Kobe had a better fadeaway from him but only because he copied everything from him. that is no secret though as the 5x Lakers champ has said many times that he’s asked MJ for advice on his patented turnaround jumpers and his footwork.

Also read: “Thank you, Kobe Bryant, for leaving me $100 million from Adidas!”: Tracy McGrady reveals how grateful he was to the Lakers legend for turning down $200 million

Someone who has outscored both Jordan and Kobe Bryant in the regular season and Playoffs is LeBron James and yet ‘The Chosen One’ never truly gets the recognition he deserves in these scoring debates. 

Of course, when talking about the ‘most skilled scorer’, James may not be have that much pull as his bag isn’t as deep as Bryant’s. 

Kobe Bryant on what would happen in a 1v1 against LeBron James. 

Kobe Bryant has never had a morsel of doubt within his own abilities on NBA hardwood. So, it makes sense as to why he would emphatically claim that he would beat LeBron James in a 1v1 with no hiccups in between. 

During an interview with ESPN in his 17th season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bryant was asked, “You versus LeBron. Who wins?” ‘The Black Mamba’ of course, was as confident as ever as he went on to say: 

“Me. No question. As far as one-on-one, I’m the best to ever do it. LeBron is terrific all round, five-on-five basketball player who’s an all-time great. But I’d get him.” 

The two unfortunately never played against one another on the biggest stage in the NBA i.e., the NBA Finals. It wasn’t possible for them to face off anywhere prior to that as they were in different conferences for the entirety of their career. 

The closest fans ever got to seeing LeBron James and Kobe Bryant duke it out in the Finals was in 2009 when the Lakers made it and the Orlando Magic bested the Cleveland Cavaliers in the ECF to represent the East and subsequently lose to the purple and gold.

Also read: “I bet you $5000 that I get a triple-double the next game!”: When Kobe Bryant placed RIDICULOUS bet after Lakers teammate Chris Duhon challenged him after looking at LeBron James’ stat sheet