Dr. J or Kobe

In their time, Julius Erving and Kobe Bryant were perhaps the baddest men in the sport of basketball. From 1971 until 1983, no NBA Athlete was as popular as Julius "Dr. J" Erving. Erving began his career in the ABA, dominating the league to the tune of : 28.7 pts, 12.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists with 2 Championships and 3 MVPs in 5 seasons. After switching to the NBA in 1976, Erving continued to excel at the top of the game playing in 4 NBA Finals (77, 80, 82 and 83) and adding another Championship and another MVP. Dr. J retired with career averages of 24.2 pts, 8.2 rebs and 4.2 asts. He was an all-star in every year he played and he set the standard for athletic, high-flying basketball. Julius Erving is truly one of the game's greatest players. The question is: has Kobe Bryant surpassed him?

Kobe Bryant leads active NBA Players with 5 Championships. Add to that his one MVP and 2 Finals MVPs and you have a case for greatness already. Kobe's career averages are: 25.0 pts, 5.2 rebs and 4.6 asts, nearly even with the Doctor. From 2005 until 2010, Kobe was widely considered to be the best player in the game. He has even been called the game's best by legends such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. His scoring ability, clutch shooting and overwhelming determination to win have elevated him to superstar status, earning him the right to be considered one of the best of all-time.

Dr. J was clearly the better rebounder. His 3.0 rebound per game advantage makes this point clearly, given the fact that he often played small forward and possessed freakishly long arms on his 6'7" frame. Their passing abilities are perhaps equal, but Kobe has the edge in ballhandling. Shooting from the outside is a huge advantage for Kobe, while the edge in attacking the basket has to go to Erving. Free throws go to Kobe, Athleticism goes to Erving. The match-up is close, but to me there is a winner.

Kobe Bryant is far from finished in his NBA Career. Given his current age (33) and passion for the game, Kobe has a strong chance to finish as one of the top 3 scorers in NBA History. Should he win another championship, he would tie Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at 6. Truly that company is a step above Dr. J's level.

In the end, it comes down to their chief motivations as basketball players. For Dr. J it seemed that he was best suited to be an entertainer, an effective showman on the court, capable of impossible moves and dunks but unable to routinely lead his team to victory when it counted most. In the end, Dr. J must be judged for winning just once out of 4 trips to the NBA Finals. In 1983 when his Sixers captured the crown, it was Moses Malone who was voted Finals MVP. Julius Erving was exactly what he tried to be as a player: A successful, classy, elegant superstar who entertained the fans and set certain standards for highlight-film moves. Kobe Bryant for his part has been equally successful in achieving his goals as a player: To imitate Jordan better than anyone ever has, to be known as a winner and to be respected as one of the fiercest competitors the game has ever known.

Advantage: KOBE

Kareem or Shaq

Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are, without question, two of the greatest centers of all-time. Shaq holds 4 championships (with 3 Finals MVPs) and one regular season MVP. He was at, or near, the top of the game from 1993 until 2006. He led his team to the finals 6 times and operated as the most fearsome presence in the low post since Wilt Chamberlain. Standing 7'1" and 325 lbs, Shaq was the best center in the game for over a decade. His career averages are: 23.7 pts, 10.9 rebs and 2.5 assists. His 58.2% Field Goal Percentage ranks 2nd all-time. He has scored the 5th most points in NBA History. He is a living legend who extended his career an impressive 19 seasons.........But is he better than Kareem?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds 6 NBA Championships (with 2 Finals MVPs). He was named Most Valuable Player 6 times (an NBA Record). Standing 7'2" and 225 lbs, Kareem was a finesse center who averaged 24.6 pts per game over a 20 year career. Add to that 11.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists and you have a comprehensive statistical advantage for Kareem over Shaq. Kareem was the best center in the league, without question, from 1970 until 1982. Kareem was even selected to the All-NBA First Team in 1985-86 at age 39. Kareem is the all-time leading scorer in NBA History. He once averaged 34.8 pts in a season and ended his career with 2.6 blocks per game. While Shaq could bully his way into scoring, Kareem was equally unstoppable with a skillful shot he invented: the skyhook.

The answer is clear. Kareem was better than Shaq. He even added 5 First Team All-Defenses to his resume, while Shaq never received that honor. Kareem did more over a longer period and ended his career as arguably the most successful player in the history of the game.

Advantage: KAREEM

Magic or Bird

This debate was re-kindled by the 2010 Documentary, A Courtship of Rivals, and mainly revolves around the issue of accomplishments vs. peak ability. There is little doubt that Earvin "Magic" Johnson boasts a slightly superior resume to Larry Bird. Starting with their 1979 NCAA Title match-up, Magic proved to be the ultimate winner in their individual duel. While Bird struggled in his biggest game, Magic was effective in leading Michigan State to a championship before the largest TV audience ever to watch a basketball game.

After winning a title in 1980, Magic Johnson had proven himself to be a winner over Larry Bird on both the college and pro levels. Bird made things interesting by grabbing the title the next season, but Magic followed that with his 2nd title in 1982. After the Sixers grabbed a random title in 1983, Bird and Magic finally faced each other for the NBA Title in 1984. The Celtics 7-game victory in this series in one of Bird's greatest arguments for supremacy and pulled him even with Magic at 2 titles apiece. There can be no doubt that at this point, Bird was the better player. But, not to be denied, Magic avenged his loss to Bird the following season as the Lakers won their 3rd title of the 80s. 1986 saw Bird lead a stacked Celtics team to his 3rd title, evening their Titles rivalry at 3 apiece.

1987, for me, decided the issue as the Lakers faced the Celtics and prevailed in 6 games. Magic took the lead in championships, 4 to 3, and he did it by defeating Bird and his defending Champion Celtics. This was the peak of Magic's career. By this point, he was a better player than Bird, able to play with quickness and athleticism while also possessing the skill and poise of an experienced star. Bird, from 1987 on, was in a race against his body; a desperate attempt to win again before an ailing back caused his demise. But it was not to be. After 1986, Bird's days as a champion and an MVP were over. While he enjoyed several good seasons after this time, he was never again able to make a serious case that he was the best player in the game, or better than Magic.

With all that said, I have no doubt that Larry Bird at his best was slightly better than Magic ever was. From 1983-84 to 1987-88, Larry Bird averaged 27.3 pts, 9.8 rebs and 6.8 asts. This was his prime. This was better than LeBron James, and it was even better than Magic. Bird also earned 3 MVPs and 2 Titles during this span. With regularity, he was referred to as the best in the game and as the standard of basketball excellence. He was an outside shooter, a low-post scorer, a top rebounder, a 3 point specialist, a superior passer and a simply phenomenal player in the clutch. Magic was chasing him...but in the end, he was caught.

From 1983-84 to 1989-90, Magic Johnson enjoyed his prime. While longer than Bird's, his statistical numbers fall short: 20.5 pts, 6.6 rebs, 12.4 asts. During this time, Magic won 3 MVPs and 3 Titles. Yes, he was the greater winner. But his reliance on other players (James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Byron Scott) was greater than Bird's reliance on McHale, Parish and DJ.

In conclusion, the answer about who was better between Bird and Magic relies heavily on how you measure effectiveness, or better-ness. If one's individual ability to succeed in a game over any span of time is measured, then Larry Bird from 1983 to 1988 was the better of the two. But the more reasonable conclusion is to accept that Magic Johnson equaled Larry Bird's 3 MVPs and then surpassed him by winning not one, but two more championships. Magic was better for longer and his Lakers defeated Bird's Celtics in 2 out of 3 championship series.

ADVANTAGE: MAGIC