The Importance of Kobe v.s. LeBron

CLEVELAND -  Forget for a moment what last night's 93-87 Cleveland Cavaliers victory over the L.A. Lakers means for the rest of this season. Instead, consider what it means to have Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on the same court facing off as the iconic leaders of their contending teams.

In other words, be awestruck.

I was mesmerized watching these two basketball giants inflict their massive talents upon the game, which took place here in Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs built on their Christmas Day victory, in which they trounced the Hollywood boys on their homecourt. Last night, Cleveland was without their number two star Mo Williams, whose injury will keep him sidelined for over a month. In spite of all that, the game never became a rout in either direction.

As Kobe came out firing -- and hitting, I shook my head because it's what the man has been doing for many years. His footwork was impeccable, and his focus was clearly evident. In contrast, LeBron seemed detached from the game and stayed essentially on the perimeter as he failed to capture a shooting rhythm early. By halftime, both Bryant and James had risen to the challenge and tallied 20 and 18 points, respectively.

Bryant, who became the youngest person in league history to score 25,000 points after hitting a foul shot in the 2nd quarter, has been heavily compared to NBA legend Michael Jordan his entire career. James has been compared to both Jordan and Magic Johnson ever since he joined the NBA in the fall of 2003. In both cases, the comparisons are actually spot on, which is astonishing but also pays tribute to the level of brilliance these young men possess.

Bryant v.s. James is destined to be a historical fascination. With such superlative reputations on the court, the matchup demands sky high ticket prices, hordes of media attention and transfixed eyes. Imagine an early 1980's era Michael Jackson on stage with a mid-1950's era Elvis Presley facing off. Imagine Muhammad Ali in the ring with Mike Tyson with both men in top form. Bryant is 31. James is 25. Their proficiency and relentlessness are powered by their surreal drive and focus, so watching them do battle should be treated as a magical occurrence. No other superstar in the game has that level of magnetism and talent. So when Bryant took the challenge of defending the much bigger James last night, it was a moment filled with drama. When LeBron revved his engines into fifth gear in the 4th quarter, it became must-see TV.

Bryant has four NBA championships. James has none, but will almost certainly win at least one in the next year or two. LeBron finished with 37 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds last night. Kobe ended with 31 points. Let's pray that this matchup isn't finished for the year.

Kobe v.s. LeBron in the 2010 NBA Finals? Have mercy!