I’m a Kobe fan, but this piece on ESPN’s Page 2 arguing that he’s better than MJ is ridiculous. Anyone who types these words can’t be taken seriously as a sportswriter.

“Kobe is just as good a defender.”

Wait? Was Kobe ever named defensive player of the year? No. MJ was. Was Kobe voted first-team all defense a record nine time? No. MJ was. Maybe Jemele is too young to remember that MJ averaged 37 pts. a game in his second full season? Maybe she doesn’t realize that MJ scored 63 pts. against the Celtics in the Boston Garden in the playoffs. That’s 63 against one of the best teams ever in one of the toughest arenas to win in ever. Maybe she doesn’t realize that the talent level in the NBA has been watered down due to expansion and that the guys on the end of the bench in today’s NBA wouldn’t have been good enough to make an NBA roster pre-Raptors, Grizzlies, etc?

Or maybe she’s just smoking crack? Yeah. That’s probably it.