LeBron James vs Kobe Bryant: A Complete Comparison

Lowest Career Moments and Permanent Black Marks

Miami Heat v Dallas Mavericks - Game Four

Each player has at least one major criticism which can be held against them. LeBron fans will always point out Kobe missing the playoffs after Shaq left LA, while Kobe fans will mention that Kobe never would have lost in The Finals as many times as LeBron. Which fandom is making more sense? Is it neither? Does one player have more stains on his career than the other?

Missing the playoffs after losing Shaq, feuding with Shaq and not fixing their relationship, being a perceived ball-hog, and high-profile off-court issues are among Kobe's biggest black marks.

LeBron's black marks are headlined by too many losses in The Finals, playing terribly in the 2011 Finals against Dallas, poor free throw shooting, and 'The Decision'.

Kobe missing the playoffs highlights his inability to do what LeBron has done year after year - and that something is carry mediocre teams. LeBron took mediocre teams deep into the playoffs - even all the way to The Finals - while Kobe never got his worst teams past the first round.

Kobe needed fellow superstars to succeed more than LeBron has or ever will. Feuding with Shaq seems like an interesting to call a black mark on his career, but it is a reality. Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich made their relationship work and they won five championships together in a 20-year run. How many could Shaq and Kobe have won together if they had found a way to co-exist for ten or more years?

For LeBron, his first year in Miami made him the most hated player in the league and his legacy had to take one step back before it could take ten steps forward. LeBron entered Miami as the most hated man in Cleveland, and that feeling spread to the rest of the league when he announced his free agency decision with a half-hour TV special. After arrogance throughout the season, LeBron disappeared in The Finals and lost to Dallas in six games. It will forever be the championship that got away from The King.

Kobe's black marks leave slightly more of a stain than LeBron's do, as his shortcomings show him and his team in a much lesser place than LeBron.