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If Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant played on the same team, how many championships could the two win together?
Today, we're going to find out as we're sending rookie Kobe to 1985 to pair up with rookie Jordan on the Chicago Bulls, giving the two the chance to not only change NBA history as we know it, but also find out who's actually better.
Because eventually, one will rise up as the leader of the team, and the other will fall to just a sidekick.
And in order to find out who is who, we'll be counting up both Kobe and MJ's MVP awards and their finals MVP awards in order to make that decision at the very end of their careers, which just so happens to be the 1998 season, meaning that the two have 14 years to rack up as many awards as possible.
With all that being said, though, we're still only at the beginning stages of the duo, as the first season would see them average 18 points per game each, but be relatively unsuccessful in the postseason.
And as far as year two goes, it would see them both improve on their scoring numbers, around 22 to 23 per game, but once again flop in the playoffs.
But it's those two unsuccessful seasons that set us up nicely for their third, as they would finally make some noise with the two barely separated in the scoring race, around 24 per game each.
Realistically, in order to win the MVP, they'll have to get to around 30, but they've made great progress, especially Kobe, who compared to Jordan, seems more willing to shoot the three, which makes perfect sense considering he's being dropped from the modern game into the 80s.
But most importantly, the two's progress could be best summed up by their appearance in the postseason as a second seed, with the man standing in their way being Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics, the first of many legends that they'll have to take down in their quest for basketball greatness.
This one's obviously the matchup we should be looking out for, which would definitely live up to the hype, as both Jordan and Kobe will put up more than a solid fight against the battle-tested Celtics, as the series would quickly hit a stalemate with a two-to-two tie, which is a more than solid start considering the last few seasons were mostly uneventful.
And if somehow the Bulls can come out on top here, it'll officially stamp them as one of the top young teams in the league, maybe to the point where they go all the way and they can finally add to their trophy cases.
So after a hard-fought battle from Larry, the Bulls duo would get one step closer to doing so, as they take the next two, closing it out at home to advance to the conference finals for the first time, now heading to Philly to challenge an in-shape
Charles Barkley and Dr. J, players similar to both Jordan and Kobe from a previous era, which would ultimately be all the difference, as the veteran presence of Dr. J combined with the athleticism of Chuck would be enough to not only eliminate Kobe and MJ, but take care of them quickly in five games, leaving many fans, including myself, a bit disappointed.
I'm a little bit underwhelmed, man.
I would've thought they would've made the finals by now as Jordan and Kobe, but no.
And what really seems to be the issue is that while the two are fantastic individually, they might not complement each other's games as much as some other duos, as both are going into the game with the same approach, which is to score as much as possible, almost to the point where you might be right to call them ball hogs.
What the team needs now is someone with some passing ability to set the table, and now in their fourth season, they would get just that, as Scottie Pippen would be drafted to the Bulls, forming a young big three out in Chicago, with his skillset as a defender and passer being just what the team needed.
He barely gets a chance to take a shot on the team and might average more points elsewhere, but he is providing enough passing to help MJ, who's now completely bald, average 30, while Kobe, still with a full head of hair, is only a few decimal points away from 31.
But despite all of those encouraging signs, they would still fall short, as they'd run into the Celtics again in the second round, who would get their revenge for last season with old man Larry outshining the athleticism of the Bulls, eliminating them in five.
It's a massive step back for the team, despite adding a young star, and now four seasons in, with no team success to speak of, it makes you wonder one of two things.
Is Kobe's presence on the Bulls somehow holding Jordan back, or is Jordan not willing to share the spotlight with another player on his level?
Either way, we'll get closer to the answer in the duo's fifth season.
It's a crucial one for sure, as there's been a lot of hype for the two, but they've fallen flat in comparison, to the point where everyone's starting to look elsewhere for the next star that's going to leave.
Shaquille O'Neal of the LSU Tigers is coming out today saying that he's unsure of how long he'll be staying in Baton Rouge, but NBA experts are certain that whenever he decides to take the next leap, that he is the megastar the league has been searching for.
Which ultimately is good enough motivation for the two most competitive players ever to have a bounce back season, working even harder than usual, resulting in their best regular season yet, now finishing as the one seed with 63 wins.
But most importantly, it's good enough for one of the two players to finally bring home the MVP and get on the board in our award race.
And to keep it short, while both take about the same amount of shots per game,
Kobe's willingness early on when it came to the three ball is causing him to average 33 compared to Jordan's 30.
And it's that defining trait that's ultimately giving him the edge to strike first in our race to find out who's better.
The three point shooting, that's going to be interesting, man, because we're dropping him from the modern game into the old game.
And all that momentum would continue into the playoffs as the one seeded Bulls would dismantle New York,
Philly, the team that eliminated them earlier, and the Bad Boy Pistons to quickly make it to their first finals up against the Portland Trail Blazers.
And with both MJ and Kobe leading the way, putting up shot after shot and dunk after dunk, they would take a quick three to one lead and eventually seal the deal at home.
All capped off by a 38 point performance with four threes made from Kobe, it was ultimately finishing with his first finals MVP to give him a one to one lead for both awards.
Kobe striking first, the pressure is now really on Jordan.
And we'll shortly see how he responds to that pressure as we answer their sixth season together.
And right now it's clear that MJ needs some kind of trait similar to Kobe's shooting that'll give him a statistical edge for him to win a major award.
Because right now the rest of their games are eerily similar.
He could take on more of a passing role, but that would be a major adjustment that he might not be willing to make.
And as far as three point shooting goes, it'll take him some time to catch up.
So in the end, MJ would decide to make himself the best two way player in the league as he's locking up the opponent's best player on defense and of course causing havoc on offense as usual.
So while Kobe might be the more complete offensive player from now, especially with his shooting from deep,
MJ stamping himself on the other end, resulting in an all defensive team appearance, which would be a fantastic sign for the duo as they would make it to their second straight finals.
This time against Utah, where the best player,
Karl Malone, with the help of Jordan, would get locked up.
And while no six game series can really be called easy, this one would be pretty close to that.
As it wasn't ever in doubt, resulting in a repeat championship for the Bulls and the rise of a new finals MVP.
That being Michael Jordan, who's proving that he's still a force to be reckoned with.
If you counted him out earlier, you made a mistake, because it's far from over.
So with that, we're now moving on to season seven, where very quickly it's becoming clear that Jordan stole the show.
Now with regular season averages of 36 and four, along with over two steals and a block, which might've been the difference, considering Kobe is also averaging 30.
As in the end, it would be MJ winning his second consecutive award and his first regular season MVP, tying up that category one to one.
The defensive stats are wild.
Also he's shooting 61%, which is equally as crazy.
And with that, we would be onto the playoffs where the two would be chasing a historic three P.
And in their pursuit, they take care of the first three rounds easily for a finals matchup with the Seattle Sonics.
They do have Gary Payton, a future Hall of Fame player, and Sean Kemp, a future Hall of Very Good player.
But in the end, the Bulls have two future all-time great players, who might even be good enough for that status right now, as the series wasn't even close.
The Bulls are three-peating easily, with Jordan ultimately taking home his second finals MVP.
Kobe averaged more points during the finals, but it seems like Jordan's defense has the edge for now, officially turning the tide in his favor to take the lead.
Somehow Jordan almost averaged three blocks per game as a 6'6 shooting guard, but he's winning another finals MVP.
But whatever you do, don't count Kobe out just yet, as down the line, he'll have a major opportunity to make a comeback that could seriously change the tide of this competition.
But for now, let's focus back on the 1992 season where the two would be as dominant as ever, finishing with 64 wins as the one seed.
With the only blip in their plan being the fact that none of the two are winning the regular season MVP, with it going to Clyde Drexler out in Portland instead, perfectly setting up the two to get revenge a few months later in the finals, as they'd storm into Clyde's gym and quickly take care of him for a second time, now bringing the two their fourth straight title, once again proving that they are the team to beat.
The only difference between this title and past ones would be the fact that it's Kobe taking the spotlight back, as his 32 points per game is turning into a whopping 38 for the finals, resulting in him winning his second finals MVP to completely tie us up in all categories.
And the Chicago Bulls takeover wouldn't end there, as the two would be taking their talents to the USA Olympic Dream Team, where they would both be the unquestionable leaders of the squad.
And with their journey ending with a gold medal, it's apparently clear that the two have officially hit their primes, and any of the two NBA awards could be determined by a coin flip.
With the only small catch being that it's not applying to the regular season MVP, as it's heading over to Shaq in Orlando.
Where it will eventually apply would be the duo's fifth straight final and second against the Utah Jazz, which would eventually turn into a fifth straight title for the Kobe and Jordan duo.
And as far as that coin flip goes, it's landing on Kobe, who's averaging 37 in the finals to finish the series in five games, securing his third finals MVP to give him the lead over Jordan.
Our competition to find out who's better has now turned into a competition to discover the greatest player of all time.
But in Jordan's case, it seems like he doesn't care.
Michael Jordan has shockingly announced his retirement from basketball after the Bulls' fifth title.
The 30-year-old plans to pursue a major league baseball career in the meantime, signing a contract with the Chicago White Sox.
Which ultimately means that Kobe has to try to lead the Bulls to their sixth straight title alone.
And there's two very different ways that this season will end.
Number one, if he loses without Jordan, the media, and maybe even you watching this, will come to the conclusion that Jordan was the team's leader this entire time.
But on the flip side, if he wins their sixth straight championship, it might be one of the craziest titles in league history considering the circumstances.
And it could definitely sway the competition in his favor.
The 1994 season will most likely be the most important of all, which is why we're going to skip past it for now and revisit it at the very end.
So with all that being said, we're moving on to the 1995 season where Jordan's making his return several months into the year, wearing a new number, mostly picking up where he left off.
As it would be extremely unrealistic to expect someone who's been out of basketball for over a year to immediately average 30 again, as he's now down to only 26 per game.
And while it'll definitely bounce back at some point,
Kobe's the one leading the way with averages of 32 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Without a doubt, MVP caliber numbers that are not resulting in the MVP award, as it's heading to Shaq in Orlando for a second time.
Definitely an unexpected turn of events, and it's only getting crazier a few months later, as both MJ and Kobe would find themselves in Orlando during the playoffs.
And with the two only standing at six with six, playing the guard positions, there's nothing they can really do other than watch the 7-for-1 Shaq dunk over and over on their teammates.
And while both Kobe and Jordan have a combined five titles at this point, none of that matters now.
Shaq's leading Orlando to a three to two lead, pushing both MJ and Kobe to the brink of elimination.
They're in trouble.
And with that, the duo is now tasked with winning the next two games, starting with game six in front of the Chicago Faithful.
Aside from their first few seasons, the two haven't faced much adversity as teammates and have lived up to even the highest of expectations.
But with Shaq on the other end, that might all change, as he would continue to dominate, proving that his MVPs were no fluke, eventually leading the Magic to a two-point lead with less than two minutes remaining.
To keep it short, if Jordan and Kobe don't heat up here, this one's over, and they're shockingly going to get sent home.
Orlando's up three to two in the series.
If they win, they send Jordan and Kobe home.
Kobe with the pull-up at the elbow, it's good.
And now we have a tie game.
Shaq and Penny might be able to do it.
They might be able to send home the Bulls.
The pass over to Nick Anderson, it's off.
Kobe with the board.
Kobe throws it out in front of him, driving to the basket, the spin move in the lane.
That's two straight buckets for Kobe now on the stretch.
Anderson with the ball.
Anderson about to pass it over to Penny on the left wing.
There it is.
Penny wide open for three.
I did not expect him to shoot it, and he, what?
That is not really Penny Hardaway's game, but he made the shot anyways.
Jordan's running to the corner.
Kobe's about to pull up, maybe, maybe not.
Driving on the elbow.
Good defense from Anderson, it's off.
Orlando maybe one bucket away, especially if they hit a three to, oh my God, there it is.
The cut, the basket.
I forgot Horace Grant.
Jeez, man, wow.
Absolutely terrible time to forget how to speak.
Jordan once again standing in the corner.
It seems like Kobe's taking this one over.
Kobe driving the step back mid-range.
That's the shot, it's good.
Can the Bulls get a stop though?
It's been back and forth.
Shaq hasn't touched the ball down the stretch.
It's been all Penny.
Anderson with the ball.
Jordan Anderson, who's Kobe's man, is wide open.
Shaq almost grabs the board.
VJ Armstrong with the most important rebound of his life.
Now he has the ball.
Both Jordan and Kobe are in the corners.
They're both coming off a screen.
Jordan finally takes a shot.
And he misses, oh my God.
And they wound up fouling.
They sent Horace Grant to the line, first free throw.
He might miss one, he makes the first.
Even if he makes it, they can still hit a three, but still, okay, he made both.
And with that last free throw, the Bulls are now down three with only 13 seconds remaining.
Now we're about to answer maybe the most important question of all.
The game on the line, who's taking the final shot?
Here we go, 14 seconds left.
Chicago down three.
They have to get a three, maybe, or a quick two.
Preferably a three.
I feel like they're probably going to shoot a three.
Who's taking the final shot?
They give it to Kobe.
Everyone clears out.
Oh my God, that's the worst shot I've ever seen.
What was that?
They fouled Shaq, bro.
They fouled Shaq.
What is happening right now?
There's no way Shaq hits these free throws.
Dude, they might still be alive.
Shaq shooting with normal form.
What is that animation?
That's not his, what?
It's okay, if he makes both free throws, he has some explaining to do.
Shaq makes both free throws.
Oh my God.
And in the end, they're falling short.
Kobe showed flashes of dominance down the stretch, but missed the last shot, while Jordan did absolutely nothing.
It's unclear as to who the blame should fall on, but with Shaq eventually moving on to and winning the finals, the NBA world is now crowning him as the league's top player.
The only way the two can bounce back from this is if they wind up responding in the 1996, 97, and 98 seasons, which are the final three the two will play together.
And as far as the 96 season goes, their odds of bouncing back would increase tenfold.
As future Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman would be joining the team, and since he's good at everything except for scoring, he fits in perfectly with Jordan, who's now age 33, and Kobe, who's now age 29.
But as far as their competition goes, it would be Jordan's old man game shining through, as he's now wearing the correct number and maybe his most iconic shoes, leading up to his most iconic season to date, as he's averaging career highs in both points and rebounds with 34 and eight to help lead the Bulls to a record 78 wins.
And with a resume like that, it's only right that he's winning MVP number two.
Jordan definitely just had the best season between either him or Kobe, so far.
And his takeover wouldn't end there, as the Bulls are of course making it back to the finals, rebounding from last year's tragedy for a showdown with the Hakeem-led Rockets.
And while he's in the middle of his prime as well, and without a doubt heading to the Hall of Fame, the Bulls are too good to even think about losing, especially when they're led by Jordan, who's leading the way with 36 points per game, ultimately finishing with a gentlemen's sweep, ending off with Mike winning finals MVP number three.
But standing behind celebrating would be someone just as dominant, as now entering the 1997 season, we would see the tide turn yet again.
As while Jordan's well-known for his work ethic,
Kobe's might be even better, resulting in him taking over the team again, leading the team in scoring while helping them to 74 wins, ending with, you guessed it, another MVP.
We only have this season and next season, and that's it.
And to nobody's surprise, the Bulls are back in the finals for a third matchup with the Seattle Sonics, who at this point aren't scaring anyone.
Both Kobe and MJ now have a second win, all because of their heartbreaking loss to Orlando a couple years ago.
And with the Bulls winning another title, the coin flip is landing in Kobe's favor again, now giving him the lead on finals MVPs with only one more season to go.
The two have won a combined seven championships in only 13 years together.
And now in their final season, with all the momentum in the world, they can secure number eight.
We're extremely close to finding out who's the GOAT, and it's all starting off with Jordan averaging 31-8-6, while Kobe would be very close behind at 31-7-5.
Yet again, the two have put up MVP caliber stats, and the Bulls are winning 70 plus games.
Just an unprecedented amount of success, but only one can walk away with the MVP.
That being Jordan, who's winning his third, now giving him the lead in that respective category.
All right, we still have the playoffs to look forward to, but right now Jordan's winning his last MVP in his last season.
And I'm not going to waste anyone's time.
The Bulls are back in Seattle for a second straight time and fourth in total.
Sean Kemp's a really good player and so is Gary Payton, but in the end, as usual, the Bulls would take care of them easily to win title number eight in only 14 seasons.
And considering the fact that he's played his final game to retire for real this time, it's only right that Air Jordan would be closing out his time in the league with finals MVP number four, to tie him up with Kobe.
And if our competition ended here, due to his extra MVP award, we can definitely crown him as the greatest of all time.
But unfortunately for him though, this one's not over yet.
As we still need to go over the 1994 season, which was his first retirement, because if Kobe won any awards by himself during this time, it's only fair that they're added to his total.
Once again, if he falls short here, it's officially crowning Jordan as the greatest of all time, as right now he's in the league.
But if Kobe can turn the tide with an iconic season, it might signal that he was a leader and better this whole time.
Either way, the main difference that Kobe's seeing as a result of being alone is the fact that he has the ball way more than usual.
There's about 20 more shots per game out for the taking, and while he can't take all of them, he has no choice but to take more, as he would by far have his highest scoring regular season with 36 points, along with seven rebounds, and shockingly, as a result of countless double teams, seven assists per game.
And when you combine it with two steals and a block per game, laying a ton of minutes on the number one seed, it's no surprise that he's tying up Jordan on the regular season MVP.
Now at three to three.
Kobe with the MVP, now we're onto the playoffs, should be interesting to see how he does by himself.
But before we find out what happens, we have to check up on the score.
As you can see, the regular season MVP is completely tied up and can't change anymore, meaning that the only award left that can be changed is the finals MVP.
If this whole time Kobe had an extra title over Jordan, it gives a whole new meaning to the two's final three-peat together.
And on top of that, in the five seasons before this, the Bulls had won a title in each, meaning that Kobe's trying to bring Chicago their sixth straight.
The meaning of both the past and future seasons are going to be affected by Kobe's solo playoff run, which is starting with him defeating the older bad boy Pistons, the Hawks with Dominique Wilkins, and the Cavs who are stuck in a decades-long title drought easily to advance to yet another finals.
Kobe seems to have not have missed a beat without MJ and is now four wins away from winning a title by himself.
There's a ton on the line and the competition's about to end, but not before he attempts to take down one last opponent, that being Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns.
Kobe's gone from a high-flying and unproven rookie to one of the most skilled players of all time, and it's that growth that's ultimately giving him one last upper hand.
Go, Kobe! Go, Kobe! Go, Kobe! Go, Kobe! Go, Kobe!