Lebron James has is/been a better basketball player than Kobe Bryant.

This is a difficult argument as everything you are saying is true but you're missing the point. Kobe's mentality is iron-clad. No one can touch him on this level. He would NEVER look nervous on the court. Lebron would and has shown he would (a point that you admitted earlier). Google "Kobe not scared of Matt Barnes." You will see the icewater in his veins. Lebron is just not there yet and until he gets there, all physical gifts aside, he can not be considered a better basketball player than Kobe. 1. Winning does not correlate with having teammates score better. For example, let's say Kobe distributed more and allowed his teammates to take open shots. Everyone's field goal % goes up. But overall as a team, they score less and the opponent's score more. This is a very possible scenario and has happened many times for the Lakers. Many possible reasons but I'll posit just one. What happens when a player focuses on scoring? Their defense typically will take a hit. It's inevitable. You spend that much energy on offense, you won't have as much gas for defense. This is just an example to show that just because your teammates score better, it does not automatically mean the team will win. How do you win? By scoring more points than the other team. I'd say the ability to score is pretty important in a basketball game. Kobe's one dimensionality just happens to revolve around the thing that matters most in basketball wouldn't you say? Everything else, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, are all aimed with one focus: scoring more points than your opponent. I brought up 1v1 game and confidence as those are part of being a basketball player are they not? They're intangibles that stats can't measure and they're relevant since you seem to rely solely on stats to prove your case. 2. What team they are good for is irrelevant. Teams need different roles at different times. If they needed a scorer, Kobe would be much better, a point that you agree with. If they already had 3 other superstars that could normally score at anytime ie. Wade, Allen, Bosh, then yes, Lebron would be a better fit. When Lebron needed to be the dominant scorer, as he did with the Cavs, he was great but still unable to win a ring. The fact that he led the Cavs to a league best record, twice, helps prove my own point. He was able to show the league that night after night he could carry the Cavs and the be best team in the NBA...until it counted most. The one time he made it into the NBA finals, the Cavs were swept by the Spurs. During the regular season, the Cavs beat the Spurs, EVERY TIME. But Lebron couldn't even win ONE game in the finals. 3. Basic statistics argues otherwise. I can shoot 3 times, make two of them and have a 66.6% field goal. Amazing no? I doubt I'd still have 66.6% fg if I shot 30 times. MVPs are given to the player who is Most Valuable to their TEAM. The Cavs, as they aptly demonstrated, needed everything and were a terrible team without Lebron. From rebounds, to assists, to scoring, to moms who would sleep with teammates. A player could average much better stats but if they aren't as valuable to the team due to say, a great backup or deep bench, they won't win the award. Case in point, some people thought Peyton Manning should get the MVP in 2011 when the Colts went 2-14. He didn't play a single game but demonstrated his true value to the team (they were mainly the same as the year before when they made the playoffs, just without Manning). Also, let's not forget that MVP is chosen by VOTES, a whole other issue of it's own. Which is the reason why Lebron didn't win one season even though he averaged very similar stats as he did when he won hands down. Remember? The season that literally everyone hated him. Just shows you how biased MVP voting is. I'll give you that Lebron technically should have 5 MVPs. I only concede that b/c they don't mean much. I mean, Derrick Rose? Really? Where is he now. Kobe has this mentality that just can't be phased. Another example of his calm under pressure: Kobe had rape allegations against him in 2003. White woman vs. black guy. His coach had a daughter who had been raped. His wife publicly hated his guts. Awkward. It's safe to assume that someone under a ton of pressure and unable to handle it will make alot of mistakes ie. turnovers correct? In 2003, his turnovers decreased from 288 in the season prior to 171. His scoring dipped as he was taking less shots but was he making mistakes? No. Pressure does not exist in his world. Lebron needs to grow a bit more mentally before he's able to utilize all his natural gifts to the fullest. Lebron has physical gifts and a more generous nature that make him a better teammate and more well-rounded player. But until he's able to turn on this killer instinct, the sense to go for an opponent's jugular when the time is right, he will NOT be a better basketball player than Kobe.