Shannon Sharpe became the reason for a huge debate on May 8, during a live broadcast. The former NFL star took a hard stance to establish LeBron James as better than Kobe Bryant in one specific aspect of the game.

On a live episode of Nightcap, hosted by Sharpe and Chad Johnson, the former compared Bryant and James' mastery in playmaking, leaving behind all other aspects. While most fans count Bryant as a superior player overall, Sharpe argued that James leaves Bryant behind when it comes to "running the offense."

Sharpe compared the assist figures of the two NBA stars to establish his point that James is a better playmaker. He said, "What's the most assists Kobe averaged in a season? Five-and-a-half, six? What Kobe averaged in his most assists season, LeBron averages more in a 23-year career."

Sharpe insisted that Bryant was never required to "run the offense" like LeBron James or even a young star like Cade Cunningham.

He also pointed out that Cunningham often averages 9 or 10 assists because that is his primary job. He noted that James has also spent over 2 decades as the central force for every team he played for. 

To Sharpe, this was not about who was the better player, but rather about the specific roles each player was given by their coaches. He reminded the viewers that Bryant is a 5x champion, a 2x Finals MVP, and a former league MVP. And hence, being inferior to James in just one regard takes nothing away from his greatness. 

Sharpe used Scottie Pippen as an example, noting that Pippen often initiated the offense for the Chicago Bulls to let others focus on scoring. 

The difference in these roles often comes down to the specific offensive philosophy a team chooses to run.

Why Kobe Bryant and LeBron James Were Asked to Play Different Offensive Roles?

To understand Sharpe’s point, one has to look at the Triangle Offense used by Phil Jackson. In this system, Bryant operated from the wing or the post. While he was an underrated passer who led the Lakers in assists many times, his first instinct was always to find a way to score. 

James played a different style. The entire team revolves around him, who makes almost every decision. James has over 12,000 career assists because his role has always been to act as the primary engine for his team.

Bryant’s career average of 4.7 assists per game fits a scoring wing. James’s average of over 7 assists per game fits a primary playmaker. They both have different skill sets and mental approaches.

While James was built to assist, Bryant was built to finish, and both methods resulted in multiple championship rings. What do you think about Shannon Sharpe’s take on the Lakers' offense? 

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Souvik Roy