Let me start by saying that Im a huge Kobe and Laker fan. Kobe is great, in fact a top 5 player of all time IMO, however MJ is still considerably better. I am not saying this to knock Kobe, but the numbers don't lie. MJ went 6-0 in the finals, won 6 Finals MVPs, averaged over 30 ppg for his career in the finals, and shot over 50% from the field. I am old enough to have seen MJ in his prime and Kobe is the closest the league has seen to him, but MJ is the greatest and probably will be.