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I think the Magic/Bird rivalry got fans interested long before Jordan entered the league. I'd say interest peaked while Jordan was there, and has since continued to decline. The league and its players are far less tolerable today than they were in the 80's and 90's. Money and fame has corrupted players, making them feel entitled to something long before they even lace up a pair of sneakers--and the leagues subtle rule changes has made games harder to watch. Touch fouls, defensive 3 seconds, illegal defenses, etc--coupled with the league cutting back on palming and travelling calls make purists like myself cringe.

As to your other point, I do agree that Kobe does not have the same 'charisma' as Jordan. At the same time, people often forget that Jordan was equally as liked/disliked as Kobe is today. Opposing fans enjoyed watching him, as they do Kobe, but hated when their own teams had to play them because they never knew when they'd light-up opposing teams for 40+ points. As much as people say they hate Kobe, the Lakers are still one of those teams who usually sell out tickets on road games, and no doubt it's because people want to see him play...

QUOTE(#1):

Originally posted 12:44 AM ET  04.11 by KaVeeks

I think the Magic/Bird rivalry got fans interested long before Jordan entered the league. I'd say interest peaked while Jordan was there, and has since continued to decline. The league and its players are far less tolerable today than they were in the 80's and 90's. Money and fame has corrupted players, making them feel entitled to something long before they even lace up a pair of sneakers--and the leagues subtle rule changes has made games harder to watch. Touch fouls, defensive 3 seconds, illegal defenses, etc--coupled with the league cutting back on palming and travelling calls make purists like myself cringe.As to your other point, I do agree that Kobe does not have the same 'charisma' as Jordan. At the same time, people often forget that Jordan was equally as liked/disliked as Kobe is today. Opposing fans enjoyed watching him, as they do Kobe, but hated when their own teams had to play them because they never knew when they'd light-up opposing teams for 40+ points. As much as people say they hate Kobe, the Lakers are still one of those teams who usually sell out tickets on road games, and no doubt it's because people want to see him play...

Good points ....can we use shoe and jersey sales as a gauge of popularity ? if we can MJ was way beyond the folks you mentioned...

Kobe is hated / loved on the road like Jordan was ..... the comparison stops right there. Kobe will never be what Jordan was to the NBA. Period.

Except maybe during every post game interview when Kobe < lowers his voice an octave or two and tries to do his best voice and mannerism impersonation of the stoic yet confident Michael Jordan.

If comparing Jersey and Shoe sales, it's not even close. Even in retirement MJ jerseys and shoes outsell most current NBA athletes. I agree with #3's comparison too, Kobe will never be what Jordan was. I can't believe I said that, because as a Knicks fan I've always hated MJ, lol. He's the reason my team never made it out of the East, lol. But, (in retrospect) I can appreciate what he did for the game.

It's funny how people still compare Kobe to Jordan. I know Kobe wanted to be compared when he was younger, but I think he's passed that point. He really is the closest "Air-Apparent" that's ever played. He's far better than the others who at one point were considered to be "The Next Jordan". Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, Jerry Stackhouse, even Harold "Baby Jordan" Minor all failed where Kobe has succeeded. Still, he will never be what Jordan was as a personality and a player.

QUOTE(#3):

Originally posted 03:22 PM ET  04.11 by dirtywork

Kobe is hated / loved on the road like Jordan was ..... the comparison stops right there. Kobe will never be what Jordan was to the NBA. Period. Except maybe during every post game interview when Kobe < lowers his voice an octave or two and tries to do his best voice and mannerism impersonation of the stoic yet confident Michael Jordan.

lol...I like to hear him talk face to face to see how he sounds , you are the second person who told me his voice is different than the one we hear on tv...

I from watching the game SUNDAY...ahh no!!