I dsagree that the Bulls couldn't survive without MJ when he retired the 1st time. Of course, there was a drop-off- they lost the best player in the game. However, they were still winning 50+ games and getting to the 2nd round of the playoffs. To me, that's a huge credit to the underrated quality of the talent in Chicago not named Michael Jordan.
If the same scenario would have played out in LA the last couple years, the Lakers would have been one of the worst teams in the NBA. They started Smush Parker and Kwame Brown. Those 2 guys couldn't get any playing time on terrible teams in Miami and Memphis this year. And I like Luke Walton's game, but he should have never been a starter in the NBA. So, I don't really think you can discredit Kobe by claiming he didn't make players better. He carried a bunch of scrubs to the playoffs on his back in a highly competitive Western Conference. Now that he's got a little bit of help, it's not a surprise that he's on the verge of the finals.
As far as life-time statistics, Kobe's averages are skewed becuase he came out of high school and wasn't a starter until his 3rd season. No question that MJ will probably always have better lifetime averages.
Not to say that Kobe is clear-cut the better player, but I think his game warrants a much closer consideration. I think Kobe's much publicized personal issues have caused people to really take for granted what a stud he is on the court. He's not quite the mainstream icon that MJ was - and I doubt anyone will ever match MJ's popularity.
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