Kobe Bryant’s Double-clutch vs. Michael Jordan’s Hand Switch

June 15, 2009 – Dr. Anklesnap

The NBA was really pushing their slogan of ‘Where Amazing Happens’ during this year’s playoff run. While there were quite a few moments that will be remembered for years to come, probably no play was more significant than Kobe Bryant’s double-clutch kiss off the window in traffic last night in the NBA Championship clinching game. It was truly amazing, and certainly was a critical play to killing the Magic’s confidence.

I hate to feed the Michael Jordan vs. Kobe Bryant beast any more fuel, but clearly the play from Bryant last night will remind more than a few people of another historic NBA Finals play by none other than Michael Jordan. In the 1991 NBA Finals on the way to the Chicago Bulls first NBA Championship, Michael switched hands in traffic and kissed it off the glass to electrify the crowd and the nation. I will never forget the announcer’s call ‘A spec-tac-ular move by Michael Jordan!’

Which play do you think is more impressive, Kobe Bryant’s double-clutch or Michael Jordan’s hand switch?

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Comments

http://www.mouthpiecesports.com Sarah Spain

Jordan by a mile. Double-clutch was impressive but it’s been done a million times. Kobe’s original thought there was to shoot, he just had to hesitate, double-clutch and then release. MJ was already in the air, preparing to dunk, when he had to re-think the play, switch hands, and lay it up. The hang-time and foresight was pure MJ. Can only be repeated now by someone who saw that move and has it in the back of his mind.
googley goo

Sarah is right, Jordan was way better. Kobe actually showed some nice hangtime but nowhere near as acrobatic as Jordans
nonya bizness

Kobe is a rapist.
Jerry

Jordan by two miles.
Rock

Jordan by a mile. If you look at the Kobe play closely, his back foot is already on the ground when he let that shot go. Jordan was still in the air, taking off from the dotted line. Kobe has to win titles with better players, Jordan made his teammates better. What did steve kerr do when jordan left? Pippen? Luc Longley?
what?

How can you say Jordan’s was even good?

He went up completely uncontested, and switched hands for no reason; it was meh at best.
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Haters

Kobe by 10000 miles…. Jordan didn’t even need to do that move. He had no one in his face, which made it for an easy lay up. Kobe had a 7-footers hands in his face for so long that Kobe had to wait till he was falling back down to shoot it.
http://stanky-leg.com The Stanky Leg Fan

While I have to say I still think Jordan’s was better overall, it was pretty impressive how Kobe was going to shoot, realized he was going to get blocked, then was able to switch hands and still get the job done was pretty remarkable. Just the reaction time to realize “Oh crap, here comes Howard again” and then do something about it mid air was really impressive.
Coot

Kobe’s was more contested, so to me it’s a tad more impressive.

But there’s not question on which was prettier…MJ.
Conor

I prefer MJ’s shot as it is pure look at me I’m amazing.

However that muppet who thinks the Lakers have a better team then the Bulls back then is an idiot. Kerr, and Harper won two more championships. Scottie is one of the 50 greatest in NBA history. Is Gasol, or Odom gonna be. Also lets not forget Grant or Rodman. They were both the best low post defenders of their time. Rodman is probably one of the best ever rebounding player as well.

Congrats to the Lakers, a great team effort got them there this year. Good to see people do learn from their mistakes.
Lupu

Kobe. No brainer. More impressive to score on the defensive player of the year than on an uncontested layup. A nonexistent Sam Perkins (was he even in the clip, LOL) doesn’t compare with a fully extended, leaping Dwight Howard. And going from one side of Howard to the other is something special.
Chris

Kobe has nothing on Jordan, and never will. Everyone needs to get the hell off of this Lakers bandwagon bullshit.
Andy

Kobe’s was better. He had no intention of shooting it on the first pump. Watch the replay from the backboard camera. He baited Dwight Howard into comming one way and went the other. He just flashed the ball and Dwight bit on it. It’s an amazing play and how he had the vision and anticipation to make such a move is unbelievable.
Andy

Chris.. this isn’t a comparison of Kobe and Jordan’s careers. It’s comparing ONE play. Reading comprehension buddy.
http://www.FootballFanatics.com Jon Nunez

Jordan = No brainer

Jordan actually held it with one hand over his head and then switched it other hand. Kobe had two hands on it the whole time.

Kobe is not Michael Jordan, he proved it last years finals.
NBAAA

Kobe’s move is so much more impressive and amazing than MJ’s. Jordan had no one in his face and layed it in. So what if he switched hands in the air? So many NBA players could pull that off. Kobe baited D.howard to block his shot and then moved the ball to his other side to bank if off the glass all in the air. KOBE.
Josh

Come on…you guys arguing that Jordan’s move is more difficult than Kobe’s are just blatantly irrational anti-Kobe haters, hanging off Jordan’s retired jock. Nobody was contesting Jordan’s shot, but Kobe made that shot with the DPOY’s hand in his face.

Of course Jordan had the better career (at least things currently stand) and that shot against the Lakers was prettier, but Kobe’s was by far the more difficult in this instance. No bandwagon needed, just two eyes and a little bit of common sense. A contested shot is always more difficult than an uncontested one.

And ANYONE who tries to denigrate Kobe’s accomplishments this season by arguing he had a better team than Jordan is a FOOL. Pippen without Jordan led the Bulls to 55 wins and 1 win away from the NBA Finals. He then went to the Blazers and made them serious contenders for multiple seasons. He is TOP-50 ALL-TIME and guaranteed HOF. Steve Kerr is among the GREATEST 3-PT shooters of ALL-TIME. Rodman is among the greatest rebounders of ALL-TIME.

Kobe just got his title #4 without a single guaranteed future HOF on his team (which Jordan never accomplished), much less a top 50 all-time talent. He didn’t have Steve Kerr, he didn’t have Dennis Rodman, he didn’t have Pippen. He barely even had Bynum who was in constant foul trouble the whole series. This Laker team is less stacked than any of those Bulls teams, unless you want to argue that Gasol, Odom or Ariza are better, more consistent performers in the clutch than Pippen…have fun with that.

When all is said and done, Jordan will probably still be the GOAT, but Kobe is going to be right there next to him as probably the 2nd greatest player of all-time and the most complete offensive player of all-time. And there’s no guarantee Kobe won’t become the GOAT, either. Some more titles and corresponding Finals/Season MVP’s and a serious case can be made.

The last thing I want to say is this- I hated Jordan during his career with an irrational hatred similar to the one Kobe haters have- the difference is I was never so irrational as to denigrate his accomplishments and I always knew he was the best. Still, my hatred of him kept me from truly enjoying his amazing talents until his last title run, when I set it aside (because I hated the Jazz far more). I regret that. And you guys bagging on Kobe, if you have any brains at all, are going to wind up regretting it when he retires.

Don’t hate, just enjoy the rare combination of talent, passion, drive, discipline and desire while it’s still there to be enjoyed. Because replays on youtube will never generate the same excitement.
Randy

Magic was so cocky about the series’ standings…we all know how that one ended.LMFAO
Randy

WHY WOULD THEY EVEN INSULT JORDAN BY COMPARING HIS TIGHT-ASS SHIT TO THAT MEANINGLESS AND AVERAGE BULLSHIT BY BRYANT?
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TR

Its sad how people overlook MJ’s personal flaws… cheating on his wife, gambling, yelling at his teammates, divorce, and was also accused of being a ball hog, never would win a title when he first entered the league but yet he can do no wrong.

Kobe is no saint, noone is, even the posters on this site would be ashamed of some of things theyve done in their lives, but you cannot dismiss his greatness to overcome all of his naysayers and tribulations.

Congrats to Kobe and the Lakers you worked hard, proved everyone wrong and won the championship!
Rip

Ya’ll crazy Kobe actually had a defender in his face a moved it aroud his hands. Less acrobatic more impressive because of defense.KOBE
http://www.ask.com A realist

Its no conteset jordan had the better play, and kobe shouldnt even be talked about in the same sentence as micheal jordan kobe been to six finals and lost two would have been three if van panic wouldnt have played nelson and mess up the team chemistry jordan went to six final and has six rings its a no brainer jordan wins no question about it. kobe gets to play in the league when you cant hand check cause the league wants to see more teams score alot of points if they had the same rules in jordans prime who knows how many points jordan could score 81 points Aint shit if no one is guarding you but 63 point in a playoff game against the best players in the game now thats amazing.81 points against the raptors wow sike thats trash and so is my copy cat bryant who took all off jordans moves anyway.micheal jordan is the greatest to ever play the game period.
Rocky

Well, a lot of stirred up anger here. Please remember folks, we are talking about these particular shots. Please leave aside all these comments about careers, hall of fame, championship series, etc.

Whenever I used to watch Jordan highlights and see that shot, I always thought, “Yeah, that’s pretty cool, but really unnecessary. Just finish the lay-in.” When I saw Kobe’s shot and how he worked it around an aggressive attempt to block the shot, it really stood out to me as 1. Necessary, 2. Difficult, and 3. Athletic. Jordan’s shot had plenty of 3, some of 2, but none of 1. Because it combined all those factors, my vote rests with Kobe on this shot comparison.
carlos

kobes double clutch move has been done plenty of times, not just by kobe, but by many other athletic nba players. He avoided the defender by adjusting his body, double-clutched and layed it in. Not saying that its easy to do but not good enough to compare with jordans legendary jaw dropper switch hand move. Jordan did moves like kobes all through out his career. Even though the switch hand move wasnt all that necessary, it looked so good and showed just how good he was. That move showed why he is called “air”.

I find it amazing how people are looking for another MJ so bad that they just sit around and find things in other players that resembly MJ just so they can say we found another. Just like this stupid “who move was better” thing. Leave it alone! Stop trying to take every little thing that kobe does on the court and compare it with MJ. There were plenty of players in nba history who did Jordan type moves or made Jordan type plays. But they arent being compared to him! there is only one!
God

A real basketball fan would say Kobe’s was superior. One guy drove the lane and could have dunked or laid the ball in against no low post defender. The other guy drove the lane against a 6’10″ defender, evading that guy AND a help defender who is 7’0″ and the reigning NBA defensive player of the year for a double-clutch layup going from the right side of the basket at takeoff to the left side of the basket when the shot is released.

Hands down, Kobe Bean Bryant. If you think otherwise, I will damn you to Hell.
carlos

“A real basketball fan would say Kobe’s was superior.”

Dude seriously! Kobes move was awsome. No doubt about that. But think about it. As a matter of fact YouTube it. its called “The Artistry of hallucinatory Michael Air Jordan Hang Time” Watch that video and you will see that jordan not only did moves like what kobe did but some even better. The switch hands move belongs only to mj. regardless of if we felt it was necessary or not he felt it was necessary so he pulled it off. even if it wasnt u have to admit that was an extreamely cool move. very fancy. what move can match the artistry of it?
carlos

Better yet YouTube the video “The Artistry of Michael Jordan Part 1 by Hoopsencyclopedia”. EVEN BETTER
Mr.Fanatic

His Airness my a couple miles
Sinles

Kobe’s was nice but you must remember M.J. has done that move and it didn’t mean as much as the one he did against magic. It’s easier to control the ball with a 2 hand finish. Jordan finished over hand and jumped off two feet which makes it more difficult cuz your legs are straight.
Ben

Kobe Bryant’s double clutch shot was much more impressive than Michael Jordan’s shot because there were two defenders around Jordan at the time the play was made, but they never contested his shot they basically just stood there. There was absolutely no need to switch hands in the air, it could have been a simple lay up. If you watch the play “closesly”, there are no hands fully extended into the air of either defenders. However, Kobe had Dwight Howard standing 7′ tall directly in front of him and the rim with his arms completely extended giving Kobe no view at all which possibly forced him two switch sides and double clutch. If he had not done that no questions asked the shot would have been blocked. Maybe, it was his intention to switch sides and double clutch the whole time but it still worked and was impressive.
Jakob

I think Kobes was far more difficult. Anybody notice Jordans layup was replaid and replaid thousands of times in the 90′s. You wont see Kobe’s lay up at all in the future..Why??? The Media assisted Mike with free advertisement and endless hype. MJ wins the popularity contest, easy!! But as far as skills, Kobe and MJ are not too far apart.

Anybody notice that MJ never played against a dominant center in the finals??
david

one the completely most overrated play ever by MJ…. really guys really? look at it again? it was not even challenged… an unncessary switch
jj

Jesus,

Micahel made a million moves like Kobe’s. That was like a nighlty thing for Michael. I have yet to see Kobe make half the moves that Jordan made. And remember, overall, Kobe is playing in different rules. When Michael played they allowed hand checking and had no defensive 3 seconds.

They changed the rules after Michael left to suit Kobe and other players because no player could do anything Jordan did under the old rules.
jj

Lets not forget this. There is nothing Kobe will ever do that Jordan didnt already do. The greatness of Jordan is that when he came into the league, there was no one ever like him. He also dominated from the start. He singlehandedly man handled great teams like the lakers, celtics, pistons, jazz in the 80s and 90s.

The fact that people are even arguing if Kobe is AS GOOD (not better), shows Jordan is the greatest of all time. Jordan was already being considered the greatest individual player of all time halfway through his first season. Kobe has to win championships to even be in an argument, Jordan never had to (but he won 6 in a row).
Jakob

Had Jordan played with Shaq the first 7 years of his career Jordan would NOT have had those scoring titles and not so many dunks. This due to Shaq hogging the middle. Had Jordan played with Shaq and with Phil as the coach, Phil would make Shaq, Yes SHAQ, the center piece of the offense, and MJ would be second fiddle Why? because the traingle is best suited for a dominant center. Dont aske me, ask Phil and Tex Winter. Had Kobe played with the Bulls, which in those years they were equivelant to todays Clippers, Kobe would throw up monster numbers.. Kobe as it stands has the NBA record,12 consecutive games with 40 or more, has NBA record, 4 Straight games with 50 or more, Most 60 point games since Wilt, Second most points (81) to Wilt. This happend between shaqs departure and the arrival of Gasol. Just imagine what he would have done his first 7 years without Shaq. Of coarse, the Lakers probably would not have won much, similar to Jordans pre-championshp bulls, but he would have had Monster, I mean MONSTER, games.. In sum, all I am saying is that its hard to compare the two since they each played in different eras, different circumstances, different people and teams. Anybody who says Kobe is not even in the same universe as MJ is plain silly and are being un-objective. The distance between them two is not very far, if at all, but Kobe is gaining..
Ben

well said Jakob
carlos

no disrespect Jakob but u need to check ya stats first b4 u comment. kobe and mj are tied with 9 consecutive 40pt games and 5 60pt games. and u really dont think mj would be as effective playing with Shaq? mj was way too talented! the stats say it all. numbers dont lie:

6× NBA Champion (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
5× NBA MVP (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)
14× NBA All-Star (1985-1993, 1996-1998, 2002-2003)
6× NBA Finals MVP (1991-1993, 1996-1998)
1× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988)
10× All-NBA First Team Selection (1987-1993, 1996-1998)
1× All-NBA Second Team Selection (1985)
9× NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (1988-1993, 1996-1998)
1985 NBA Rookie of the Year
1985 NBA All-Rookie Team
3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998)
2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner (1987, 1988)
NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
10 scoring titles
Clay

MJ, absolutely. Kobe should thank Michael Jordan for inventing that double clutch shot to do in the finals…he did it versus Cleveland as last second shot! At the end of the shot, Kobe still shot it with his right hand…Uncontested or not, most people can’t do a lay-up with the opposite hand, let alone switch the ball in mid air.
carlos

well said clay. never thought of that last part
danny

lets face it, when magic was starting his legacy, the nba was not as over talented as when jordan came up. When jordan left his legacy, the nba was alot more talented. kobe is here, and theres wade and lebron, so remember there werent 3 magic johnsons and 3 jordans…. Tougher times and just as good performances by kobe out do any of the nba’s top 50… No comparison, theres around 25 present nba players who can dunk like jordan, pass like magic, but theres only one who we can say brought it in the toughest of times!!!KOBE KOBE KOBE
carlos

“kobe is here, and theres wade and lebron, so remember there werent 3 magic johnsons and 3 jordans….”
???
How old are you danny? (no disrespect)
Please google or youtube Jordans era vs kobes… You’ll see
Clay

Yeah Danny, if you speak that jargon you have to be under 25 years old AT LEAST (and I’m spotting yo a couple of years). It’s really not all about talent, because that’s really whats breaking down the NBA right about now. Fans like yourself are so dependant on the talent aspect of players that you forgot how much foundamentals, prinicipals, and basic rulesof the game made Jordan, Bird, and Magic ten times better than these current players. It’s funny that there once was a U.S. Gold medal Olympic Team in 1992 that dominated World Basketball called “The Dream Team.” When the U.S. shifted it’s rules of the game and basketball players lost their foundamentals, they had to win their respect back 16 years later against countries that stole our basketball principles. There never should have been a “Reedem Team” in the first place.
aj

kobes was better jordan was not contested and he did switch hands when he could have dunked. kobe had three people trying to block him and kisses off the glass. Oh btw ive seen kobe do that jordan move three times.
http://bulls.com Jesse

kobe is a bitch and Michael is a Man
Clay

AJ are you serious??? I know what two moves you are talking about. He didn’t even jump three yards from the rim OR he had NO chance of dunking! Jordan. Look up “top 10 hang time shots of michael jordan” on youtube. Jordan’s done plenty of move’s better than Kobe’s NBA Final’s shot
http://thehoopdoctors.com/online2/2009/06/kobe-bryants-double-clutch-vs-michael-jordans-hand-switch/ Shane

are u guys kidding me?? dont get me wrong jordans was great but kobes was fading away to his left double clutch OVER dwight howard……. Whos was Jordans over????Nobody……Any player in the league with good hops could do this with ease over dwight is a different story
http://thehoopdoctors.com/online2/2009/06/kobe-bryants-double-clutch-vs-michael-jordans-hand-switch/ Shane

Kobe has the most varied arsenal than everybody who played the game including michael”_ Kareem Abdul Jabbar
carlos

OK, all you new generation Kobe lovers who think kobes moves out do mj Please do yourself a favor. Go on youtube and type the artistry of michael jordan by hoopsencyclopedia. You will be silenced, Guaranteed! JORDAN WAS SO ILL ITS SCARY!!!!