KEY POINTS

  • NBA champ recalls guarding Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and James Harden
  • Bryant is a better scorer than LeBron
  • Ways to stop Harden from scoring revealed

A member of the Boston Celtics 2008 championship team said Kobe Bryant is a better offensive player than LeBron James and revealed how to limit James Harden’s scoring.

Tony Allen is one of the greatest defenders of his time. During his playing years, he managed to limit some of the most lethal scorers in the league including Bryant and James.

In a recent appearance on “The Doug Gottlieb Show,” Allen was asked who is the harder to defend between Bryant and James. According to the 6-time All Defensive team member, the main difference is Bryant’s relentlessness.

“I just like Kobe’s relentlessness,” Allen said.

“I see him not getting discouraged a lot of times,” Allen said about guarding Bryant.

As for James, Allen stated that “The King” would often pass the ball and step back a bit whenever there’s “too much defensive pressure” applied on him.

“I’ve seen LeBron miss a couple of shots or get too much defensive pressure, I seen him lay off the ball a little bit,” Allen recalled.

After all, Allen thinks that Bryant and James are pretty much the same in terms of scoring. However, it all “boils down to the coming off the pick and roll” game. As per Allen, Bryant has been very confident in taking shots and he has never seen the Lakers icon “get discouraged” in any situation.

“They’re both electrifying in the open court, they both can knock down shots but if I can say anything, Kobe don’t get discouraged at all,” Allen pointed out.

LeBron James and Kobe Bryant
Baron Davis takes a swipe at LeBron James but explains that the NBA star is not entirely to blame for the Los Angeles Lakers failure. LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat is guarded by Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game at American Airlines Arena on January 19, 2012 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images/Mike Ehrmann

Allen was also asked about his experiences with Harden, who is arguably the most unstoppable scorer in the league today. Before breaking down Harden’s game, Allen emphasized that he is one of the few players who limited Harden to a single-point game.

“I have been one of the guys who held him (down) to 4 points,” Allen emphasized.

The NBA champ then continued by insisting that one way to stop Harden from scoring is to not foul him at all costs.

“But I would have to say defending him in today’s game you have to just force this guy right. And keep your hands to yourself,” Allen said about how to stop Harden.

Allen even compared the Rockets star’s style of playing to a video game. According to him, Harden can do whatever he wants with the ball. He also noted that the most effective way to limit Harden’s scoring is to “force him to go right.”

“Ultimately, the way his game is being played right now it’s like his on terrible And 1 playstation mode right now because he’s doing any and everything he wants out there,” Allen said.

“Just force him to the right hand as much as possible,” he added.

James Harden
James Harden scored 44 points and 15 assists as the Rockets beat the Warriors in overtime. In this picture, Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets plays the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, Nov. 13, 2018. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images