This article originally appeared on March 4, 2008

Clutch  [kluhch]  
?verb (used with object)

13. Sports. an extremely important or crucial moment of a game: He was famous for his coolness in pitching in the clutch.

14. any critical position or situation; emergency: She kept complete control in the clutch.

16. done or accomplished in a critical situation: a clutch shot that won the basketball game.

17. dependable in crucial situations: a clutch player.

The 17-foot jumper with 15 seconds left that gave the Tar Heels the 1982 NCAA championship. The hanging, double-clutch jumper  over the Cleveland Cavaliers' Craig Ehlo at the buzzer. Game 6 of the 1998 Finals, with the Bulls down by three with 40 seconds left, he scored on a layup, stole the ball, and hit the winning jumper.

When it comes to clutch play, Michael Jordan set the standard by which every player is measured.

But now we have two players vying for the title as most clutch.  LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.  Both were in top form this past Sunday.  LeBron returned with 9:55 to play against Chicago and the Cavaliers trailing 76-68. James scored six in a key stretch late in the game and led the Cavaliers over the Chicago Bulls, 95-86. Kobe Bryant scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter and eight in overtime to finish with 52 in Los Angeles' 108-104 victory over Dallas.  They were the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month for games played in February.  They are the two best players in the world.

Kobe's in-season and playoff heroics date back to the 2000 NBA season.  At the age of 21, he made a 15-foot jumper over Jason Kidd with 2.6 seconds left to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 97-96 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

James scored 29 of Cleveland's last 30 points in a double-overtime playoff victory over the Pistons last year.  He developed a killer-instinct in last year's playoffs that has carried over into this season.  LeBron has led one furious 4th quarter comeback after another this year.

Is it time for Kobe to move over and crown LeBron James the new "King" of clutch?

82games.com defines clutch minutes as 4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points.

Here are LeBron's stats per 48 minutes of clutch time:

GM: 36
Min: 172
+/- : +33
FGA: 37.5
FG%: .493
3pA: 12.0
3p%: .256
FTA: 24.3
FT%: 79%
PTS: 59.3
Ast?d: 22%
Reb: 10.1
Ast: 7.8
T/O: 3.1
Blk:  2.2
Stl: 3.6

Kobe Bryant per 48 minutes of clutch time:

GM: 28
Min: 91
+/- : +7
FGA: 36.2
FG%: .493
3pA: 4.7
3p%: .333
FTA: 19.4
FT%: 81%
PTS: 53.0
Ast?d: 17%
Reb: 8.4
Ast: 5.2
T/O: 5.8
Blk:  1.0
Stl: 0.5

LeBron has played in 8 more clutch games than Kobe, amassing nearly twice as many minutes.  Kobe is shooting a higher field goal and 3-point percentage.  LeBron's free throw percentage, assists, rebounds, steals, and block averages are higher.

The Lakers are 16-5 with Kobe on the floor during 4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points.  

With LeBron, the Cavs are 23-9 in the same situations.  

So clearly, both players are coming through in the clutch.

How are James and Bryant getting it done?

LeBron is shooting .493% in the clutch.  63% of his field goal attempts are jump shots, of which he is shooting .435%.  34% of his field goal attempts are considered "close shots", of which he is shooting .698%.  4% are dunks, of which he is shooting 80%.

Kobe is shooting an identical .493% in the clutch.  75% of his field goal attempts are jump shots, of which he is shooting .490%.  25% of his field goal attempts are considered "close shots", of which he is shooting .588%.  Kobe doesn't have a single dunk in clutch time.

LeBron is better at getting to the basket for high percentage shots because of his size (6-8, 250 pounds) and athleticism.  Kobe is the superior shooter.

That's why I'll take Kobe Bryant.  And I'm not alone.  

The NBA poses questions to the league's general managers before every season.  One of the questions they ask is who is the most clutch player in the NBA?
 
Here are the results over the past 5 seasons:

2002-2003
Who is the player most likely to make a last-second shot if a game depended on it?
Kobe Bryant - 42.3%
Reggie Miller - 38.5%
Michael Jordan - 15.4%
Allen Iverson - 3.8%

2003-2004
Which player in the NBA would you want taking a shot with the game on the line?
Kobe Bryant - 52.4%
Reggie Miller - 14.3%
Tim Duncan - 9.5%

2004-2005
Which player would you want taking a shot with the game on the line?
Kobe Bryant - 81.0%
Tim Duncan - 4.8%
Allan Houston - 4.8%
Reggie Miller - 4.8%
Dirk Nowitzki - 4.8%

2005-2006
Which player in the NBA would you want taking a shot with the game on the line?

Kobe Bryant - 61.5%
Ray Allen - 15.4%

2006-2007
Which player in the NBA would you want taking a shot with the game on the line?

Kobe Bryant - 74.1%
Dwyane Wade - 14.8%

If I need a 4th quarter comeback against a middle-echelon defensive team incapable of keeping opposing players out of the paint, I'll take LeBron James.  

If I need a game winning bucket or a comeback against one of the NBA's better defensive teams, I'll take Kobe Bryant.  

LeBron has yet to develop a reliable outside shot and there are teams in the NBA that are capable of making him a jumpshooter.

Case in point, LeBron looked like a world-beater when he single-handedly defeated the Detroit Pistons in the Conference Finals last year.  James averaged 25.7 ppg and shot .449% from the field.  But in the NBA Finals vs. the Spurs, he averaged 22 ppg and shot .356% from the field.  Why?  Because the Spurs made him a jumpshooter.

I've seen Kobe hit game-winners in the NBA Finals and nail clutch playoff jumpers with Bruce Bowen and Tim Duncan draped all over him.  Before this season, Kobe Bryant was head and shoulders above LeBron in nearly every facet of the game.  Now, a case could be made for either one as the best player in the NBA.

But when it comes to clutch play, the King has a ways to go to catch up with Kobe.