Written by Sam Amico

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You might want to know, but Sam Amico doesn't have a real answer. He cannot tell you who is better: LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. He can't base it on the fact that James and the Cavs have swept the season series, winning 93-87 on Thursday in Cleveland. He can't use the logic that Bryant has won four championships (to zero for James). And he can't come closer to a decision after watching James score 37 and grab nine rebounds, and Bryant score 31 with a bandaged index finger on his shooting hand. Sam's just happy he is getting a chance to watch these living legends perform in their prime. You might want to know, but I don't have a real answer.

I cannot tell you who is better: LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.

I can't base it on the fact that James and the Cavs have swept the season series, winning 93-87 on Thursday in Cleveland.

I can't use the logic that Bryant has won four championships (to zero for James).

I can't come closer to a decision after watching James score 37 and grab nine rebounds, and Bryant score 31 with a bandaged index finger on his shooting hand.

When it comes to LeBron vs. Kobe, all I can do is take it all in. All I can do is thoroughly enjoy it. Mostly, all I can do is ask, "LeBron? Kobe? Who really is the better player?"

Then I answer like this:

Who knows, who cares, and how long before we can watch them play again?

Actually, my favorite things about the Cavs and the Lakers don't often come down to LeBron vs. Kobe. For me, it almost always goes deeper than that. After all, when you're as good as these two teams, you can't just be All One Guy, All The Time.

The Cavs are also Shaquille O'Neal, Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The Lakers have Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum.

And what shouldn't be forgotten in these Cavs-Lakers matchups is the job O'Neal has done on Bynum.

No, Shaq isn't what he used to be on offense. No, he doesn't get much lift on his shots these days. And no, he's not gonna swat your shot into the second row anymore.

But he will position his humungous body in the low post, daring you to get him to move. It's like trying to shoot over a 7-foot-1, 325-pound wall of granite.

"What he does for us is allow us not to double-team in the low post," James said of Shaq. "In the past, we've been undersized, undermanned. He allows us to stay home on a lot of shooters and play a team straight-up."

And that's just Shaq's defense.

"Offensively, he puts a lot of pressure on other bigs by getting them in foul trouble and getting easy baskets," James added.

But back to Kobe vs. LeBron.

Prior to Thursday's game, ESPN Los Angeles personality John Ireland asked me who I would take, today, if I wanted to win a championship. He was talking strictly about this season, and also posed the question to NBA legend Jerry West.

West, an L.A. guy, chose LeBron.

I'm a Cleveland guy, and took Bryant.

Then I walked away wondering if I had actually made the right call.

As for the opinions of Kobe and LeBron themselves, well, the only thing that's clear is both men have the ultimate respect for each other.

Said LeBron: "I don't look too far into it. You don't want to look to far into beating one team twice. The championship still goes through L.A. It doesn't matter if you beat them four times (in the regular season), you have to beat them in the Finals to take that trophy away from them."

Said Kobe: "The mentality has to change a little bit playing against these teams. These teams are physical, tough-minded and hard-nosed type of teams. This is what (the Cavs) do and we have to step up and try to match that. Last year, we were probably a little hungrier and played a little harder. This year, they're the hungrier team."

Bryant may have a point -- but so does James.

Basically, no one wins a championship in January, and perhaps no one knows that better than the Cavs. Just ask any Clevelander who watched their favorite team get upset by Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals last season.

As for LeBron vs. Kobe, well, that may never actually be decided. At least, it won't be if you're asking my opinion.

Truth is, I may never really know.

Sam Amico covers the Cavaliers and NBA for NBA.com, and is a frequent contributor to SportsTime Ohio and The Cleveland Fan.