Kobe Bryant vs. James Harden: How Rockets' Frontman Looking More & More Like Black Mamba; Playoffs Contention Preview, Stats Comparison

Kobe Bryant on the doorstep of greatness, but the man that could stop him has an even greater beard.

His name is James Harden. That's right, the same one who plays for the Houston Rockets. Kobe and James Harden will determine who makes the final seed of the playoffs and maybe who wins it all.

It's easy to give Kobe the edge. He's got bigger names on his team. Sorry, but the numbers prove Linsanity was a little more than a flash in the pan. With Dwight Howard and Steve Nash backing him up, Kobe seems like a lock, but so far his Lakers have only locked up the 9th seed and that one gets to stay home and watch the playoffs.

James Harden has been the type of leader that's actually made his teammates better. That's something that a certain mamba can't do on most nights. Not many people could identify guys like Patrick Patterson or Chandler Parsons in a police lineup, but Harden's managed to keep them in playoff contention.

Let's look at the numbers:

Kobe Bryant: 27.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.8 treys.

James Harden: 26.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.9 steals, 2.2 treys.

Lakers fans, now this is why you should be afraid. Each team is led by a mirror image stat-wise. So with about 18 games left, what are the keys of the Kobe vs. Harden battle.

Health - Lakers may be 8-2 in their last ten games, but Dwight is still nursing an injury. Lakers have too much age on their roster to handle a serious injury going forward. Advantage: Houston

Schedule - Both squads face contenders in the West like San Antonio and the Clippers, but Houston travels to L.A to end the season. I'll take the home team to win if it comes down to it: Advantage: Lakers

Chemistry - This is what it all comes down to. Lakers are no stranger to championships, but keeping Dwight motivated is a job in itself. Meanwhile Harden has something to prove to the league and to the team that surprisingly traded him at the start of the season. Kobe may have made the guarantee, but Harden is on a mission. Advantage Houston

With similar records and similar superstars, the Lakers versus Houston Rockets race to the playoffs could go al the way to the final game. It could end with Harden wondering if he had kept his beard in Oklahoma City or give Kobe another reason why you should never make a prediction against a guy with a winning beard.