In the debate between the legacies of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, few perspectives carry as much weight as that of a coach who had the misfortune to stop them both at their peaks. Stan Van Gundy earned his stripes as the tactical mind behind the Orlando Magic’s 2009 NBA Finals run. But getting there was not easy. While Van Gundy famously clashed with Shaquille O’Neal during their brief, tumultuous stint together in Miami, his respect for O’Neal’s longtime Lakers co-star remains sky-high.

“Well, Kobe was [harder to game plan for], but because Kobe had more around him. You know, I mean, he had Pau Gasol. I mean, they had a good team around Kobe,” Van Gundy explained during a recent sit-down on Run It Back.

He contrasted the Lakers’ depth with the heavy lifting required of a young LeBron James in Cleveland. “LeBron really was carrying that team in Cleveland. I mean, in fact, the guy we had the most trouble with other than LeBron was [Wally] Szczerbiak. I mean, no knock on Wally Szczerbiak, but he’s not Pau Gasol.”

SVG’s clashes with Shaq famously led to his resignation, and he took a hiatus from coaching. But the Orlando Magic swiftly hired him in 2007, and he’d lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals. They had to contend against the Cavaliers and Bron first.

King James was averaging an incredible 38.5 PPG in that series. Yet Cleveland’s lack of depth was not getting them farther. The Magic beat Bron and went to the finals for the first time since 1995, when the Shaq-led Magic had beaten Michael Jordan.

That 2009 run confirmed the clear difference between two generational stars for one of the most tactical minds in the NBA.

Stan Van Gundy’s experience could help the current Lakers

Stan Van Gundy’s assessment comes from personal experience as a coach. He’s not emphasizing Kobe Bryant’s and LeBron James’ individual talent, but the gravity of a supporting cast.

During the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, James put up what many consider the greatest statistical series in playoff history, averaging a staggering 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 8.0 assists. Yet, Orlando advanced in six games because Van Gundy’s game plan prioritized neutralizing everyone else.

“Our plan going in was, like, we want him [LeBron] to score and not create easy shots for other guys,” Van Gundy noted. “And we would live with Hedo Turkoglu and other guys playing him one-on-one. Tried not to foul him a lot. And if he makes jump shots, he makes jump shots, and we’ll live with it. And it ended up working out for us.”

By refusing to double-team James, the Magic effectively turned the Cavaliers into a one-man show, a luxury they didn’t have when they faced Bryant and the Lakers in the finals.

Van Gundy’s strategy against Bryant had to be far more complex because of the triangle offense and the presence of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Unlike the Cavaliers, who lacked a secondary shot-creator, the Lakers could punish double-teams instantly.

Van Gundy concluded that Bryant was the bigger headache because his teammates forced the defense to stay honest. “It wasn’t because I would say that Kobe was necessarily better than LeBron. He just had more around him. And you know that always makes things tougher.”

The current Lakers squad faces the same problem LeBron’s Cavs faced in 2009. Joe Mazzulla used the same strategy on the Lakers this Sunday. While its superstars made the volume of shots, the Lakers were defenseless at the perimeter. Maybe with SVG’s warning, they’d tap into Kobe Bryant’s 2009 run and recalibrate.