they're pretty close. i'd go kobe since his team won the championship. but lebron basically carried that team on his back. remember back then lebron had a terrible jumpshot as well.
edit:
you'd expect kobe to be a better player since he would have had a few years to adapt to the nba game.
Kobe was better and he is better now too. But LBJ is still up there with Kobe though just not better. When rookie LBJ was in the NBA he was not as good as he is no back then they would have been a tie though but they are not. So Kobe is better.