The debate over Kobe Bryant or LeBron James as a preferable teammate rages on, as Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird gave his own take on the matter on Tuesday.

Appearing on The B.S. Report with Grantland.com's Bill Simmons, Bird said that James is both the best player in the league and one of the greatest players ever, so much so that fans should continue to sit back and enjoy what he can do on the basketball court.

Despite both Bryant and James drawing comparisons to Michael Jordan, the debate over who is actually more worthy of those comparisons never seems to cease. (Reuters/Andrew Innerarity)

However, when Bird was asked to choose any current player that he would most want to play with for a whole season, he instead chose Bryant, despite his deep-rooted rivalry with the Lakers.

Well, of course he wouldn't have been shooting as much as he does now, but his desire to win, his dedication to always get better... and he's just, he's just tough, Bird said. He's just a tough cat.

Bird continued: But, if you want to have fun, like I did with Bill Walton, play with LeBron. It would have probably been more fun to play with LeBron, but if you want to win and win and win, it's Kobe. Not that LeBron's not a winner, just that [Kobe's] mindset is to go into every practice, every game, to get better.

Although some have argued James is a better talent than Bryant, others note each player's resume, implying Bryant's long-term success: Bryant has won five championships with the Lakers, one short of Michael Jordan's number, while James, who has also drawn comparisons to Jordan, has no title to his credit. He joined the Miami Heat last season, but fell short in the NBA Finals, leaving him searching for his first title.

Currently, both Bryant and James are one-two in scoring average, having led their teams to be contenders. Nevertheless, the Heat seem to be more poised to make it back to the Finals as they hold the second seed in the Eastern Conference at 18-6, while the Lakers are tied with three other teams for the sixth seed in the Western Conference at 14-11.

So who is your preference? Answer the poll below and explain why in the comments section.

<a href=http://polldaddy.com/poll/5920629/ mce_href=http://polldaddy.com/poll/5920629/>Who would you prefer to play with for one season?</a>

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