Bryant

	McGrady

While the debate over Kobe and Tracy on the floor might be a close one, most sports marketers would easily choose Bryant over McGrady. Here's why:

Television Market/Population
If Kobe is successful on the court, more people are watching, which makes him a more recognizable endorser. Bryant plays in Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest television market. McGrady plays in Orlando, which ranks 20th. Approximately 3.7 million people live in the city of Los Angeles alone, which is more than double the population of the metro Orlando area.

Team Heritage
The more positive history a team has, the more likely it is that they will have more fans, including key decision makers who might be looking for their next endorser. The Lakers have the second-largest fan base in pro sports and the third-strongest brand name (behind the Yankees and the Cowboys), according to brand strategy firm FutureBrand. The team has won nine championships -- including the last three with Bryant -- since moving to Los Angeles in 1960. FutureBrand ranks McGrady's Magic outside of the sports world's top 50 most powerful team brands. It's hardly McGrady's fault that the team is only playing its 14th season in the league and that they haven't won a championship, but it plays a factor when comparing the two in terms of marketability.

Winning Team
There's a reason why the majority of television revenue is earned from the playoffs -- the number of viewers watching the games. When hiring an athlete for a national television or print campaign, marketers have to make sure that the athlete is familiar to the hardcore fan, as well as the casual one. That's why the playoffs are important because more casual fans tune into playoff games than regular-season games. Bryant -- who has one more year of NBA experience than McGrady -- has played 3,052 playoff minutes in 85 games. McGrady, with the Raptors and the Magic, has only played 467 playoff minutes in 11 games. The better a team does in the playoffs, the more likely they will be featured nationally in regular-season matchups the following season.

Charisma/Facial Expression
While Bryant loses the charisma category to his teammate Shaquille O'Neal -- who, like Kobe, will pull in more than $10 million in endorsements this season -- Bryant has one of the best smiles potential advertisers have seen since Michael Jordan came along. McGrady's eyes tend to droop at times -- he's even been dubbed "Big Sleep" by some around the league. Although unintentional, some sports marketers say it makes McGrady look like he's bored. Along those lines, the perception is that Bryant is more likely to pump a fist or motion to the crowd, while McGrady just goes about doing his business up and down the floor.

Previous On-Court History
Since both Bryant and McGrady were drafted of high school and didn't have standout college careers, both came into the league on an equal playing field in terms of nationwide familiarity.

Criminal History
Propensity to be found in police cars and courthouses obviously is a key factor when marketers consider the athletes to pitch their product. Both McGrady and Bryant have a clean rap sheet.

Name
Kobe, much like Venus and Tiger, has such a unique name that you don't even have to say Bryant for him to be recognized. If all else is equal, "Kobe" means a lot more than "Tracy."

The Bottom Line
Kobe's endorsements include McDonald's, Spalding, Sprite and Upper Deck, and after parting ways with adidas this past summer he is a highly-coveted free agent in the shoe category. McGrady pitches Mountain Dew, Konami's "NBA Starting Five" video game and adidas, signing a lifetime deal with the company in April. His T-Mac line of shoes (T-Mac II's are releasing in different colors throughout the fall and winter) are very popular. This season, if Bryant signs a shoe deal, he will likely make more than four times what McGrady makes in endorsements. Bryant currently makes between $11 million-$13 million annually in endorsements, while McGrady pulls in about $3.5 million, according to Bob Williams, president of Burns Sports, a sports marketing firm. Both are represented by the same agent Arn Tellem.

Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, can be reached at darren.rovell@espn3.com