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Kobe Bryant gave his take on the never-ending GOAT debate involving himself, Michael Jordan and LeBron James with a perfect summary.
The trio are widely deemed to be the three greatest players in the history of NBA, with many different opinions expressed as to who takes the top spot.
Jordan won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls, firing the team to two separate three-peats in the 1990's. He briefly crossed over with Bryant, who picked up the baton and led Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA titles in his glittering 20-year career.
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In the modern day, James is a four-time NBA champion and is the highest-scorer in the history of the league with 41924 points. Bryant is in fourth, with Jordan a place further down in fifth.
But while it's a question that always pops up, back in May 2018, the late Bryant weighed in with his assessment after James secured a record eighth NBA finals appearance.
'Mamba' took to X, when it was known as Twitter, to praise both James and Jordan, stressing that fans should just enjoy all of their exploits on the court without tearing the others down.
He wrote: "We can enjoy one without tearing down one. I love what he’s doing. Don’t debate what can’t be definitively won by anyone. #enjoymy5 #enjoymj6 #enjoylbjquest."
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After writer Michael Grange said Bryant was angry he is "trapped at the kiddy table at the base of Mt. Rushmore", the NBA icon clapped back by bringing up his Oscar and Emmy triumphs.
Bryant replied: "#Annie #Oscar #Emmy safe to say I’m focused on another mountain but I’m guessing it’s hard to fathom athletes supporting other athletes to be great. #simpleminds."
Jordan and Bryant grew to be close friends after squaring off eight times on the court. Jordan provided an emotional tribute at his memorial service at the Staples Center in 2020 after he Bryant and his daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash.
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Though he too has said that he is not big on comparing players, he explained why Bryant will always be ahead of James in his mind in 2013.
Jordan said: “In terms of the dominance of the game of basketball, at this stage it’s LeBron. Championship-wise Kobe Bryant.
“He wants it so bad and he’s willing to go to the extreme. Guarding a guy. Guarding a point guard at the age of 34, playing 38 minutes, and 40 minutes. It’s ludicrous.
“I think this is what he’s battling with. It is what it is. He’s cursed as much as I am. If you had to pick between the two that would be a tough choice, and five [players] beat one.”
