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Nick ranks Kobe Bryant 6th on his Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST
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- Published on Apr 14, 2026
- Nick Wright has been slowly rolling out his top 50 NBA stars of the last 50 years, and Kobe Bryant has landed just outside the top 5 at No. 6. Ric Bucher joins First Things First to explain why he's not in agreement of the Los Angeles Lakers legend's placement on Nick's list, and explains why he would rank Kobe higher.
#FirstThingsFirst #NBA #KobeBryant
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Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, Kevin Wildes, and Jenna Wolfe team up on First Things First, a discussion and opinion-based studio program that covers all the headlines weekdays on FS1.
Nick ranks Kobe Bryant 6th on his Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST
• Nick ranks Kobe Bryant...
First Things First
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If Nick is gonna talk about Kobe inefficiency then he better talk about Lebrons Lack of efficiency his whole career when it comes to Defense.
They won’t bring up the fact of what that era was that Kobe was playing in because they know that it was an era where everyone was insufficient Because it was a way more defensive league than this one And it was zone basketball which is meant to stop an individual player from getting off Just a bunch of haters on this show for Kobe it’s disgusting go rewatch basketball
Duncan was boring to watch , Kobe was the most skillfull player of all time . At the time when Kobe was playing why was Kobe more the super star and the focus of the NBA but not Duncan. The Spurs were just the Spurs a team but hate him or love Kobe he was the helm of superstar of the NBA just as was Jordan. Why now is Duncan suddenly higher than Kobe. If you commentators really like some one its not ok to feed us with your favourites just because you have access to the broadcasting service. Why dont you carry out a survey in the NBA public vote to let the public decide who the best player was. Kobe was more feared on the basketball court than Duncan and I was not even a fan of the Lakers and Kobe but he is higher than LBJ and Tim Duncan is the joke in this arguement. For crying out loud Shaq was not close to a player Kobe was he could not even shoot a free throw and his game was more like wrestling than basketball. Totally disgusting just people who used size advantage are even considered great players for putting up unfair numbers. On 360 vision talent who is better than Kobe on the level of difficulty of the shots he took and made them. Your boring list is boring us Kobe was the altimate entertainer . On charecter i honestly did not like Kobe but cannot deny his tallent he is second to Jordan only by way of championships.
Nick go ask duncan who was better
Shaq would've won the same 3 in LA w/ McGrady, Vince, Wade, Reggie, Ray, etc...
I think the biggest knock on Kobe was his lack of efficiency. But Kobe did play elite defense which often gets overlooked.
So did others that played in his era and those before him
Kobe played great defense for like 5 years then coasted and would turn it on. Which is what most good players do to be fair but he was no MJ or Hakeem or even Tim Duncan defensively
Oh for real I didn’t know he shot a low percentage.
@brandenhill8426 so he coasted and made all those all defensive teams. Impressive to me 🤷🏾♂️
@brandenhill8426 first team all defense 9 times and 12 total selections Kobe was locking up dudes even at 34 years old
They embarrassed this man he couldn’t even keep a straight face 😂
You're a goof if you think that🤦🏾♂️😂
Nah you tweaking. Ric bucher was cooking them
John Smith Agreed
John Smith Nick and Chris aren't 2000s though. I'd argue people rank Kobe higher now then they did when he was alive. God bless the dead Kobe not top 5
@nsmith3128 kobe been top 5 all time since 2011, it has nothing to do with his death
"I don't want numbers I don't want intangibles I want the eye test... my eyes and only My eyes" - Ric n Skip
All of these analysts go from one extreme to the other. Some are too stats heavy and some are too intangibles heavy. The answer is somewhere in the middle.
He pretty much just said I like Kobe more. Watching him play he seemed better, with literally no argument. how is he even and analyst. He didn't analyze. He just said a statement based on literally nothing.
There are plenty of numbers. Go watch Skap Attack :)
@ludvigwittgenstein6469skap attack is a Kobe meat rider and LeBron detractor. At least offer up a good basketball YT channel that keeps things fair
There's nothing wrong with weighting the eye test very heavily. That said, you can't really have the eye test without taking into account intangibles.. intangibles are the things you see with your own eyes but can't place on a stat sheet.
Tim vs Kobe is a position paradox. That's like smaller scale version of Kareem vs Jordan.
Duncan is a great example of high IQ, efficiency and teamwork. One of my favorite players ever.
Humility as well.
Head down, work hard, team first.
Seemingly a great dude and great player.
Also look at the quality of the players that came up under him: Ginobli, Parker, Kawhi. His character was of the highest quality.
And he was better than Kobe
His teammate quality was waaaaay higher
@Cheif_Espada Umm - San Antonio drafted those players. All great players have to play with drafted teammates and help make them better. Great players don't demand trades because they don't have the ability to make teammates better and want "all star" free agent talent to "help them" (i.e. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James).
Kobe’s inefficiency comes with the fact that he loves to take shots when he was double or triple teamed. As a Kobe fan, this was also my frustration during his playing days but I can’t complain much. His ability to hit those tough shots also gave his fans plenty of memorable and timeless highlights.
He won 5 titles while being one of the best entertainers this league has seen since MJ. All is good.
1. Now Imagine how Good was Jordan and his efficiency in an era where it was even tougher to shoot 50% from the field especially for a 6'5 225 Guard playing that style.
2. Kobes all time stats are impacted negatively by some other factors
- not as long of a prime as some other players. He played 20 years. A backup in his first 2 and washed post achilles. So thats about 5-6 years that make his 20 yr career look worse than it was. Lebron has kinda been on his prime and an all star level player every single yr and that efficiency and stats been high every yr. If you isolate Kobes top 13-15 seasons where he was in his prime it would look better
- the era was tough in early 2000s
- he took many bad shots. Thats on him too though
- he had some awful teams post Shaq pre Pau Gasol. Kwame, Luke Walton and Smush Parker was no.2, 3 and 4 in minutes for Lakers one yr. Imagine that for a minute. Same Happened to Lebron in 2015 finals with a 38% percentage. Dude was alone after game 1 and the defense could focus on him more. Its hard to shoot 50% that way. 2007 finals he was 35% as well vs Spurs. Same situation for Lebron playing iso ball.
-Kobe was a great shooter imo. Especially from 3. The free throw peecentage is the truest test of how good a shooter actually is. The ultimate truth teller. No wonder Steph is no.1 all time. Can't trick the free throw line. Its the same for everybody.
3. That Being Said - I got Kobe 5th. I just think this FG% stuff is overblown. He could really hit 3s. Imo - better than MJ or Lebron. His mid range game though wasn't as good as MJ (62% from midrange on yr in playoffs). His inside game not as good as MJ or Lebron. His FT game better than MJ slighly and way better than Lbj.
Want to find out how well dudes shoot - put them on the free throw line
Magic was an amazing FT shooter thiugh. That thing was sure.
@erikpuka2627 it wasnt tougher, the illegal defence made defence way easier for iso players to score on. many actual players and analysts have said this
Man I loved watching Kobe play. It was a work of art. Curry has filled in the void.
@khalxd1991 it was way tougher man. Way tougher. Listen to players who played in both eras. KG for ex. Lebron even. Shaq even. Luka has proven that theory to be true. Its illegal to play defense now PERIOD. The slightest contact is a foul. Lane is wide open. You can't stop people from penetrating now. The thing thats tougher now is playing 1 on 1 defense on an island cause you can't touch anything. Offense never been any easier. You got Westbrook dropping hige stats. Harden even. A washed Kobe put up 60. A washed Jamal Crawford put up 50. An Ancient Wade could do work. Lance Stephenson came out of China and gave dudes bussiness semi washed. Its illegal to play defense now in general
I'll add he didn't cheat the fans bc he probably played with more injuries than anyone alltime.
Ric got absolutely BODIED 😭😭he shot down stats and THEN shot down INTANGIBLES??
GG dawg
This was hilarious to watch
Intangibles outside of the game.
Ric is from that old school where you just get to lie and no one checks you on it
Nick and Brou absolutely bodying Rick. Sheesh.
Nick: "you don't want the numbers or the intangibles, what are we allowed to use?" 🤣perfect victory!
LBJ is the best took kobe 4-5years to avg over 26
Lmfaooooooo facts. Rick was hanging on by a thread 😂
Numbers don’t always tell the whole story and jus cus Nick said this opinion doesn’t mean anything for the most part anything Nick says about lebron is not bias at all lol
If you wanna use numbers that means Lebron still isn’t the best and is arguably top5
@supasav6667 Kobe was playing with Shaq he could have easily average 25 plus stop it 😂
Duncan was the system and people use that as a way to detract from him…dude they won 3 in 5 years from 03-07.
They made the WCF too I believe in the years they didn’t win.
Exactly..just like steph is THE system at GS and why is that a knock on such players..it takes something unique about your game for a team to build THE system around you..why couldn't kobe be THE system? Cos he couldn't willfully make his teammates better at least early into his career. Overall, Duncan is slightly better than kobe as a player. In terms of competitive will kobe was slightly higher than duncan.
You hit it on the head!
Never went Back to Back
Duncan is great, but because they never went back to back, they were never seen as dominant. Doing it back to back, or three-peating is immensely more challenging because of the wear and tear on your body. It's the same reason why the Lakers/Heat flamed out in 2021.
Amidst all the subjectivity on this topic, let’s just acknowledge the overarching fact - whichever player you have as your goat or whichever players you have in your top 10 - these guys made you feel all types of emotions and made you fall in love with the game of basketball. What makes them great is the ability to fully captivate their audience and forever occupy a place in our memories. Respect to greatness 🤙🏾
Well said man 👍
Get off your knees man! Oh..wipe your chin too!
This is THE COMMENT. too much emotion is involved inn these posts
For sure
That is a fact 👌
Clutch time actually isn’t just one shot alone. I thought clutch moments happened within the last 4-5 minutes of a game. Nit picking clutch to one last shot is crazy to me.
Facts
This is the dumbest thing ever so Duncan isn’t clutch cuz he was beating ppl heads in ?
Lebron still has more. Clutch time is within 2 minutes at the end of the game
Bron is still more clutch in last 5
@EricGarcia-fx3xs you know who has most career game winners all time with 36? You know how many lebron has?
Rick wouldn't take Shaq in his prime over Kode? This is why people make up the eye test.. because you can't argue with a ghost stat "eye test"
Eye test is essentially “I’m right you’re wrong” based off of biased opinions and trying to force them on others lol
I would take Shaq over any player in their prime ..does that mean he's greater then MJ? Smdh 🤦🏾♂️
@moisesfigueroa6390 me too. Nobody is stopping shaq and i mean nobody literally
@malikrevis6896 I would never take Shaq over Kobe. Kobe 3 peat with Shaq and Kobe wasn't even in his primes. Soon as Kobe was in his primes he went to 3 straight finals without Shaq. What 3peat did Shaq do when he left Kobe? Don't worry I'll wait
@moisesfigueroa6390 MJ was great but how many first round picks did he need to make the playoffs? Jordan needed everybody to get old before he made an impact... Shaq is one of one!! Day one team one Orlando to the finals
People don’t give Kobe enough credit for his defense and those 2 finals in 3 years
3 finals in 3 years 2/3 record
people give Kobe too much credit for his defense, he was average defender.
And rebounding🤷🏾♂️
@idontknowhowtojapa lmao 12 all defense selections but he’s a average defender tell me your a clown without telling me your a clown
seriously like who did he have on those teams? Pau Gasol and a bunch of role players. None of those teams were as stacked as any of the teams you see today. KD Kyrie and Harden CANT EVEN GET TO THE FINALS
11:00 Nick's voice when he says "he left!" Lmao!
They smoked Rick so bad 😂😂
What were you watching?
@nickcampbell8619 I watched Rik get smoked and then he had to go with the “eye test”
@Mississippi5150but didn't he say 'eye test' right from the very beginning? When he initially started talking he said that. He watched timmy and kobe play 100s of games, and he's taking Kobe. He said that right away didn't he?
@Mississippi5150u kids😂
@nickcampbell8619 And he was trying to say watching them up close in person gives him more credibility than those watching them on television with the slow-motion and replays and commentary from multiple people that is provided on a broadcast.
Anyone who ranks Bryant ahead of Duncan is either biased, willfully ignorant, or both.
Ric has an average on his takes like a baseball player…
“What you don’t want the numbers OR the intangibles?!?”
classic Nick
Soon as Rick said that I’m like oh boy nick bout to go offff
Yeah Rick was all over the place and Nick and Chris came with the Heat. Rick just like Kobe better. Which is his choice
Rick is a LeBron Hater but also a Analyst that Has The “You Had To Be There” mindset or he changes the Standards to Help his Debate
@jermainee26 Facts
Nick is a nerd that never played the game and nerds don’t get to set the standards of what makes a great player FOH.
What part of 8 straight finals don't people get?
And as far as Duncan, he's not rated by all because he wasnt flashly
But see the difference is Lebron was 3-5 in those Finals meanwhile Duncan was 5-1.
Kobe and Duncan played at the same time, and no one ever stated Duncan was as good as Kobe….
@3liteshadwgamer640 1. Yes they did and 2. Because people were obsessed with flashy play and Kobe is undeniably the flashier player.
@3liteshadwgamer640 Duncan won 2 league mvps, and led the spurs to 2 championships while Kobe was playing with a top 10 all time player. Duncan was the most boring superstar of all time he never got the respect he deserved
What part of the "LEAST"ern Conference, as it was known at the time, don't you get? No one respects cake walking past the Hawks and the Paul George/Roy Hibbert Pacers as some holy accomplishment to be held up amongst all-time great achievements
Idk who that other guy is forgot his name already but he virtually said that his perception and opinion are more definitive, precise and credible than any statistics haha
A lot of ppl don't realize if Duncan was not playing in a system in San Antonio for most of his career and he plays on a team with more freestyle play, he more likely would have put up bigger numbers in terms of points and assists specifically and Duncan is one the best passing big man of alltime.
Totally agree
kobe is 2 all time
Duncan should most certainly be ahead of Kobe.
@angel-ij4xv NO
@oneball1926 please kobe is the goat
Nick and Bru - give stats, accomplishments, intangibles to defend their points
Ric - “I saw them play”
😂😂🤣🤣🤣
@omarshafi786 lol only nerds dont understand that stats dont tell the entire story
And Thts true , westbrooks stats over all will be better than curry’s , but the ppl who watched them play will tell you curry was undoubtedly better than westbrook, but you will have these stat nerds tht look at only stats and bring up numbers , nd we will then say “you had to see it to understand “
@shun8733 nah westbrook's efficiency and turnovers are horrible and the stats can tell you he cant shoot. Even looking at stats you can tell curry is much better but yes it does help to watch the games too. That being said its equally as stupid to dismiss all stats just because you "watched them play"
@shun8733 Westbrook is inaccurate af and the stats say that, wtf you talkin' about?
“ Kobe didn’t have that nucleus of having the same head coach & Duncan never had a down year “ but when it comes to Lebron it’s “ he can’t will his team on his own “. Man pick a side.
Lol Lebron had mo williams
@johnnyrockets7543
You forgot
D Wade
Bosh
Shaq
Kyrie
K-Love
AD
Dwight
Westbrook
Carmelo
D-Rose
IT
Ben Wallace
Rondo
@manniesupasport7977 your awareness is concerning
@manniesupasport7977 how many of them in their prime, healthy playing at perennial all nba / all star level
1 year of D Wade all nba 3
1 year of AD all nba 2
1 year of Kyrie all nba 3
2 year of CB all star
@manniesupasport7977 go home bruh….this man named Shaq and Drose as star teammates or something oh wait Isaiah Thom……nah bruh said Ben Wallace!!???yooooooo I’m done
When Nick brought out "figure skating" that sent me 🤣
Nick fails to realize Kobe was nba all defense 12 times and 9 times first team defense. That's more than any other guard and second all time.
Yes the Media just wanted Kobe's name to be recognized to the point they put him over defensive specialist Ron Artest. Is anyone actually going to believe that Kobe is a better defender than Ron Artest?
People fall in love with the drive and determination of Kobe. IMO he has the greatest comeback story in sports history after the ‘03 case all while rising to the top of the league.
Correct
kobe the goat
Beat that shi
Greatest comeback is jordan retiring to play baseball. Then coming back to win 3 more consecutive rings. Kobe only did that once by the way.
I also loved the redeem team documentary they did and how he was one of the key players that helped USA win gold again, that was a nice comeback story too and I’m glad he was apart of it
He said I watched all guys play up close and I’m taking Kobe over everybody
Thank you man for speaking up for Kobe and point out things that so many of these analysts overlook when it comes to him.
These guys are haters what they never mention is that Kobe won all 5 of his titles with a BIG 2 not Big3 LeBron & Duncan both got 1 title each with a big2 the rest are Big3
@spartanrealah2121 yeah and aging dwade and bosh don’t equal shaq 😂 also ric didn’t make a single point other than that Kobe was better
@atake_plays7784 Manu and Tony also don’t equal Shaq
@danielburdisso1483 thats irrelevant
@atake_plays7784 you know i was just adding to your point right? I wasn’t disagreeing with you
Kobe vs Duncan on an All-Time list is Intriguing for sure!!
Shaq and lebron is also intriguing
Kobe all day
Facts, ppl overrate Kobe into the top 3-5 convo and skip over Tim. Tim's resume is clearly more impressive than Kobe but ppl hate real.
When people rank Tim Duncan the convo changes to “best PF” or big man, why I don’t know 🤷🏾♂️ he’s not overlooked or under valued it’s just different with him
@dsworld8721 tim duncan averages like 20 pts for his career. Kobe belongs in the top 5 especially if lebron is in the top 5
It's funny how Nick doesn't mention how Kobe beat Duncan in the playoffs to those Lakers and Spurs battle were great.
Kobe has a winning record vs Duncan lol
@joshboy438 yeah, with shaq. Only beat duncan once when he was the man.
@winged_ninja_89 how many times Duncan beat Kobe ?
@winged_ninja_89 Kobe was the man then too ... He carried the team through those series against the Spurs.
Kobe also dunked on Tim 4 times in his career and Tim failed to avg 20PPG 10 years in his career.
They forgetting Kobe went to the finals 3 in a row w out Shaq
Lebron went to 8 straight without shaq
Bucher's final statement is the ultimate winning argument lol thank you
People hate the number associated to the player, while not thinking to who should be before him
Yup. I always say this. Actually MAKE your list and then get back to me. I bet we are closer to agreeing than you think.
“How can Dak Prescott be ranked the number 10 QB in the league...?!”
Well because Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Russel Wilson, Pat Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Deshaun Watson, Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, Justin Herbert...
You actually have to make the list and people so rarely do.
Kobe was an incredible player, definitely one of the greats.....but I am freaking amazed that no one is remembering that he had not only Shaq but also Horace Grant, Ron Harper, and Robert Horry on those teams! You cannot tell me the Spurs had a better lineup.
🤣 David Robinson and Tim Duncan Malik Rose Antonio Daniels Avery Johnson Stephen Jackson Speedy Claxton Derek Anderson but ok
@AngelDay1101 Your telling me you think the 2001-2003 Spurs had a better team than the 2001 -2003 Lakers?!? What about when the had Karl Malone, Gary Paxton, and Rick Fox?
@donaldseigel4101 players and team is different. Chemistry
@AngelDay1101 C'mon, with Phil Jackson as coach, man that was an all star team. The Lakers swept everyone in 2001. Tim Duncan was a better player, but the Lakers were a better team.
@donaldseigel4101 really and popavich wasn't already a champ. That 01 team had 3 eventual hall of famers and a defensive stopper in Bruce Bowen. They had Stephen Jackson Tony Parker Malik Rose Steve Smith great team with Robinson and Duncan
Wow 9 finals in 12 seasons. Why was that not in his docu-series. Magic sounds amazing.
Except them 9 routes though them Western Conferences to the Finals was almost pretty as equally bad as Lebrons route to the finals in them Weak East as Magic had several HOF and All stars in them teams but that's maybe something you didn't know.
It's ok tho 🙏🏾
Only went 5-4 in those series, losing three of the last four.
@davidlopez2276 - Magic was 2 - 2 in his last 4 Finals. Won it in '87 and '88. Lost in '89 and '91. And the later losses were largely influenced by Kareem finally being claimed by age and major injuries to Magic and other key players.
@nathanmulchandani2869 is u blind ?
He was....magic
I love it Rick. That's why my name is Rick. Its Kobe for LIFE!!! I saw him on TV. You saw him in person and its final!!!
Kobe 12 times All-Defence (tied most all time). These analysts always forgot that.
Except Duncan has the record with 15 selections. I think what you mean is 9 FIRST team selections, most all time tied with MJ Garnett and I think also Gary Payton
@PearlJamFanatic10 only KG and Kobe have 9 selections...still tied for 1st.
@twokidsfromthebronx9844 mj has 9... pretty sure payton does too.
Exactly
@PearlJamFanatic10 15???? For defense
now mentioned who Shaq faced in those finals, and how the road TO those finals were dog fights and Kobe was very much needed in all facets during those wars
Exactly. shaq had a mismatch every finals so the team let him exploit it. Kobe was always comparable if not better during the series in the western conference.
@impactovernumbers5157 better*
@josephschmizzo1595 lol facts but I always wanna give diesel his credit. You not lying tho.
The fact that Ric's whole argument got diminished to "I know what I saw" was sad to watch
It was one of the most pathetic things anyone has said on television regarding basketball.
Exactly
this moment with rick was a perfect lesson for people: sometimes saying something is your favourite, and having that be the reason you have it as the best, is okay to admit. because you only start looking worse when debates like this happened and you gotta resort to “i saw them all play” as a supposedly factual argument. just say that’s your guy and cut it there, we can all relate & respect that 😂
I think a lot of people forget that without Kobe the Lakers vs Pacers finals goes 7 games. Shaq fouled out in OT of Game 4 and it was 100% Kobe who won that game for LA and kept that series from being tied 2-2 back when game 5 would have been at Indy and the Pacers realistically could have taken a 3-2 lead and only need to steal one of the last two at LA.
... And that he was also injured at the time
But Nick said they ddnt need a closer 😐😐🤣
Nick Wright literally lied on tv 😂😂😂🤦🏾
Without Shaq the Lakers dont even get out of the first round.
When Kobe came in the NBA he was seen as a versatile version of Michael Jordan, maybe inefficient scorer but certainly had high IQ and unmatched competitiveness, there should be a list of players with same position to be more fair, cos he was the best guard behind Jordan
You can't have High IQ and decide that jacking up jumpshots with double and triple teams are the right play. He's inefficient cause his basketball IQ is low and often does the wrong play shooting his team out of competition.
Better guard than magic?
When it comes to who was a better playmaker between MJ and Kobe it was Kobe just saying but it doesn't mean he's greater than MJ for sure.
@bolo5190 srsly. People think cause Kobe was a ball hog he never passed? Nope. Think he averages 5-6 assists while being a sg. Among the sg’s those were one of the highest
@Dilly_Dil1y Right
If you guys wanna do an actual breakdown of Kobe’s shootings you can check his percentages from 5-10 10-20 and so on and it’s the same for other greats and you can breakdown their play style and how they score and make your own decisions instead of listening to others
Yessir
Bleacher report top 50 best NBA players all time
1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6. Shaquille O'Neal
7. Tim Duncan
14. Kobe Bryant
PPG: LeBron
RPG: LeBron
APG: LeBron
SPG: LeBron
BPG: LeBron
FG%: LeBron
3pt%: LeBron
FT%: Kobe
TS%: LeBron
PER: LeBron
WS/48: LeBron
VORP: LeBron
MVP's: LeBron
FMVP's: LeBron
Rings: Kobe (Best player on 2)
LeBron a better player then Kobe
Field goal%
LeBron 50.5%✔️
Kobe 44.7%
Points scored career
LeBron 37,062✔️
Kobe 33,643
Most missed shots in NBA history
1. Kobe Bryant 14,481
2. John Havlicek 13,417
3. Elvin Hayes 13,296
LeBron more points then Kobe
Kobe more missed shots then LeBron
Total 3pointers made
LeBron 2,140✔️
Kobe 1,827
Total Steals career
LeBron 2,136✔️
Kobe 1,944
Total Blocks career
LeBron 1,041✔️
Kobe 640
Defensive win shares
LeBron 75.59✔️
Kobe 50.66
Assists Leader
LeBron 1✔️
Kobe 0
Career highs
Kobe Bryant 28-46 fg and 7-13 3pt for 81 points vs Raptors 27-55 record
Career highs
LeBron James 22-33 fg and 8-10 3pt for 61 points vs Bobcats 43-39 record
Playoffs game winning buzzer beaters
LeBron 5✔️
Kobe 1
2010 NBA finals
Game 7
Lakers 83 Celtics 79
Kobe Bryant 6-24 fg and 0-6 3pt for 23 points
2013 NBA finals
Game 7
Heat 95 Spurs 88
LeBron James 12-23 fg and 5-10 3pt for 37 points
Pippen 6 rings > Kobe 5 rings so having more team awards rings dont mean better player
Shaquille O'Neal 3 finals mvps best player on Lakers 3peat and carried Kobe Bryant to 3 sidekick rings
2011 NBA playoffs
Mavericks 4 Lakers 0
Kobe got swept with home court advantage and favored to win series
LeBron 16-6 winning record owns Kobe in 22 career meetings
Kobe Bryant 44.7% fg only 32.9% 3pt and most missed shots in the NBA history isnt even top 10 player all time thats why Bleacher report has him #14
@TheRimasyele
Bleacher report top 50 best NBA players all time
1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6. Shaquille O'Neal
7. Tim Duncan
14. Kobe Bryant
PPG: LeBron
RPG: LeBron
APG: LeBron
SPG: LeBron
BPG: LeBron
FG%: LeBron
3pt%: LeBron
FT%: Kobe
TS%: LeBron
PER: LeBron
WS/48: LeBron
VORP: LeBron
MVP's: LeBron
FMVP's: LeBron
Rings: Kobe (Best player on 2)
LeBron a better player then Kobe
Field goal%
LeBron 50.5%✔️
Kobe 44.7%
Points scored career
LeBron 37,062✔️
Kobe 33,643
Most missed shots in NBA history
1. Kobe Bryant 14,481
2. John Havlicek 13,417
3. Elvin Hayes 13,296
LeBron more points then Kobe
Kobe more missed shots then LeBron
Total 3pointers made
LeBron 2,140✔️
Kobe 1,827
Total Steals career
LeBron 2,136✔️
Kobe 1,944
Total Blocks career
LeBron 1,041✔️
Kobe 640
Defensive win shares
LeBron 75.59✔️
Kobe 50.66
Assists Leader
LeBron 1✔️
Kobe 0
Career highs
Kobe Bryant 28-46 fg and 7-13 3pt for 81 points vs Raptors 27-55 record
Career highs
LeBron James 22-33 fg and 8-10 3pt for 61 points vs Bobcats 43-39 record
Playoffs game winning buzzer beaters
LeBron 5✔️
Kobe 1
2010 NBA finals
Game 7
Lakers 83 Celtics 79
Kobe Bryant 6-24 fg and 0-6 3pt for 23 points
2013 NBA finals
Game 7
Heat 95 Spurs 88
LeBron James 12-23 fg and 5-10 3pt for 37 points
Pippen 6 rings > Kobe 5 rings so having more team awards rings dont mean better player
Shaquille O'Neal 3 finals mvps best player on Lakers 3peat and carried Kobe Bryant to 3 sidekick rings
2011 NBA playoffs
Mavericks 4 Lakers 0
Kobe got swept with home court advantage and favored to win series
LeBron 16-6 winning record owns Kobe in 22 career meetings
Kobe Bryant 44.7% fg only 32.9% 3pt and most missed shots in the NBA history isnt even top 10 player all time thats why Bleacher report has him #14
All-day
Wildes' reaction to Nick's "clutch" statement says it all.
As a side note, I feel that Kobe/Shaq team doesn't get anywhere near the respect nor the debate that the great teams get. That 2000 team was cutting through teams like there wasn't another team on the floor. If I remember right, my Sixers were the only team to put a loss on them in the playoffs.
that was the 2001 season. and in that season they didn't take the regular season seriously. If you could combine the 2000 regular season with the 2001 playoff, then you'd have a strong goat team argument
That’s why during that time they 3peated the spurs had to retool and Sacramento Queens and drugged up Portland trailblazers was their best competition
Lol what are you talking about? The 01 lakers are widely considered the best team other, along with the 83 76ers, 96 bulls, and 2017 warriors. They are considered a dynasty, which the lebron heat aren’t even considered
@TheCephalon I don't know about "widely considered". I don't hear these conversations. I hear more about the Spurs and they've never repeated. Maybe it's the outlets I'm getting my sports talk from.
That’s not true, in 2000 against the blazers they needed every bit of the help they got from the refs. Ask Timmy lol
There is a clear double standard when comparing different players. LeBron is consistently down-graded because of Heat's loss to Mavs in 2011. However, Kobe and Shaq simply get passes for the 2004 meltdown against the Pistons. Both finals results are excellent examples that teams with good supporting casts win championships, not individual stars.
Lebron went from 26ppg to 17ppg in the Finals. He disappeared. He was the clear best player on the team (and in the NBA) but hid under the spotlight making himself the 3rd option. Still, the Heat had 4 players scoring over 10ppg with their big 3 + Mario Chalmers pitching in 11.8ppg. Their big 3 combined for 62.8ppg in the Finals compared with 70.9 in the regular season.
The Lakers were not a deep team at all and Karl Malone was injured. The 3rd highest scoring player was Derek Fisher at 6.4ppg. Shaq and Kobe combined for 49.2ppg. This was actually above their regular season average of 45.5ppg.
There is no double standard. Lebron had an epic meltdown. Shaq, Kobe & the Lakers were simply outclassed.
the lakers 3 peat though it was unlikely they would would win 4 in a row lebron lost in first appearance in the finals with the heat
They had already lost in 2003 in the 2nd round so there was no chance to win 4 in a row.
@rizahawkeye5912 Interesting counterpoints. However, your argument assumes that the opposition is constant. It is not. The 2011 Mavs were great defensively, deeper and more experienced. You can say the same argument about the 2004 Lakers. Not very deep, but in contrast, they were more experienced than the Pistons. I still can't see why the explanation "Epic meltdown" is more viable than "Mavs defense adapted to their opponents". Team cohesion takes time, getting the suitable skill set with the supporting cast takes time. In 2012, the Heat got a better supporting cast, and their results improved.
@MrClebophd it also helped that they played a young, untested OKC in those finals.
Kobe's skills, style, and competitiveness is so inspiring. Within 10 years from being drafted, he managed to win 3 rings in 3 peat fashion, be the best player in the NBA as a shooting guard, all defensive team 7 year straight, all star team starter for 9 year straight, be the youngest player to start in an all star game while not being a starter as a Laker, dropped 81 pts in a game, outscored a team in 3 quarters, and the face of the league all in one team as a Laker in the tough western conference. When the world watched the 2008 Olympics, they knew who the guy was that Led them to a gold medal..KOBE
Kobe was not the best player in the league during the three peat, he wasn't even the best in his own team until year 9.
@johanholguin6576 I think he was the best player in 2004 when Shaq was out of shape. He hit the memorable 2 buzzer beaters in Portland, one to force OT and the other to win the game. But I'm with you, he was the best player in year 9. The following year, he scored 81 pts.
@JC-zk7rt
Bleacher report top 50 best NBA players all time
1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6. Shaquille O'Neal
7. Tim Duncan
14. Kobe Bryant
PPG: LeBron
RPG: LeBron
APG: LeBron
SPG: LeBron
BPG: LeBron
FG%: LeBron
3pt%: LeBron
FT%: Kobe
TS%: LeBron
PER: LeBron
WS/48: LeBron
VORP: LeBron
MVP's: LeBron
FMVP's: LeBron
Rings: Kobe (Best player on 2)
LeBron a better player then Kobe
Field goal%
LeBron 50.5%✔️
Kobe 44.7%
Points scored career
LeBron 37,062✔️
Kobe 33,643
Most missed shots in NBA history
1. Kobe Bryant 14,481
2. John Havlicek 13,417
3. Elvin Hayes 13,296
LeBron more points then Kobe
Kobe more missed shots then LeBron
Total 3pointers made
LeBron 2,140✔️
Kobe 1,827
Total Steals career
LeBron 2,136✔️
Kobe 1,944
Total Blocks career
LeBron 1,041✔️
Kobe 640
Defensive win shares
LeBron 75.59✔️
Kobe 50.66
Assists Leader
LeBron 1✔️
Kobe 0
Career highs
Kobe Bryant 28-46 fg and 7-13 3pt for 81 points vs Raptors 27-55 record
Career highs
LeBron James 22-33 fg and 8-10 3pt for 61 points vs Bobcats 43-39 record
Playoffs game winning buzzer beaters
LeBron 5✔️
Kobe 1
2010 NBA finals
Game 7
Lakers 83 Celtics 79
Kobe Bryant 6-24 fg and 0-6 3pt for 23 points
2013 NBA finals
Game 7
Heat 95 Spurs 88
LeBron James 12-23 fg and 5-10 3pt for 37 points
Pippen 6 rings > Kobe 5 rings so having more team awards rings dont mean better player
Shaquille O'Neal 3 finals mvps best player on Lakers 3peat and carried Kobe Bryant to 3 sidekick rings
2011 NBA playoffs
Mavericks 4 Lakers 0
Kobe got swept with home court advantage and favored to win series
LeBron 16-6 winning record owns Kobe in 22 career meetings
Kobe Bryant 44.7% fg only 32.9% 3pt and most missed shots in the NBA history isnt even top 10 player all time thats why Bleacher report has him #14
@terrystyles3486 You do know that average percentages has limitations. Instead of showing us the stats, why don't you tell us what your statistics means? Like why is Lebron so bad at free throws? It's just you, the ball, and the basket. It's been 19 years and he hasn't figured it out. Why do people call him LeFlop, LeAirball, LeBum, LeBrick, LeFraud, LeSweep, LeChoke, LeCrybaby? Hmm 🤔 Kobe brings the game of basketball to life with his skills, artistry, and competitiveness that inspired old school and new school ballers. Kobe was always in the more difficult Western conference. Even Shaq agreed that it was way easier to win in the East. Offense, Defense, & Competitiveness, Kobe over Lebron.
@JC-zk7rt
Most missed shots in NBA history
1. Kobe Bryant 14,481
2. John Havlicek 13,417
Points scored
LeBron 37,062✔️
Kobe 33,643
Field goal%
LeBron 50.5%✔️
Kobe 44.7%
LeBron more points then Kobe
Kobe more missed shots then LeBron
Only person with brick in they name is Kobrick Bryant with most missed shots in NBA history 14,481
Defensive win shares
LeBron 75.59✔️
Kobe 50.66
LeBron better offensively and defensively then Kobe
Bleacher report top 50 best NBA players all time
1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6. Shaquille O'Neal
7. Tim Duncan
14. Kobe Bryant
PPG: LeBron
RPG: LeBron
APG: LeBron
SPG: LeBron
BPG: LeBron
FG%: LeBron
3pt%: LeBron
FT%: Kobe
TS%: LeBron
PER: LeBron
WS/48: LeBron
VORP: LeBron
MVP's: LeBron
FMVP's: LeBron
Rings: Kobe (Best player on 2)
LeBron a better player then Kobe
Me and nick have the same 6 in order
Nobody ever wants to talk about the Olympics. When team USA was getting SMACKED until coach K went and got KOBE...
Nobody cares about Olympic basketball 🤣🤣 but I feel you on that definitely remember
The Olympics are a joke.
Who really watches Olympic basketball?
Jose Gomez they care when USA loses because they love being miserable
That’s a fact . Tim Duncan was on that 04 team that got spanked
When Kobe was on it
Instant Gold 😭😭💯
Kobe took more contested deep mid range shots than anyone especially at his time period . He shot a high percentage for someone always so heavily contested. Him shooting so many contested shots made him even more lethal in the playoffs . This is why numbers are bs unless you look at the advanced metrics to the type of shots they were compared to the rest of the nba . I think his effectiveness on tough shot making is ridiculously understated and it's disgusting that they just just look at raw number data . Just like when they said harden is the best isolation player of all time .
Nitpicking stats.
kobe the goat
Ur Words are Like those of the Quran!…💯💯💯
He took contested shots cuz he was a ballhog 😂😂😂
Thats also why he was so inefficient lol
You could see when Rick realised they got him by his reaction to the Kobe efficiency thing😂😂
Efficiency this, efficiency that....Kobe was efficient when it mattered the most and that's the NBA finals. Can't say the same for LeBron.
@Rich-km7pr Kobes 7 finals appearances: 23/5/5 on 41%
Kobes 4 finals when he wasn’t young and with prime shaq: 27/5/5 on 40%
Lebron 10 finals appearances: 28/10/8 on 48% including his young one🤷♂️
@AlwaysEwok Kobe 5 finals wins, 2 loses. LeBron a choking 4-6 Finals record. Took him basically a decade and a super team to win his 1st ring.🤷🏾♂
That figure skating analogy was perfect for people who run from stats 😂😂😂
Once you dominate for 10+ years, no one should have a longevity argument over you. It should be just apex and consistency. To me, that's why the Duncan/Kobe debate is so close. Kobe clearly has the higher apex but Duncan was constantly impacting his teams success more (Spurs never had a drop-off)
Well said, I understand if someone’s says Kobe peak is better. But I refuse to accept when someone says Kobe’s career was better. It’s simply not true. The Spurs never had a drop-off because Duncan had every positive intangible you can wish for in a star player. The Lakers had a drop-off partly because of Kobe’s immaturity and selfishness. Other things contributed but Kobe wasn’t innocent at all.
Duncan never had players as scrubby as Kwame Brown and Smush Parker
@Cheif_Espada Duncan never had a player of the caliber of Shaq either.
@michaelmaccrazy That’s cute. He started his career with David Robinson. They won a title in 1999
@Cheif_Espada That's cute. David Robinson wasnt the player that he was before the broken foot either.
I like how the list is the past 50 years. It's always hard to rank guys like Russell and Chamberlain alongside guys like MJ, Kareem, Magic, LeBron, Bird, Kobe, Shaq, Duncan, etc.
As far as Nick's ranking, it's all subjective. Everyone has their own list. I think Jordan, Kareem, LeBron, and Magic have to be the top 4 no matter what. Then it's Duncan, Shaq, Bird, Kobe in whatever order.
Well said!
100% agree with u. However I would have wilt over Shaq.
@BANEXVORTEX he literally just said wilt isnt included 🤦🏻
@BANEXVORTEX wilt isn’t in the past 50 years lol
I have Duncan ahead of Magic and Lebron. Duncan's defense and leadership ability, consistency and skill is so underrated because he was so boring to watch. Kobe, Lebron and Magic are showtime. They play amazing, they can do incredible things, but they were not as skillful or as great as Tim Duncan. Magic had Kareem his whole career, and that made him look better. Lebron is great but his career is tainted with all his super teams.
I love we how touch on Kobe's shooting % and efficiency when we forget how many possessions Kobe had to throw up end of shot clock prayers bc he had teammates doing nothing with the ball. Off-ball movement was lacking, Kobe knew it and more than often had to throw up double team Think about how much you hate it when a co-worker doesn't pull his weight. How frustrating that is. How many teammate interviews where they state " I would just be "stuck" watching Kobe". That's how great the man was.
Complete lies, he played in the triangle, if dudes didn’t move they’d be benched
Kobe routinely refused to pass to the open man
Not only that.
The triangle is sculptured for a big in the post but in the last 5-7 sec for a guard with INTANGIBLE GREATNESS such as MJ and Kobe.
For that u need Clutch gene and guts to create ur own shot at the HIGHEST LEVEL.
You don't even see Rick anymore with how bad his take was lmao 🤣
This was, objectively, one of Nick's best takes. Hate him or not, but Nick roasted Rick B.
He cooked him foreal
Bec he talked 50% of the time and Father Brousaard 30% so there u go.
It's the Nick fake Show!
ABSOLUTELY FALSE‼️
I guess we watched a different episode because I saw Nick talk over Rick pretty much the entire time. But I can see why most people would think that's dominating a conversation because there are a lot of morons out there that think he who shouts the loudest wins. Derp.
I think Rick beat nick wright's argument he took him to school what you talking bout fool facts.
No idea how Ric's logic works...can't seem to make up his mind.
Ric “Duncan was in a well run organisation with a great coach”
Spurs are in the lottery with the same coach atm….
Pop admits all the time that Duncan is the reason the Spurs success not him.
Because Kawhi left clown
They won 67 games with Duncan averaging 8 points in 2016.
They won 61 games after Duncan retired.
All this information is public.
Duncan is a system player.
@brandonlee1947 thank you for being honest bro lol
Whats really upsetting about what sports media is doing to Tim is how theyre starting to overrate him to spite Kobe for the sake of bolstering Lebron’s optics and Tim doesnt deserve this because he was a great player but theyre making it annoying to even discuss him because theyre using him as a pawn. Everyone knows that Tim isnt on Kobe’s level...i wish they would stop lying and leave him alone.
Love this convo
Shocking the way they downplay how good Pau Gasol was, particularly in 2010.
LOL 😂🤣😂
Nobody disagrees Pau was a great player. But what people do forget is that before we got Gasol, we already had one of the best records in the league. And that was with essentially the same supporting cast, only key changes were the addition of Fisher and Bynum getting more playing time over Kwame. It was only when Bynum was injured that we traded for Gasol and the rest is history. I ask you this who is downplayed more Gasol or Bosh? In my opinion Bosh was in every way just as great as Gasol, and Lebron had that level of player as a third option.
@chito4 Bosh was definitely better than Gasol. Bosh was the leader on the raptor team.
@chito4 Bosh was better than Gasol bro and that was the sentiment that everyone had at the time. Bosh is a better shooter all around, faster, more athletic and a better defender.
Ppl downplay Bosh essentially to bolster the optics of Lebron...
Well except Kobe and Gasol that Lakers team was nothing exceptional...Pieces just worked together
The argument Ric made on Kobe's behalf vs Duncan is the same thing you can say about Lebron vs Kobe....This man said Kobe didn't have that nucleus of a good organization and good coaching and that's why he puts Kobe ahead of Duncan smh
Lebron haters ALWAYS contradict themselves
Lebron ran from competition
@amenx Translation "LeBron refused to go solo vs 3 Hof so he teamed up 2"
Lebrons a coach killer and he colludes to create super teams...Spo is a HOF coach w or without Bron btw and Bron wanted him fired lol.
BronTardds are the most delusional, hypocritical sports fans of all time. And i say “sports fans” VERRYYYYY loosely...
I love how nobody mentions that Kobe Bryant was playing with a broken or dislocated something in his hand shoulder or feet like every season he was hurt and that was one of the reasons he was so he didn’t shoot the ball effectively 1 season he was playing what a finger splint ON HIS SHOOTING HAND I dare you to go outside and play with a finger splint on your middle finger on your shooting hand and see how that works out for you
No excuses he chose to play
@charlescooks9360 exactly
@charlescooks9360 not an excuse but fact and Kobe has a better finals record and more rings than lebron more defensive teams lebron played in a easier conference his whole career played with more hall of famers and the spurs were never a threat to Kobe seeing Kobe is 7-0 in the western conference finals
What about Allen Iverson? His own is worse.
@thefray8910 Lebron grades higher than kobe no disrespect
I love when Rick Beuker is on the show. Always keeps it real
At least spell his name properly lol
Who beat more 50+ win teams in the playoffs than Kobe, made more three pointers in a game, scored more points in a game, and also made more than 12 all defensive teams, 🤔 please inform me
All of those things are reason Kobe is top 8 all time
Huh??? More 3s in a game?? Didn’t Klay Steph and jr smith all shoot as many and more 3s in a game?? Beat 50 win teams?? So he beat teams that did good in the regular season?? That’s what you are supposed to do in the playoffs and he did some of that with Shaq. Kobe’s an animal but those were bad examples. His first team all defenses over Lebron or the stretch where he was asked to pass and averaged a double double the last 3 months of the season was fire. He could do more but chose to be the player he was. Cerebral and defended any star player from Jordan to Bron to Durant to Steph.
Kobe went to less finals because he played in the West which was notoriously more difficult than the East
@fabianmarshall4120 Yes, but he played and beat more 50-win teams than anyone in NBA history. The only player that really comes close is Jordan. LeBron is approaching, but is still behind.
That's not something you just brush off as insignificant. People always say Kobe had Shaq (not vice versa) and forgets that he did all of that with Pau Gasol as the next best teammate from 2008-2010 playoffs. He played more 50-win teams in that span than Magic did in his entire 13 year career. That obviously meant that Kobe repeatedly faced the most consistently competitive teams thoroughout his career.
As great as Magic, Kareem, LeBron, etc were/are, they didn't face nearly as many competitive teams consistently. It was times they only faced one 50-win team throughout the entire conference playoffs run and another in the Finals.
@atlien1988 it’s decent to do that I never said brushed it off it’s just the most minimum way to talk about the greatness of Kobe. 50 win team in 09-10 when Lebron was by himself the heat had fell off from their chip and it was only laker Celtics and spurs vying for anything. By most 50 win teams what do you mean?? In a run to the finals or over some years?? In one run impressive but that’s 1 run not enough. You’re on another post debating Kobe with me and I’m defending his shot taking on there saying he was by himself so you just want to argue
Look at the 01 02 and 08 series between lakers and spurs Kobe was the best player on the court including shaq
Because of Shaq dominance and able to draw double and even triple team means Kobe and rest of the lakers were able to do whatever they want.
One thing these analysts don’t tell you is that the finals series during the Lakers 3 peat that they played against cake walk eastern conference teams that really couldn’t deal with Shaq.. the series against Portland & the series against Sacramento.. which were way better opponents than the Nets & 76ers & Pacers ..The Mamba brought those series’ home 🐍
Exactly like how the narrative was Shaq couldn't win the big game. We all just forgot huh lol. First ship, Portland series game 7 the unstoppable Shaq had 18 pts, while a young 21 killer said I got yall and lead one of the best comebacks and play off history. If kobe wouldn't of done that we wouldn't of even went to the finals.
Rich Buker must forgot kobe played with shaq
The only people I have above Kobe on my list are MJ, Kareem and possibly LeBron or Magic but never Duncan
Funny 😅
Remember when a lot of these guys had Kobe at around 8-12 before he passed away?
Exactly how did he move up?
he should've never been that low in the first place@adamcanada7121
The hate for LeBron is real 😂😂😂
Yes bec PLAYERS and MAJORITY of fans knows that he CHEATED the game like no other player EVER in NBA HISTORY!
It's puppet masters such as Nick and Shannon after that 2016 title made that even worse by implying fake created narratives to fit the Lebron agenda and Lebron hasn't either helped himself out with them delusional statements throughout the years!
@Mercurial. prime example 😂😂😂😂
😂 That Ric Guy is nuts
No one ever mentions that Kobe has the most all defense selections among guards in the history of the NBA
Amongst literally everyone
too bad pf/c >>>>>>>>guards defensively
while guards can make all defense just for being on top seed team
@Coldskin1 I disagree, to an extent. I think overall yes Centers tend to be more valuable on the defensive end than guards, but there are those anomalies like Jordan, Pippen, Kobe, D Wade, that in my opinion were just as effective defensively as many great Centers.
@martyg2333 facts, look at what kawhi did during his 4 year peak, or what gary payton accomplished during his finals run. They were game changing
@pootypotputt no one talks about them because he shouldnt have won like half of them.
Buchers facial expressions while getting owned had me tilted. Violence with my coffee this morning
Owned by who???
I must correct myself. I said it wasn’t educational. But I did learn one thing from Rick. In sport you use the numbers as facts so you can measure success. Rick argument is that you should ignore the stats and go by who you like more. This one is gold. The ridiculousness is reaching unbelievable heights 😂😂😂😂
Kobe's defense never gets talked about enough
Ppl forget Kobe ties the record with 9x all nba defensive team... and ppl act like that's nothing
Facts, u dont make all defense if your defense overrated
they don't which is why he is top 10 all time
Bcoz casuals dont care about Defense bro. And that's facts
basketball, like all sports, is a pleasure principle. which means (and this is what I think rick is trying to say) it's entirely subjective and that we're dealing with feelings not facts. we're talking about the all-time greats. the difference between them is miniscule. there is no definitive number or stat that says one is better than another. rick says he saw them all play and that in his opinion Kobe was the best. I can accept that
Yes these lists are always subjective, it’s just that having Kobe that high is a very unpopular opinion and is a bit shocking to most NBA fans but I can also respect Ric’s opinion
" if I want to have fun playing the gm in picking Lebron...... if I want to win championships I'm picking Kobe" - Larry Bird
All time greats can have horrible takes as well, they're still human. 🤷🏾♂
The second greatest Celtic of all time has bron ranked 2nd all time behind MJ….
@AS-lx8jc bad take. Lebron is better
How long ago was this quote?
It's a recent quote.... made in 2020. The majority of the players rank kobe above Lebron. It's mostly the media and the casual fans from the younger generation that rank otherwise. Larry's actual quote was "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."
Game winners don’t only come down to buzzers beaters 😂😂😂
Honestly probably the highest nicks ever ranked Kobe. I think as time goes on and people see these talented players lacking that will Kobe had is why he’s moving up. By no means does Kobe have the stats but his will to win almost unmatched. Also his journey was pretty unique and difficult. Not too many guys even play 2 50 win teams in a playoff run. Kobe had 3 runs the lakers played a 50 win team from the first round to the finals! At the end of the day legendary in his own way no doubt
No he’s ranked the same
8th as always. It’s bc bill and wilt on the list since it’s just past 50 years lol.
He’s probably being generous about Kobe because the Mamba mob would be coming with pitchforks 😂
@michaelmaccrazy we run deep! 😂
@CatchEmCardsCo 😂, I respect the loyalty. I’m sorry to say this, but Ric Bucher got DESTROYED on this segment.
Don't forget Kobe played with um oh yea SHAQ!!!
Ric basically tears the spurs for being a great team and having multiple reliable pieces but then makes it seem like Kobe 3 peated and went back to back by himself 😂😂😂😂😂 WHAT?!
Not by himself, but with significantly less help than any other all time great that has won back to back championships. And with less help than one lebron for example, has ever had when he won.
@TyreG18 Having a Shaq at his peak is arguably the best thing you can get
@phoenixplayz1581 Kid… he went to 3 straight finals without shaq, with his best help being gasol 😹 stop it!
@BadFish-ec8cr I mean... Gasol is widely considered one of the greats at his position for his era, a shoe in for the HoF and made all star teams every year he won a title with the lakers... Of course he wasn't Shaq, but if you mean that Gasol was of minimal help, I want what you are smoking.
@BadFish-ec8cr gasoline averaged 25pts 10 Reba n 4 assist one of the best passing big men of all time one of the best skilled big men of all time a six man of the year in Odom and Bynum was a very talented center who they got in the top 10 of the draft with other good role players they had the best front court in the league lol
I agree with Nick on this one. Tim Duncan wasn't in the Spurs system. He WAS the system
I don’t like that argument either. Why bring others down to elevate others? Spurs were a great dynasty. Manu and Parker played a huge role in that as well, their stats don’t do them justice but if you watched them play you knew just how valuable they were to those championship teams.
Playing with hall of famers his entire career would be easier
@1YpsiBoi he made them HoFers bub 🥱
@thisisnotmyname8766 yeah they were, but you aint building a roster around a Parker or Ginobili
They aren't anyone's #40 pick on any mock draft
They're basically ringless journeymen without Timmy and Pop.
They're like Draymond but better. Yeah it was nice having them, but they weren't irreplaceable
The Spurs system had 67 wins in 2016 relying on a young Kawhi’s two-way play and decent contributions from the others. They were starters except for Manu, but nothing more. Kawhi had yet to make his huge leap and become a superstar (2017, 2019). They still made the playoffs when Kawhi left with virtually no star talent. The Spurs system was a real thing whether you like it or not
12:05 sums it up perfectly. Cant argue with a person like that. Disqualifies every quantifyable thing.
Kobe had an arsenal of moves and shots, and was guarding your best player. One vs One, Kobe wins! Magic said Kobe is the best Laker. Shaq said it too! LeBron was interviewed saying Kobe was better than him. Kobe killed the Spurs almost every time they played against each other. Not to mention these guys saying Kobe Goat...
Iverson
McGrady
Billups
Bleacher report top 50 best NBA players all time
1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6. Shaquille O'Neal
7. Tim Duncan
14. Kobe Bryant
PPG: LeBron
RPG: LeBron
APG: LeBron
SPG: LeBron
BPG: LeBron
FG%: LeBron
3pt%: LeBron
FT%: Kobe
TS%: LeBron
PER: LeBron
WS/48: LeBron
VORP: LeBron
MVP's: LeBron
FMVP's: LeBron
Rings: Kobe (Best player on 2)
LeBron a better player then Kobe
Field goal%
LeBron 50.5%✔️
Kobe 44.7%
Points scored career
LeBron 37,062✔️
Kobe 33,643
Most missed shots in NBA history
1. Kobe Bryant 14,481
2. John Havlicek 13,417
3. Elvin Hayes 13,296
LeBron more points then Kobe
Kobe more missed shots then LeBron
Total 3pointers made
LeBron 2,140✔️
Kobe 1,827
Total Steals career
LeBron 2,136✔️
Kobe 1,944
Total Blocks career
LeBron 1,041✔️
Kobe 640
Defensive win shares
LeBron 75.59✔️
Kobe 50.66
Assists Leader
LeBron 1✔️
Kobe 0
Career highs
Kobe Bryant 28-46 fg and 7-13 3pt for 81 points vs Raptors 27-55 record
Career highs
LeBron James 22-33 fg and 8-10 3pt for 61 points vs Bobcats 43-39 record
Playoffs game winning buzzer beaters
LeBron 5✔️
Kobe 1
2010 NBA finals
Game 7
Lakers 83 Celtics 79
Kobe Bryant 6-24 fg and 0-6 3pt for 23 points
2013 NBA finals
Game 7
Heat 95 Spurs 88
LeBron James 12-23 fg and 5-10 3pt for 37 points
Pippen 6 rings > Kobe 5 rings so having more team awards rings dont mean better player
Shaquille O'Neal 3 finals mvps best player on Lakers 3peat and carried Kobe Bryant to 3 sidekick rings
2011 NBA playoffs
Mavericks 4 Lakers 0
Kobe got swept with home court advantage and favored to win series
LeBron 16-6 winning record owns Kobe in 22 career meetings
Kobe Bryant 44.7% fg only 32.9% 3pt and most missed shots in the NBA history isnt even top 10 player all time thats why Bleacher report has him #14
Rick got destroyed here. His only argument for Kobe was that he "saw him play" which literally everyone did
Well if you saw him play you would know his impact on winning went beyond numbers
@cluezybluez Nobody is saying his impact doesn't go beyond the numbers. I'm just pointing out how bad Rick's "I saw him play" argument was
Nick: We dont use Numbers and Intangibles, what do we use?
Rik: Feelings
🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂
Context
Honestly they all made a point, its just that they all have different criteria on how they would rank each great players
kobes efficiency from 2013 until 2016 was bad cause of all the injurys he had...now in 2022 nobody cares if he was injured and had many low scoring games in his way coming back.but in 2013 he was almost done... his career was over.. nobody cares today..they look on his overall career stats..put his 2013-2016 stats in a mix with his prime days and end of the story..
He was never efficient tho, his best season in terms of efficiencywould be an okay level. There wasn't even ONE season were he reached 47% from the field, efficient scorers like MJ, KD, Steph, Bron, even Magic, Bird etc, all average more than 47% from the field FOR THEIR CAREERS. He just shot a bunch of shots so of course he's gonna make a lot of points, it's kinda like the Harden situation back kn Houston, only that Harden was ALSO more efficient from 3 and the freethrow line.
@angelaquino6755 His TS% was above league average for his time
@angelaquino6755 facts
@DonkeyKong5479 that TS% sh*t is very flawed. Kobe was never efficient, he was easily a top 10 player in my eyes so I’m only nitpicking because we’re comparing him to LeBron and Tim Duncan but the fact that they were so much more efficient makes it easier to be competitive with lesser talent. It’s part of the reason Lebron Lost Kyrie in 2018 and took the Cavs right back to the finals like nothing ever happened lol you think Kobe is taking Jordan Clarkson & Larry nance and the gang to the finals after the team trades for them at the all star break? Kobe was a monster but all the constant critiquing of Bron has really warped peoples minds.
@DonkeyKong5479 "above league average" isn't good enough for somebody that people are trying to rank top 5.
Kobe’s back to back championships cemented his GOAT level status
No, he's nowhere near GOAT. That's between MJ, LJ, and maybe Magic. Kobe is not even in the discussion.
@alankoslowski9473 To u maybe. Why Lebron is in the conversation. Lebron won all his his championship with a top ten player next to him. As for Kobe his last 2 championship was not with a top 10 player.
@malusintsele2552 LJ did way more to elevate his entire team. While they didn't win, in 2007 and 2015 he carried a Cavs team of scrubs to the Finals (2015 Irving and Love were both injured).
After Shaq left the Lakers were terrible for a few seasons until they got Gasol and Odom. Odom was a very good and Gasol was one of the best Centers in the league. Not all time greats, but very good players.
Overall Kobe might have been a better shooter, but LJ is better at everything else: passing, rebounding, and defense. Kobe is the 2nd best shooting guard behind MJ while LJ is the best small forward ever. Kobe is great, but not in the GOAT discussion.
@malusintsele2552 that laker team was deep. Pau Gasol was considered the best scoring big in the game Bynum was the best pure center in the game . Odum was a 6,10” wing . Ron Artest the best defensive player in the game . Derek fisher smart defensive player and hit big shots and Kobe and others that came off the bench that was ready . Kobe was the leader of that team but he had lots of help
@youngfire9361 Look don't try to make these players more than what they were. Bynum was not Boogie cousins at his prime. There were decent players to say there were deep that is a stretch. You can replace all of them except Kobe. Without Kobe that team could not be mentioned in WCF let alone a championship. They are NBA players after all but at the end this right here!!!! was all Kobe.
Broussard: Kobe shot 44% for his career and never shot over 47% for a season with Shaq drawing doubles.
Nick: shaq scored 36 a game on 60% shooting for those finals
Rick: oh you guys and numbers
Lmao what a joke, all Rick cares about are his feelings about these players. He doesn’t like lebron so he isn’t top 5, he does like Kobe so he’s easily top 5.
That’s what people say wen the numbers don’t support there argument. Some debates are opinion based but we know who’s better immediately wen we compare certain players. The only thing that’s objective is what you like personally
Ric had to pull that card because he knows he’s having his emotional and subjective argument absolutely dumped on
Kobe was being double teamed!!!! What wtf!!!
Shaq and Lebron lived in the paint so of course their percentages are higher. Steph is at 47 percent for his career and we calling him the greatest shooter of all time. See how numbers can be deceiving.
To be fair that's how most if not all people structure thier lists, then they use numbers to try justify their points. If it's too much of a stretch they let it go.
Bro who cares? Y’all talk about top 10 list every year
Who cares at this point? People are going have a different list
Part of Kobe’s inefficiencies came bc he always played with a traditional big clogging the paint.. unlike Lebron..who always had a big that could shoot the 3.. going all the way back to big Z. todays game is more about spacing. If you think Kobe couldn’t be more efficient, you’re fooling yourself.. & since we talking about efficiency, I’m sure Kobe makes up with his FG percentage from the field at the free throw line. I’m not a Lebron hater but analysts like Nick Wright never use their own criteria against Lebron
Basically Ric is saying his argument is subjective and Kobe is ahead of bron and Duncan only cuz he said so lol
because he likes flashy players and duncan is boring to watch that's how he rank players.
Kobe 4-2 vs Duncan in the playoffs
Ric "I've got squirrels in my brain" Bucher
Nick just roasted the man in the middle with facts.
Nobody is devaluing Kobe in the 3peat but when you have a teammate that averaged 37,17, and 7 you are the 2nd banana. Also people call Kobe so clutch, he would take the shot…every time but he missed more go ahead shots than anyone.
He's played 20 years. Thats why hes missed the most. How is that hard to understand 🤔
Plus he had several down years.
@christiannieto9827 lebron also is gonna play 20 years and is considered un clutch but he has less misses than Kobe
You're just talking about those Finals runs. They would've never made it to the Finals without Kobe averaging 30+ & running through The Spurs, Kings, Trailblazers, etc; KOBE dominated & closed those series at 21, 22, 23 years of age.
@travisblair3189 just stop bro it don't even matter when people already got they mind made up......they can't even name any center shaq went up against in the finals without Google cause they was all BUMS
That 2010 and 2011 laker team don’t get enough credit. They was deep
Lmao
@tylernolan4069 u disagree
@youngfire9361 I do. I think they played good team ball, but on paper it was an average team IMO, especially at the guard position.
@tylernolan4069 Pau Gasol was the best offensive PF in the post at that time. Andrew Bynum was the 2nd best pure center. D. Fisher was a smart defensive not afraid to take big clutch shots. Lamar Odum 6’10”was basically a poor man’s Kevin Durant . Ron Artest best defensive wing in the game . Remember Artest shut down Pierce in the finals and Artest could get buckets
@youngfire9361 Disagree. Chris Bosh, Amare, Dirk, Blake Griffin, I mean Lamarcus Aldridge got you 22 and 9 that year. Dwight Howard. To call that Lakers team "deep," I have issue with. Their 3rd most productive player was Bynum, and he got you 9 and 7 in the post-season. They played good-team ball, like the 2011 mavs team.
This dude HATES LeBron lol he’s Skip jr