After the last pieces of confetti were swept following the Chicago Bulls’ 1998 championship parade, and number 23 as we knew him was no more, a budding 21-year-old in Los Angeles approached the throne of the NBA, and the Kobe Bryant era was born.
It would only be two seasons until Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers would bring home an NBA title. In the years since, Bryant would go on to win another, and another, and another, and another. The Black Mamba would rack up an MVP award, 18 All-Star appearances, and a list of awards so long that it would require its own story. And not to mention, he did all of this playing against the likes of Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, and Steph Curry, all players whom have either cemented their places on fans’ Mount Rushmore of the NBA, or are still carving the stone.
Now that the 37-year-old Bryant will be shooting his final shots of his 20-year NBA career in just under 12 hours, the looming question will be asked. Where will Bryant rank all-time?
To even begin answering that question, we have to determine when exactly was the “Kobe Bryant Era.” We all know that Bill Russell ruled the 60’s, Oscar Robertson ushered in the early 70’s, Magic and Bird split the 80’s, and the 90’s was all about Jordan. We also know that the early 2000’s saw the rise of King James, and now it’s Curry who seems to be rising to the ranks of NBA elite. But when exactly was it all about Kobe?
Truth be told, Bryant has always had another player just a step ahead of him or behind him who has ascended to greatness. And perhaps, that could have been the best thing to happen to his legacy. Sure Jordan had some stiff competition in his day, and guys like James and Curry are playing some of the best athletes the NBA has seen today, but one thing separates Bryant from the rest. He played against ALL of them.
When debating about where Bryant ranks, there are a few obvious comparisons that everyone who knows anything about basketball will subject their thoughts to. Who wins between Bryan and Jordan? Bryant and James? Bryant and Magic?
Sure, one could dust off the old stats sheets and piece the conclusions together on paper, but how much justice does that do to any of the players mentioned? We could also resort to the old championship rings escape, but does that automatically mean guys like Iverson should not be in anyone’s top 10?
With five championship rings and over 33,000 points over a span of 20 years, Bryant has proven to be one of the most prolific scorers the game has ever seen. Add in the fact that he has hit around 30 game-winners, the value Bryant has brought to the Lakers is something most players today dream about achieving.
The numbers certainly do not lie, despite how important some people may regard them, but there is no doubt that it was him impact and sheer presence that helped him put on some of the greatest performances we have ever seen.
Total Sports Live’s Jovan Alford briefly spoke on his ranking of number 24:
“When you talk about Kobe Bryant and where he ranks all-time, he has to be in the top two, preferably behind Michael Jordan. Jordan in the 80’s and 90’s set the standard of what greatness is. Kobe Bryant is the only player since Jordan to reach that pinnacle of greatness with five rings.
No one will forget his 81-point performance against the Raptors or winning his fifth ring against the Celtics, which was Bryant’s toughest challenge. The Black Mamba is the game’s fiercest competitors and there will be no one else like him.”
Our own Jalil Phillips also weighs in:
“Kobe ranks in the top 10 all-time NBA players and it really isn’t that much of a discussion.
Kobe “Bean” Bryant has five rings, is regularly considered the closest thing to Michael Jordan to date, is in the top five in total points scored, and did so for a storied franchise. What more is there to say? Being compared to Jordan at all should warrant top consideration in standing among the NBA’s greatest if only because no one usually has much of a case to do so. There aren’t 10 players better than Kobe Bryant. Next question?”
And while many fans have no problem putting Bryant in their top five, there is one important person who doesn’t quite agree with the placement: Kobe Bryant. He spoke on his own ranking in a Good Morning America interview upon his retirement announcement:
“I would never put myself in the [all-time] starting five ever. I would put the people that I’ve actually learned the most from being [Michael] Jordan, Magic [Johnson], [Larry] Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Jerry West.”
At the end of the day, there’s no one right answer as to where Bryant ranks all-time, and that’s perfectly fine. We all know that he will hover up and down the top-fives of old-timers and millennials alike, but his placement will still fall short in defining the 20 great years he gave us.
While we all marvel over Bryant’s decorated career, Bryant has seemingly remained undeterred about what players before him or after him have done. When you hear stories of the amount of hours per day Bryant spends studying film or shooting jump shots, it becomes clear that Bryant’s only goal was to be the best Kobe Bryant he could be.
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