- The Lakers have had many all-time greats suit up for them
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James have all made their mark on NBA history
- Lakers fans debated on who to ‘start, bench, and cut’ between the trio in their prime
Over the years, a host of all-time greats have donned the Purple and Gold of the Los Angeles Lakers. They have all helped the Lakers become arguably the most successful team in NBA history.
LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are just three of the biggest names that have suited up for the Lakers, and their fans debated who to ‘start, bench, and cut’ between these three icons in their prime.
One had LeBron starting, Kareem on the bench, and Kobe cut based on their all-time ranking.
Start Bron (1-2 in GOAT conversation)
Bench Kareem (2-3 in GOAT conversation)
Cut Kobe (5-9 in GOAT conversation)
— JBond (@jbondwagon) August 5, 2023
One fan is cutting Kareem and claims Prime Kobe is the best scorer and defender here.
Prime Kobe is the Best Scorer and Best Defender. Start Kobe, Bench Lebron. Cap has to sit this one out. Hes the only player on this that needs the ball fed to him.
— MagicIsMyGoat (@kobewldvplayed) August 5, 2023
A Bryant fan cut him, as he feels LeBron and Kareem are greater than him.
Start bron he’s at least top 2 locked
Kareem is third so bench
And Kobe is MY GOAT but the other two are greater
— Lakers Fan (@wtfDylnn) August 6, 2023
A fan opted to cut LeBron as he only wants loyal players on his team.
start kobe bench kareem cut lebron. i want the most loyal players possible not team hoppers
— Aaron (@KobesPupil) August 5, 2023
One has Kobe starting, with LeBron settling for a spot on the bench and Kareem being cut.
https://twitter.com/HizAirness24/status/1687650144983162881
Fans were somewhat split here, but quite a few seemed to be of the opinion that Kobe should be the one getting cut.
Comparing The Primes Of LeBron, Kobe, And Kareem
It’s hard to pinpoint what would be the prime years for these three, as they were so good for so long. Still, let’s have a look at how they compare to each other when you consider their best five-year stretches.
For LeBron, his peak could be from the 2008-09 season to 2012-13. He won two titles, two Finals MVPs, and four MVPs in that time while averaging 27.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. He also made the All-Defensive First Team in all five seasons.
From the 1975-76 season to 1979-80, Kareem won three MVPs and a championship. He averaged 25.7 points, 13.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.6 blocks per game. Abdul-Jabbar also made one of the All-Defensive teams in all five seasons and led the league in Blocks thrice in that stretch. He led the league in rebounds once as well in 1976.
Lastly when we come to Kobe, his five-year stretch from 2005-06 to 2009-10 was quite impressive as well. He won two championships, two Finals MVPs, and an MVP in those years. He led the league in scoring twice and made the All-Defensive First Team in all five seasons. Kobe would end up averaging 29.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in those five seasons.
It’s a lot closer than you might think, as it isn’t an all-time ranking. Still, you might end up with the same conclusion, that Bryant is the one who would be cut at their primes.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
