Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant are three of the greatest players to have ever played in the NBA. They have won a combined 15 NBA championships, 10 MVPs, and countless other accolades, which would take hours to list down at this point.
The three have been compared to each other on countless occasions, with their fans vehemently claiming that their favorite is the greatest of the lot. MJ himself was once asked in 2013 to pick between Kobe and LeBron, and while Jordan had high praise for both, he pointed out one area where the Black Mamba was well clear of the King.
“In terms of dominance of the game of basketball at this stage, it’s LeBron. Championship-wise, it’s Kobe Bryant. He wants it so bad, he’s willing to go to the extreme. Guarding a guy, guarding the point guards at age 34, and playing 38 minutes, 40 minutes — that’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 but five beats one.”
Championships were the be-all and end-all for Jordan and back in 2013, Kobe had 5 championships, while LeBron had only 1. That was enough for Mike to put Bryant over him, but things have changed a lot since. LeBron would go on to win his second title later that year and, as things stand today, he has 4 championships to his name.
Most people now would go with LeBron over Kobe and the GOAT debate usually now involves Jordan and LeBron. It is a hotly contested topic these days and another candidate for that title is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had a hilarious response when he was recently asked to pick the GOAT. These debates will rage on till the end of time and we should try to just appreciate these guys as long as they are around.
