Many people often debate about where LeBron James ranks when it comes to the all-time lists. Some believe he belongs right at the top, while others think he is just behind Jordan, and there are those who believe that he doesn’t belong in the top-5 and even the top-10.
One former player who is conflicted about James’ spot in the all-time rankings is Jalen Rose. Rose spoke recently, during his appearance on ‘All The Smoke’ with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, about LeBron James, and how he stacks up against the likes of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.
Rose believes that Kobe Bryant is the closest thing to Michael Jordan, in his style of play, general body language, and mentality. And as much respect he has for LeBron James and considers him an all-time great player, he cannot bring himself to put LeBron ahead of Kobe and alongside Michael Jordan (49:52 mark).
“For me to watch him from like ’96, when he wasn’t even appreciated by his own teammates to being in that moment where Shaq ended up running the first 46 minutes of the game, and he ended up being the last 2. And that’s why I started calling him like the remix of MJ. Because to me, he looks like MJ, he sounds like MJ, he moves like MJ, he’s the next best thing! I love Bron, and I know Bron is there every time we do a top-5 list. But every time I do a list, I ask myself, why would I put Bron over Kobe?”
There are many people who debate LeBron’s legacy and position compared to that of Kobe Bryant.
Some believe that Kobe ranks above LeBron James because of his advantage when it comes to the championship wins. Even several current and former NBA players have picked Kobe over LeBron. Whereas others feel that LeBron has been better, citing the argument that he was always the primary star in his team during his entire career.
Regardless of the opinions, one thing is undeniable; Jordan, Kobe, and LeBron are three of the most iconic stars the NBA has ever seen or will ever see. And their legacies are solidified, beyond the reach of any other star in the league.
