Stephen A. Smith can be a very opinionated individual. And his latest comments about Kobe Bryant are sure to spark discourse. Speaking on Gil’s Arena, he noted that Kobe Bryant isn’t in his GOAT race, simply because he wasn’t able to be the best at his position of shooting guard, ranking second behind Michael Jordan, whom he considered the best to ever do it.
“He’s not my GOAT because he’s number two as an off-guard. He didn’t eclipse Jordan. So, because he didn’t eclipse Jordan, he’s number two. Because we are making the argument about LeBron in terms of his versatility, being a guy that can play four different positions, being a point forward…”
“We have him on the Mount Rushmore. Nobody’s resume supersedes that of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, outside of Bill Russell. But we know that Bill Russell wasn’t Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as a talent…”
“LeBron’s resume and what he’s been able to do with his versatility, I look at Kobe – even though I would rather have Kobe in tight situations, my attitude was; Kobe is number two at off guard so automatically I didn’t think about him as the GOAT.”
When asked by other members of the panel whether Kobe at least makes the top five list of the greatest players of all time, Stephen A. noted that while Kobe has a chance, he does think some other players could also make it onto the list ahead of him like LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, and a few others.
“I said he might be in the top five. The only reason I say not top five [definitively] is because we’re talking about Kareem. Some people say Tim Duncan is the best power forward ever… You’re including all of those names. When you talk about the off-guard position, I think it’s MJ, and then it’s Kobe…”
Another panelist asked Stephen A. Smith how Kobe Bryant’s impact on the game, what he meant to the sport of basketball and the fans isn’t taken into consideration when talking about his place in the GOAT debate. Smith noted that Kobe himself wouldn’t want his legacy off the court to be considered and would have wanted to be evaluated on the merit of his game.
“That’s where we let emotions get into the mix. We all miss the Black Mamba. You know what Kobe meant to all of us… You ain’t lying when you talk about what Kobe believes. Kobe wouldn’t bring up legacy off the court. He would leave that to others. That sh*t speaks for itself. He believes, just strictly talking about his game, that he was MJ. He believes that.”
Bryant was a mercurial superstar who won five NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, a regular season MVP, two scoring titles, and got named to 18 All-Star teams, 15 All-NBA teams, and 12 All-Defensive teams. While his accolades are incredible, Stephen A. is correct in that Bryant can’t be considered the GOAT if he wasn’t even the best at his own position.
Of course, people are allowed to like and endorse whatever player they like. But Bryant, for as incredible as he was, never eclipsed or even equaled Michael Jordan in stature, accolades, or performances. As such, he can’t be in the GOAT conversation.
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