When ESPN released its list of the top 10 players of All-Time, Kobe Bryant was ranked 9th.
To many in the NBA community, the idea of Kobe being so low was borderline blasphemy. As a 5x Champion, 18x All-Star, 12x All-Defensive Player, and the NBA’s fourth all-time leading scorer, Kobe Bean Bryant achieved much over the course of his 20-year career.
But on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith explained why that ranking was right.
Listen, God rest his soul, when Kobe was alive he and I talked about this. I didn’t even consider him top five, I definitely consider the top 10, but not top five. But here’s the ultimate indictment: any time you think of Kobe Bryant you think of Michael Jordan and how he came behind Michael Jordan. And so, as a result, you have somebody that plays the position that is clearly in front of him. And I think ultimately what will forever be held against Kobe Bryant was that he separated from Shaquille O’Neal. All of that plays into it because instead of five titles, he might have had seven or eight titles had they stayed together. People look at that and they say that comes into the equation as well. Sure you proved that you could win without Shaq but you could have been on the floor doing your thing but also you two (both you and Shaq) could have worked better together as teammates and made sure that you kept that bond tight and together as opposed to severing it. I think that gets held against Kobe and that’s why he falls out of the top five.
It’s more than fair to think that Kobe’s split with Shaq cost him the opportunity to win more Championships. There was an eight-year gap between Bryant’s first two chips with Shaq and his final two with Gasol and Fisher. Had Shaq and Kobe state together, they could have easily won one or two more titles.
Of course, some would say that staying with Shaq could have started the argument that he carried Kobe. Going out to prove he could win without the superstar big man certainly helped dissuade that narrative.
Whatever the case, we’ll never know what would have happened had Kobe and Shaq stayed together. But what Kobe was able to do both with him and without him certainly speaks for itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTTWedyp37o
