The NBA’s GOAT debate has nowadays come down to Michael Jordan and LeBron James, but ask current and former players, and another name often pops up. That would, of course, be the late great Kobe Bryant, and Houston Rockets guard Bogdan Bogdanovic called him his GOAT during an interview with Makeshift Hoops.
Michael Venezia: “Who is one three-point shooter that you’ve tried to model your game after?”
Bogdan Bogdanovic: “Kobe Bryant.”
Venezia: “Kobe Bryant. Is that your GOAT?”
Bogdanovic: “That’s my GOAT.”
Venezia: “Okay, now if it wasn’t Kobe Bryant, who would be the second-best player of all time?”
Bogdanovic: “[Michael] Jordan.”
Venezia: “Jordan, okay. And where does [Nikola] Jokic rank on that all-time list? I know you guys are pretty close.”
Bogdanovic: “Top five.”
Interviewer Michael Venezia asked Bogdanovic if he could share the rest of his top five, but he hilariously refused. So, Bryant is the 33-year-old’s pick for the greatest player, Jordan is second, and Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic occupies one of the next three spots.
Bryant won five titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, and two scoring titles in his career. The likes of Stephen A. Smith believe he has no argument for the GOAT title, but he made a huge impact on an entire generation of players.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves has called Bryant his GOAT. Reaves grew up a Lakers fan and idolized him. Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks did not grow up supporting the Lakers, but he has Bryant as his GOAT as well.
Brooks thinks it is between Bryant and Jordan for the title of most unguardable player of all time. If we just go by the numbers, it’s Mike.
Jordan won six titles, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, one DPOY, and 10 scoring titles. He struck fear into the hearts of defenders in a way few others have.
As for the only other pick from Bogdanovic we know of, he was obviously being a bit biased when he picked Jokic. They are both Serbians and have played together for the national team.
Jokic does have a great resume, though, with one title, one Finals MVP, three MVPs, one rebounding title, and one assists title. The 31-year-old will need to win quite a few more titles to get into these top five conversations.
Jokic is probably in the 15 to 20 range at this point. With the direction the Nuggets are going in, the eight-time All-Star’s chances of winning more titles and climbing further up seem slim.
As for Bogdanovic, he hasn’t won a championship yet. He spent the 2025-26 season with the Los Angeles Clippers and averaged 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game.
It was Bogdanovic’s worst season in the NBA, as he missed time with injury and found himself out of the rotation. You wondered for a while if this might be it for him in the NBA, but the Rockets signed him to a one-year deal in free agency. They need shooters, and Bogdanovic has shot 38.1% from beyond the arc in his nine-year NBA career. Here’s hoping he is able to rebound after a tough spell.
