When Bleacher Report ranked Kobe Bryant 11th on its all-time NBA player list, it sparked immediate backlash, and Dwyane Wade wasn’t about to let it slide. Speaking on his WY Network show, the Hall of Famer made it clear: Kobe Bryant isn’t just a top-ten player. He’s top three. And anyone who shared the court with him knows exactly why.
“If you want to ask us hoopers who played against Kobe, all of us gonna talk top three,” Wade said. “We all gonna talk top three if you played against Mamba. But someone’s opinion that’s never played against Kobe, having him at 11, why am I up in arms about something like that? I remember when Kobe was alive, they had rankings when he played in the league…and Kobe addressed it, like ‘Who are these idiots?!’ And I’m not calling the person who did this an idiot…but when someone does something like that, Kobe was like, ‘This is idiotic to me.’”
Bryant recently came in 11th place on Bleacher Report’s All-Time players’ list. In a controversial decision, they put him behind guys like Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Stephen Curry. While it’s not an uncommon placement for Kobe, it was bad enough to earn the attention of Wade and NBA legends like Shaquille O’Neal, who called out the ranking in a post on X.
Now, it appears Wade is speaking out to remind the world just how special Kobe was, and why he belongs right behind Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the greatest players ever. As a 5x champion, 18x All-Star, 2x scoring leader, and former MVP, Bryant’s legacy is one of a kind, and his impact on the game is undeniable. Besides his fearless and confident approach to the game, he was also known for the ‘Mamba Mentality’ (His trademark mindset of obsession, discipline, and fearlessness) that helped him be the first one in and the last one to leave at team practices.
While his legacy may not have been as profound as Stephen Curry’s, his name is still popular today among young and older athletes alike. Additionally, Bryant played in a much more traditional era of NBA basketball, where three-pointers weren’t nearly as prevalent as we see today. Despite the physicality, he was able to thrive on both ends of the floor with career averages of 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game over 20 years.
Arguably, the biggest thing holding Kobe back is that he’s only got one MVP. Everybody else in the top 10 has at least multiple MVP trophies, but Kobe stands alone with just a single one to his name. Still, Kobe brought something to the court that stats can’t measure, and only those who played against it know how impactful it was.
When a Hall of Famer and Kobe’s close friend speaks so strongly, it reshapes the narrative. For players who, like Wade, shared courts with Kobe and endured his competitive spirit firsthand, the debate is settled: Kobe belongs in the top three. Rankings may vary, but his impact—and the respect of those who battled him—speak volumes.
