Kobe Bryant has been an inspiration for many generations of players in the league, and many believe he is the GOAT over others. The GOAT debate in the NBA has been going on for decades now, and there is not one list that everybody agrees to.
Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, people have different names at the top of their lists. When it comes to ranking the GOATs, a lot of factors come into play and not one yardstick could be taken as the decisive factor for ending the debate. The era of basketball, the longevity, the years of dominance, rings, the skillset to elevate when it mattered the most, everything is considered to crown a player as the GOAT.
A recent video of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander giving his opinion on the GOAT debate on Tiktok went viral on the internet. Shai was heard saying, “Kobe is Michael Jordan. Just on steroids.” However, the kid in conversation with Alexander wasn’t satisfied. When the kid tried telling Alexander that he [Shai] was talking about skills, not the best player, Shai replied, “Kobe has five rings, what’s your argument!” Shai further added that Kobe was the greatest when it comes to all-round.
Kobe had everything similar to Jordan’s game, even his style, but as many consider Bryant had more skills than Jordan. He had perhaps the best footwork in NBA history, better mid-range than anyone, and had the heart of a lion. Bryant wanted to transcend his own skills with his hard work and had a work ethic that still amazes NBA players. The video of ‘Black Mamba’ walking off the court after he tore his Achilles tendon is still legendary.
