All-time conversations are frequent in NBA circles due to how many greats have come into the league. In this recent era of stars, players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are two that have made an argument for themselves to considered in the upper echelon of talent.
Both obviously suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers during their respective careers and their resumes speak for themselves. James is a four-time champion and all-time leading scorer while Bryant is a five-time champ in his own right.
Points can be made for either side, but at the end of the day, both of them are elite top-10 all-time players. That is where Boston Celtics champion and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown sits as he named James and Bryant a part of his top-five favorite players, via House of Highlights:
Jaylen Brown gives PlaqueBoyMax his 5 favorite NBA players. 🔥 (@plaqueboymax)
– Kobe Bryant
– LeBron James
– Steph Curry
– Allen Iverson
– Tracy McGrady pic.twitter.com/C1IejqfIUo— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) August 8, 2025
Brown was able to witness the greatness of Bryant growing up and as he matured throughout his basketball journey. Arguably no athlete has had a bigger impact on today’s generation of athletes than Kobe and his mentality, which Brown obviously admired.
On the other hand, the Celtics star gets to face off against James still despite the latter being 40 years of age. Watching and playing against legends can only embolden a player like Brown, as he still learns to navigate what it is like to play for a historic franchise in Boston.
It is also worth mentioning that Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady and Stephen Curry made the cut too. Those are three more players whose resumes and talents speak for themselves. While all five project to be all in the Hall of Fame one day, each of them brought a flare with their games and left an impact in the NBA to keep pushing basketball forward.
Jaylen Brown regrets never meeting Lakers legend Kobe Bryant
Unfortunately for Jaylen Brown, he was drafted in 2016, the year Kobe Bryant called it a career. So, he was not able to participate in a Celtics-Lakers game with Bryant involved.
Just as the Lakers legend was finding his footing in life after basketball, establishing new hobbies and passions, he unexpectedly passed in 2020. Now five years removed from that tragedy, Brown regrets never getting a chance to meet Bryant.
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