The conversation of the greatest NBA player of all-time is one that always causes major debates and heated arguments between fans. Listing out your top-5 players on the other hand, allows for much more leeway as there are a number of players worthy of being in anyone’s top-5 list. And many of them wore a Los Angeles Lakers jersey as this franchise has been the home to many of the top players of all-time.
The latest NBA star to give out his list is Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat and included in his top-5 was the late, great Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, via The Hoop Central:
Bam Adebayo lists his Top 5 NBA Players of All-Time:
Kobe Bryant
Steph Curry
Michael Jordan
Kevin Durant
Tim Duncan(via @TheHeatCentral) pic.twitter.com/LxGY4xSsn7
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) August 2, 2026
Including Bryant in a top-5 list is no surprise as he is on plenty. It is a bit fun to see Adebayo putting him on there not long after scoring 83 points and surpassing the Lakers legend for the second-most points in an NBA game in history. There was a ton of controversy surrounding the manner in which Adebayo reached that milestone and some still recognize Bryant’s 81 as the superior accomplishment.
Regardless, Bryant being the first person Adebayo mentioned is also a bit noteworthy especially considering who else was named, and who was left off. The Heat star also named Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant and San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan.
Of Adebayo’s list it would likely be Durant that would cause the most debate, especially considering the likes of Magic Johnson, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn’t make the cut. But even still, Durant is a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer who is a two-time NBA Finals MVP and a former regular season MVP who is widely considered one of the best pure scorers the league has ever seen.
All of these lists are always subjective and it is great seeing who each of these current stars values most. There is always at least one Lakers legend on there and for Adebayo, it was Bryant.
Klay Thompson names Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in all-time starting five
Kobe Bryant also recently found himself on on Klay Thompson’s all-time starting five alongside a couple of other all-time Laker greats in his former teammate Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James.
