One of the most popular debates among NBA fans is who is the greatest player of all time with Michael Jordan and LeBron James often being the two names mentioned most.
However, former NBA forward Bonzi Wells believes another Los Angeles Lakers legend in Kobe Bryant deserves more consideration in the GOAT conversation. He pointed to Bryant’s mentality and what he brought to the game as a fierce competitor.
“You know, honestly man, Kob’, rest in peace to Kob’. I’m just so thankful for what he brought to the game, the mindset he brought to the game and the Mamba Mentality is real,” Wells said on the Throwbacks Show. “You hear about the work ethic, you hear about the stories and then you get on the court and he’s embarrassing you. Just the skill set and the will that he had, it was unmatched. And I played against Jordan, LeBron, Kobe. I just really appreciated him for the game and I feel like it’s dumb for kids to really really overlook Kobe in any type of GOAT conversation because his game was special and he didn’t have any distinct advantages. Like, Bron’s 6’9″, 250 [pounds]. Michael Jordan was uber-athletic, had these big hands all this different stuff. But, Kobe was just a 6’6″ skinny kid with a crazy, crazy, crazy skill set.”
These GOAT conversations can get messy due to fans growing up in various eras while idolizing and disliking different players. Basketball takes are always subjective, but Wells laid out his case why Bryant should deserve more recognition.
One point that stands out was that the Lakers took a chance on a kid coming out of high school during a time in the NBA where teams wanted guaranteed talent and not projects. At 17-years-old declaring for the draft, no one could foreseen what kind of leap Bryant would have.
When it comes to the greatest scorers of all-time, Bryant’s name typically does not take long to get brought up. His competitive nature and personality were intense, rubbing some of his teammates the wrong way. But, the Black Mamba’s talent could be denied as his five rings headline the lengthy resume, and even his rivals like Wells can see that.
Allen Iverson includes Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal in all-time starting five
Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson went against Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in the 2001 NBA Finals. He even stole Game 1 in Los Angeles by dropping 48 points, which was an improbable win at the time.
After playing against one of the most dominant duos in NBA history, Iverson recently named Bryant and O’Neal as two players in his all-time starting five.
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