With the end of Kobe Bryant’s career now in the foreseeable future, the talks over his legacy have increased over the last couple of weeks. There have been debates about where Bryant ranks among the all-time greats in NBA history.
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Following a victory against the Detroit Pistons, Clippers guard Jamal Crawford chimed in and compared Bryant to Michael Jordan, according to ESPN’s Arash Markazi.
Jamal Crawford: "There’s only one Michael Jordan but I think Kobe is the closest player we’ll ever see to Jordan."
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) March 23, 2014
The long list of players to praise Bryant has been well documented. For many players in today’s NBA, watching Bryant dominate the game and win his five championships is something they grew up admiring. Over the course of his 18 year career, Bryant has inspired a generation of young basketball players just as Jordan once did as a member of the Chicago Bulls.
The Kobe versus Jordan debate is nothing new and one of the primary reasons Jordan is held to a high standard is the amount of championships he led his teams to. While Jordan may have one more championship than Kobe right now, the respect for Bryant’s ability and skill is certainly there.
Crawford certainly is not the first person to praise the Lakers guard. Thunder forward and MVP candidate, Kevin Durant, recently commented on the debate and said they are equals in terms of skill. Even the daughter of former Celtics coach Red Auerbach praised Bryant.
With Kobe out for the remainder of the season, he will have seven months to prepare for the final two years of his career. Although the Lakers are lottery-bound, they have the resources to build a championship contender this summer.
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