There is perhaps no greater divide in the perception of a player between the media and other NBA players than the one that exists on Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. There is no question from either side that Kobe is one of the greatest players ever, the media tends to put him a tier or two lower than what those who faced off with him would have him at.
This often shows itself when outlets make an all-time rankings list, which Bleacher Report recently did. On that list, Bryant was ranked as the 11th-best player of all-time, which led to a ton of outrage and pushback not just from fans, but from current and former players as well. And NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade recently let his thoughts be known on the subject as well.
Wade noted that those who played against Bryant almost unanimously put him in the top three of all-time and that he won’t get himself up in arms over the opinions of those who never played basketball at that level, via Wy Network:
Dwyane Wade goes off on the fact that Bleacher Report had Kobe Bryant ranked outside of the Top 10 😳
“If you want to ask us hoopers who played against Kob, all of us are going to talk top three [of all time]… from someone’s opinion that’s never played a game of basketball at… pic.twitter.com/hUpCOq0Dou
— Wy Network by Dwyane Wade (@wynetwork) July 23, 2025
The point of these kinds of lists is to create dialogue and debate and this one has certainly done that. There are certainly more than 10 players who are deserving of being considered top-10 of all-time, but in the eyes of Wade and many others who played against him, Kobe is a non-negotiable and not having him there is viewed as disrespectful.
This is nothing new, with Wade even remembering the Lakers legend’s reaction to these kinds of lists ranking him low while he was still alive and this divide between media and players on Bryant remains ongoing.
Tyrese Haliburton in awe of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant making free throws on torn Achilles
The legend of Kobe Bryant stretches well beyond just the numbers and one of those truly iconic moments was when he made two free throws after tearing his Achilles to help the Lakers secure a late-season win. Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton recently put it in perspective as he spoke about his recent Achilles tear in the NBA Finals and trying to walk off the court like Kobe, and immediately realizing that wasn’t going to happen.
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