Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is fondly remembered as one of the greatest basketball players of all-time as he accomplished just about everything at the NBA level.
Bryant captured five championships with the Lakers during his 20-year playing career along with numerous All-Star and All-NBA selections. Kobe is one of the most iconic players in league history and continues to hold plenty of influence and serves as a source of inspiration for countless people globally. For example, Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers credited Bryant for helping her through her ACL rehab.
When it comes to the GOAT debate, Bryant has certainly earned his place in the conversation, though the consensus often comes down to either Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Both Jordan and James have strong arguments to be the GOAT, though people will also throw in Bryant as an option given what he accomplished.
Rapper 2 Chainz is an avid basketball fan and picked Bryant over Jordan and James as the NBA’s GOAT, via Club Shay Shay:
In the video, 2 Chainz explained that he and Bryant had crossed paths several times in the past and had opportunities to talk about basketball. Later in the video, 2 Chainz shows Shannon Sharpe some of his autographed jerseys with one of them being from an All-Star Game Bryant played in. While 2 Chainz is complimentary of Jordan and acknowledged his and James’ personal friendship, the rapper sounds certain that Bryant is the GOAT.
Everyone has an opinion on the never-ending GOAT debate at this point, though it’ll never be fully resolved as each person has different criteria for the argument. Jordan’s case is buoyed by his perfect Finals record and six championships, while James has all three superstars beat in terms of longevity and career numbers. Meanwhile, Bryant’s the last player to accomplish winning a “three-peat” as well as his own statistical accomplishments.
Pitting the three stars against one another is a futile exercise, though Bryant definitely belongs in the conversation as an all-time great.
The Los Angeles Rams 2025 NFL Draft class will quickly learn how serious the city is about winning championships. The rookies got a chance to explore Los Angeles recently with a stop at Crypto.com Arena to visit one of Kobe Bryant’s statues.
