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Lakers: ESPN Ranks Kobe Bryant As 12th Best NBA Player Ever

By Cody Williams

Feb 4, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) reacts after a score by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (not pictured) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Lakers defeated the Pelicans 99-96. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) reacts after a score by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (not pictured) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Lakers defeated the Pelicans 99-96. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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ESPN is ranking the greatest NBA players of all time and Lakers legend Kobe Bryant came in at No. 12

There’s no questioning that Kobe Bryant will remembered as an all-time great both for the Los Angeles Lakers and in the entirety of the NBA. However, the argument that forever wages on and has been for the last decade is where exactly Kobe fits in regarding the greatest players to ever play in the league.

Over the past month or so, ESPN and their group of pundits have been counting down the 100 greatest players in NBA history for their All-Time #NBArank. On Friday, they released Nos. 11-15 and Kobe Bryant slotted in as, in their opinion, the 12th best player in NBA history.

With five NBA Championships to his credit and 20 years with the Lakers, Kobe has undoubtedly established himself as an all-time great. However, there are certainly going to be a bevy of fans that are more than a little upset that Kobe falls out of the top-10 of ESPN’s rankings. In the history of the league (not just post-merger), though, coming in at No. 12 is more of a show of respect than a slight of the Black Mamba.

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Also worth noting is that there have been a number of other Lakers greats that fell in behind Kobe in these rankings, including Jerry West at No. 13, Elgin Baylor at No. 24, and George Mikan at No. 33 just to name a few. There are still other Lakers to come in on the list, most notably Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Shaquille O’Neal.

For what it’s worth, Lake Show Life asked where Kobe ranked in terms of post-merger players and he came in No. 4 in our staff’s consensus rankings. Again, that was only post-merger players, though, whereas ESPN is discussing all-time players.

What do you think, though? Should Kobe have cracked ESPN’s All-Time #NBArank top-10 or is No. 12 the right spot for him? Let us know in the comments.

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