One of the most heated debates in the NBA is ranking who is the greatest player of all time. Different people have different criteria for what that encompasses. Is it the greatest scorer of all time in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with his six championships? Is it the most dominant player in Wilt Chamberlain? Is it the leader of a team with the most championship rings in Bill Russell? Nick Young threw in an answer. He chooses Kobe Bryant.
The general consensus is Michael Jordan, and understandably so. Multiple MVPs, six championships in six Finals appearances, and multiple All Defensive First Team make for great credentials. That isn’t enough for Nick Young.
But, to Nick Young, Kobe Bryant is ranked over Michael Jordan.
LA Lakers' Nick Young also thinks Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan. http://t.co/NfBo6VKEo0 pic.twitter.com/0raWvQVh7J
— theScore (@theScore) September 6, 2014
This hasn’t been the first time this has been mentioned. Brandon Jennings has said the same on his twitter.
He even threw in a few supporting arguments in his favor.
Kobe Bryant has made a tremendous career for himself. He has seemingly won over the current generation of NBA players. Both Los Angeles natives think highly of Kobe Bryant’s game, and he has surpassed many comparisons to his contemporaries. Throughout his career, he has been compared to Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, and countless others. Compared to his competition, he has come out on top.
LeBron James is the latest player to receive any comparison to Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith have numerous videos exploring the topic. With two championships and multiple MVPs under his name, he does have a case. His resume is still being built.
Personally, none of these players are my greatest of all time. There is only one MJ for me, and that is Magic Johnson. He left college at age 20. He won a championship as a rookie. Yes, he had talented teams. He also gave his team a fighting chance, year-in and year-out. Nine finals appearances in the most competitive decade of basketball. He lost Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to retirement, had a developing Vlade Divac at center, and still went to the Finals.
Nick Young has been a Kobe Bryant fan for a long time. Seeing him up close and personal and watching him train may have affirmed his opinion.
It took Scottie Pippen, one of the greatest defenders in NBA history, just to contain him.
Who is your Greatest of All Time? Please leave comments below.