Lakers: Is Kobe Bryant A Top 10 Player of All Time?
By Eric Yee
Cody Williams, Co-Editor
1. Michael Jordan
By any metric that you want to use, Michael Jordan stands as the greatest to ever play the game. Regardless of era, the rules, or anything else that you could use to detract from No. 23, his reign of dominance of the NBA is near unparalleled in any area, as were the feats that he was capable of for almost a decade. Six rings don’t exactly hurt Jordan’s case, either.
2. Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson is one of the most versatile players to ever compete in the NBA. His ability to play multiple positions, score, and facilitate truly made him a near uncontainable force during his prime. Though his career was shortened, his impact on the Lakers and the game of basketball is undeniable.
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
There’s no scorer in the history of the NBA that can boast the career total of Kareem as the league’s all-tiem leading scorer. In terms of longevity and effectiveness over the course of that long career, no one can hold a candle to Kareem. There’s warranted criticism of him from over the years, but his greatness is undeniable at this point.
4. Larry Bird
The yin to Magic’s yang, Larry Bird was just other worldly when he was in his prime. He shared the same competitive streak that players like MJ and Kobe Bryant, but was also just tremendously skilled as a shooter and overall playmaker. Larry Legend undoubtedly deserves to be in the top-five of any all-time rankings.
5. Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan’s longevity is another remarkable feat that’s impressive in the same way that Kareem’s body of work is. Not only has Duncan been in the league for almost two decades, but he’s been healthy and one of the best players in the league for almost every year. That speaks volumes in terms of his greatness.
6. Kobe Bryant
Kobe just misses out on my top-five, but there’s no question that he belongs in the conversation among the greats of this league. His desire and drive are near unmatched in the history of the NBA, as are his accomplishments and sustained level of success. However, he falls just short of being called one of the five best players of all-time in my opinion.
7. LeBron James
LeBron is a special case on that list because he’s clearly one of the most talented players to ever be a part of the NBA. However, he still has plenty of basketball left ahead of him and has the chance to vault up even higher onto these rankings before it’s all said and done.
8. Hakeem Olajuwon
Houston Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon was basically born to play basketball. He picked up the game at a young age and almost immediately was performing at an elite level. Olajuwon’s ability as a low-post player (along with the Dream Shake) is matched only by Kareem in the history of the game.
9. Shaquille O’Neal
There’s never been a more physically domineering force in the NBA than Shaq when he was in his prime. He had the size, athleticism, and strength to topple anyone put in front of him. Had he possessed the drive of a Kobe, Bird, or Jordan, there’s no question that he would have wound up as a top-three player of all-time.
10. Moses Malone
Moses Malone doesn’t often get the respect he deserves in causal conversations about all-time greats, but his prowess on the basketball court is unescapable. He was confident and dominant whenever he played and put up the numbers and won the rings to back it all up. Rest in peace, big man.
Next: Staff Writer Jeremy Rucker's Rankings