Kobe Bryant is still the King of Los Angeles - LeBron's Arrival cannot change it

"I, Kobe Bryant...have decided to skip college and take my talents to the NBA."

With these words, a 17-year-old Kobe Bean Bryant announced his arrival on the biggest stage of basketball - The NBA. He went on to have one of the most stellar careers in NBA history - donning the Purple and Gold for more than 1300 Games.

Kobe Bryant played his final game for the Lakers on 13th April 2015 and it was nothing short of a Hollywood ending as he scored 60 and went out in style. It's been only 3 years and people have already begun looking at Kobe's legacy with a jaundiced eye. Oh how quickly people forget greatness!

For all the basketball enthusiasts who started watching the game only from the beginning of this decade, Here's a gentle reminder - Kobe Bryant was the most dominant player in the NBA through a number of years.

Career Accolades-

5x NBA Champion
2x FInals MVP
2008 NBA MVP
17 Time All-Star
4x All-Star MVP
15x All NBA Selection
12x All Defensive Team
1x Slam Dunk Champion

All these awards in a Lakers uniform

Kobe Bryant is the only player in League History to have 2 jerseys retired for the same franchise. Magic Johnson and Shaq have already said on record that Kobe Bryant is the best Laker ever.

Yet, with the arrival of LeBron James to LA, people have not only questioned Kobe's legacy but have also already declared LeBron James as the Greatest Laker Of All Time. One could argue that he's the Best Player to play for the Lakers but to call him the Greatest Laker ever (when he hasn't even played a game yet) is just disrespectful towards Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Shaq, Jerry West and so many other Laker legends.

The LeBron vs Kobe debate is evergreen can go on forever. This article is not about who's the better player, that is up to you to decide. This article focuses on why Kobe Bryant's legacy in LA is cemented and LeBron James or anybody for that matter, cannot challenge that. Los Angeles belongs to Kobe Bean Bryant and he will forever be the only King of LA.

Here's why -

#6 5 Time NBA Champion for the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are the second most successful franchise in NBA history winning 16 NBA Championships Kobe Bryant has won 5 out of those 16. That's almost 1/3rd of the total titles the Lakers have ever won. He has tied Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson for the most rings in Lakers franchise history.

Assuming LeBron wins 2 more titles in the next 4 years with the Lakers, he will have 5 rings but only 2 of those will be for the Lakers - A unique achievement in its own way but Kobe has won 5 Rings wearing nothing except Purple and Gold and that definitely cements his legacy.

# 5 The Three Peat

Unlike Kareem and Magic, Kobe was a member of the Lakers team that 3 titles in 3 years between 2000 and 2002. That Lakers team was the only the 5th team in NBA history to accomplish this milestone.

Alongside Shaq, the 2001 Lakers were an NBA dynasty. Kobe was instrumental in bringing those 3 Titles to LA. Since then, not a single team has managed to win 3 titles in a row. Nobody can deny Kobe's contribution in bringing 3 back to back titles to LA after a drought of almost 12 years.

LeBron can team up with the likes of Kawhi Leonard and other superstars to make the Lakers great again but it would be hard to replicate Kobe and Shaqs historic run at the beginning of the millennium. Kobe Bryant a 3 Peat for LeBrons 3 Rings.

#4 Lifted the Lakers after Shaq left

It's funny how everyone tried to argue that without Shaq, Kobe would never win another title for the Lakers. Kobe accepted the challenge and made the Lakers franchise a Championship worthy team again. He brought 2 more titles to Los Angeles in 2009 and 2010.

Kobe Bryant gave us one of the most dominant 5 Year-Runs in NBA History from 2006 to 2010:

Stats - Kobe averaged 29.8 Points Per Game, 5.6 Rebounds Per Game and 5 Assists Per Game.

Accolades- 2x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 2008 NBA MVP, 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA First Team, 5x NBA All-Defensive First Team

Kobe won more rings without Shaq than Shaq did without Kobe - bitter reality for those who said that Kobe would be ringless without Shaq.

#3 Holds almost all major Lakers Records

In his 20 year career with the Lakers, Kobe Bryant took over the Franchise book and made it his very own. He leads the Lakers franchise in -

Games Played (1346)
Minutes Played (48637)
Points Scored (33643)
Field Goals (11719)
3 Point Field Goals (1827)
Win Shares (172.7)

Kobe's records are incredible may never be broken. LeBron James may end up with more career points or assists, but the Kobe Bryant is the author of the Lakers record book

#2 20 Years, 1 Team

Kobe Bryant was drafted #13 overall by the Charlotte Hornets but was immediately traded to the Lakers. His first match against the Dallas Mavericks on January 27, 1997, set the record for Youngest NBA player to start a game at just 18 years and 158 days old and the rest is history.

When he played in his 20th season for the Lakers, He set a record for most number of seasons played with a single franchise. By comparison, Magic Johnson played 13 seasons, while Abdul-Jabbar and West played 14 years with the Lakers.

Through all the highs and lows, from start to finish, Kobe Bryant did it all in purple and gold.

#1 Legendary Performances

Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors

Lakers will never a player who would dedicate his life to the organization. Night after night Kobe Bryant would go to work and give his 100% to try and win every single game and entertained not just the LakersNation but all the NBA fans.

~ Every team in the NBA has endured the wrath of the Black Mamba. he has dropped at least 40 points on all the NBA teams.

~ Toronto Raptors was the victim of Kobe Bryant's 81 point game (Second highest points in a game)

~ Mamba Mentality - Kobe Bryant has hit 40 game winning shots to seal the win for Lakers.

~ Kobe Bryant alone outscored the Mavericks 62-61 through three quarters. He did not even play the 4th Quarter.

~ Playing through multiple injuries only because his team needed him.

With the arrival of LeBron James, Lakers are back as title contenders But will his presence threaten Kobe's legacy as a Laker? absolutely not! It's time that we do not become prisoners of the present and disrespect Kobe's 20 years of loyal services to the Lakers. LeBron will play the 16th, 17th, 18th and possibly the 19th season of his career. With only 4 seasons with the franchise, I doubt whether the Lakers will even retire his jersey at the end of his campaign. He needs to win at least 1 championship to establish himself as a great Laker. He may end up winning 2, but he will still be nowhere close to Kobe Bryant's legacy as a Lakers Legend. Kobe Bean Bryant continues to be the King of LA.