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Stephen A. Smith doesn’t subscribe to the idea of Kobe Bryant being in the top five of the NBA’s all-time great players. Bryant had a glittering 20-year career with the LA Lakers, but Smith couldn’t put him above five of the most accomplished players in league history.
On the 'I Am Athlete' podcast, the ESPN analyst named his top five NBA players and explained why he excluded "KB24" from the list:
“Kobe doesn’t make the top five because Kobe was measured against MJ, and MJ played the same position, had the same style of play and MJ was No. 1.
“For me, when I think about Magic, even though Kobe was a better individual talent, Kobe didn’t lead and galvanize to the degree that Magic did. Magic was the dude that got everybody else better.
“Kobe would drop 80, but Magic would accumulate 80 by having 20 points and 20 assists … It led to five championships and nine title appearances.”
Smith named Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell and Magic Johnson as his best five in order of greatness. He didn’t explain why he chose James, Abdul-Jabbar and Russell, but expounded on his choice of Jordan and Johnson.
It is no secret that Kobe Bryant patterned everything about his game after Michael Jordan. Like MJ, he became one of the NBA’s deadliest, clutch and consistent scorers. The original just had significantly better individual accolades and finished with more championships than the beloved Laker.
Stephen A. Smith chose Magic Johnson over the "Black Mamba" for the fifth spot in his ultimate five-man group. Both had the same championships, but the "Magic Man" gets the nod over Kobe due to his ability to make teammates better. Johnson also had more MVPs both in the regular season and in the NBA Finals.
Also Checkout:- Michael Jordan's Rings
Magic Johnson called Kobe Bryant the greatest Laker
Magic Johnson is considered by most fans to be the greatest to play for the LA Lakers for the same reason Stephen A. Smith used. At a time when the NBA was struggling, Johnson’s battles with the legendary Larry Bird made the "Showtime Lakers" the toast of Hollywood.
In a speech before Kobe Bryant’s last game, "Junior" debunked that popular notion and gave the honor to "KB24".
“We are here to celebrate greatness. For 20 years, excellence. For 20 years, Kobe Bryant has never cheated the game, he has never cheated us as fans.
“He has played through injury, he has played hurt and we have five championship banners to show for it. For the last 20 years, this man has been the biggest and greatest celebrity we have had in this town. He is not only a great sport icon but also the greatest to wear the purple and gold.”
Guess the Lakers players!
