Rapper 2 Chainz explains why he’d always pick Kobe Bryant over LeBron James and Michael Jordan

Rapper 2 Chainz, also known as Tauheed Epps, appeared on Sunday’s episode of Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, "Club Shay Shay." During his time on the show, 2 Chainz weighed in on the GOAT debate and showed his love for Kobe Bryant, picking the Lakers legend over LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

When Sharpe candidly asked the rapper who his basketball goat was, the rapper answered without a moment’s hesitation:

“Man I just love that Kobe guy man."

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Shannon Sharpe quickly pointed out that the rapper even has Kobe Bryant’s jersey number tattooed on him. Epps explained his relationship with Kobe and how he felt that Bryant appreciated his basketball IQ. The rapper revealed that he had met Bryant just a few days before his death in 2020.

He also revealed that he had met Jordan a few times and thought he was cool. When it came to James, the rapper called him a close friend. He went on to explain that he is a Lakers fan, solely because of his father, who loved watching Magic Johnson play.

Epps also showed off his jersey collection, which featured an autographed Kobe Bryant jersey. He even had James’ game-worn jersey from his 47-point performance against the Hawks in 2022.

After David Falk, 2 Chainz is now the latest celebrity to look past LeBron James in the GOAT debate

While most fans widely recognize LeBron James as the greatest of all time, the same can’t be said for 2 Chainz, and Michael Jordan’s long-time agent, David Falk. Before the rapper picked Kobe as the GOAT, Falk also gave his thoughts on the matter.

Speaking at the Sports Business Journal 4SE conference on Tuesday, Falk revealed that he believes Michael Jordan would’ve won 15 rings if he were going around making ‘superteams.’

“I really like LeBron,” Falk said. “But I think if Jordan had cherry-picked what teams he wanted to be on and two other superstars, he would’ve won 15 championships.”

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Falk is pointing towards some of the offseason moves that James has made in his career. LeBron won his first championship after teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. His second championship came after he returned to Cleveland, teaming up with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by John Maxwell