Kobe Bryant’s Place In History
In a recent Bleacher Report story, Kevin Ding sat down with Kobe Bryant on the eve of his inevitable climb up the NBA scoring leaders chart ahead of Michael Jordan.
In this article, Bryant discusses how this milestone will be special. Not necessarily because of the numbers, but because of his special relationship with Jordan and the work that he has put into getting to this point in his 19th season in the NBA.
In addition to shedding some light on Bryant’s thoughts on his place in history and his connection to Jordan, this story got me to thinking once again about where Bryant lands when discussing the best ballers of all time.
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The easiest move has been to compare Kobe Bryant to Michael Jordan. In fact, he has been compared to Jordan his entire career. Everything from his fadeaway jumper, his unparalleled competitive spirit, or even his measured responses to the media following games has been viewed by many as an attempt to imitate the player that many believe the best to ever step on the court.
Over time, some of the comparisons have continued to ring true. There are still very few athletes alive that can match either Bryant or Jordan when it comes to their competitive nature. Even Jordan has been known to point to Kobe as the player he most sees as sharing his fire for competition.
Others, however, no longer seem so exact. As Bryant has gotten older, he has become much more open and honest in his dealings with the media. At this stage in his career, Bryant is comfortable with his place in history. He has said goodbye to the ‘safe’ or ‘generic’ responses and is far more open and honest with his opinions, even if they may not be popular.
Despite the very different career paths each has taken, their shared position means they will almost always be compared. I won’t be possible to have any ‘greatest guards ever’ conversation without both men being included.
In the next few weeks, Kobe Bryant is expected to link himself even closer to Michael Jordan as he passes him on the all-time NBA scoring list (Bryant currently sits at 32,165 while Jordan finished his career at 32,292).
Yes, it will have taken Bryant more seasons and more games, but this just points to his longevity and perseverance. To be able to lead the league in scoring in his 19th season speaks volumes about his dedication to his craft and his ability to adapt and grow his game. Regardless of the games played, passing Jordan on the all-time scoring list is a remarkable achievement.
Despite this achievement, very few will see Bryant as having surpassed Jordan on this list of the all-time best. In fact, most continue to see Jordan as the best to ever play. So there would be no shame in coming in behind Jordan on any such list.
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The problem for Bryant, however, is that he is often compared so closely to Jordan that his place in the overall history of the game is lost.
When discussing Bryant, he is often labeled the player most ‘similar’ to Jordan. As such, it often seems as though he is dismissed from many all-time great discussions because he shared a position with the greatest of them all.
Taking position out of the equation, where do you rank Bryant among the all-time greats? Is he top 5? Top 10? Is he even the greatest Laker of all time?
At this stage in his career could any of his accomplishments move the needle enough to drastically change where you feel he lands compared to the rest of the greats?
I suspect this will be a question that is difficult for most to answer objectively. I also imagine that the era in which you grew up will greatly influence your feelings on this subject.
Looking at life as a basketball fan, I never had the opportunity to watch players like Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell live. But I did grow up watching Michael Jordan’s career from beginning to end. To me, he will always be the greatest. But there are many out there that only caught glimpses of Jordan at his best, instead having only known the likes of Bryant or LeBron James.
I’d love to hear thoughts from everyone out there reading the story. Where does Kobe Bryant rank on your lists? If he isn’t at the top, who is?
While we may not all agree on Bryant’s place in history, I think we can all agree on this: His dedication to the sport, his longevity as well as his basketball ability are all to be respected and admired.