Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Reasons why Kobe Bryant is a Top-5 player of all-time
By Nick Ziegler
– A winner
When it comes to deciding who the best players of all-time are in any sport, it usually comes down to how many championships they have won and how they won them. Like Michael Jordan, Kobe had the desire to win above all else.
This was a very rare trait that both of these players possessed and was a trait that resulted in a lot of success for both of them. While Jordan does have one more ring than Kobe, there is no shame in the five rings that Kobe has.
Starting in the 1999-2000 season, Bryant was able to win his first NBA Championship with Shaquille O’Neal. That would be the first of three straight titles for the duo, as Bryant joined the elusive company of players who have won three straight titles. This was a big goal of Jordan, as he wanted to do something that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird couldn’t.
Next. 3 Reasons LBJ is having a better second season in LA. dark
If Bryant and Shaq didn’t have an ugly breakup in Los Angeles, Bryant might have won a few more rings. However, he was able to get the Lakers back to the top of the mountain with Pau Gasol in the 2008-09 season, and the 2009-10 season. Winning five championships is no easy feat and winning three in a row and then back-to-back later in his career is a great indication of how good Kobe was.