“I could never put Kobe Bryant next to Michael Jordan”: Rex Chapman says he would take ‘GOAT’ over Lakers legend after playing against both

Former Suns player Rex Chapman says that he would never put Kobe Bryant next to Michael Jordan and would take the latter over the Laker. 

The ‘GOAT’ debate between LeBron James and Michael Jordan has captivated fans for years now. Things came to a boil after the former claimed his 4th championship in the NBA Bubble last year, as LeBron fans emerged from the woodworks to state that the Laker superstar had surpassed MJ as the greatest to ever lace up. 

However, while the ‘GOAT’ debate rages on, another exchange of views that has been swept under the rug for a while now, has been, who’s more skilled: Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant?

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This debate is perhaps the most perfect example of arguing on whether the remix is better than the original. Kobe Bryant modeled his game after his idol, Michael Jordan, and it was apparent from the jump.

The fadeaway jumpers, the breakaway dunks in transition, the mentality with which he approached the game, rivaled only that of the Bulls legend himself. Kobe openly admitted that he, just like LeBron, wanted to catch the ghost of Chicago, by equaling his number in rings. 

Rex Chapman would take Michael Jordan over Kobe Bryant any day of the week

Former NBA journeyman, Rex Chapman, played from 1988 to 2000, and did so while being a part of several teams along the way. His playing career in the NBA spanned the entirety of Jordan’s 6 championships, while also going up against Kobe and Shaq’s 1999-2000 squad. It’s safe to say that he’s well versed with identifying talent when he sees it. 

“Isiah Thomas, he doesn’t revere Michael Jordan. He’s not denigrating Jordan, and he didn’t until Isiah and them were kind of, gone. Michael didn’t ascend, he had to go through them.”

“It’s like when people ask me about Kobe, and I played against Michael and Kobe Bryant. I saw what Kobe became, unbelievably good. But I could never put him with Michael, and that’s just because I’m older.” 

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Though Chapman can be regarded as a decent source for settling this debate, he does admit to the fact that he’s a bit biased as he’s played against Jordan for much longer when compared to Kobe. 

Many NBA personalities have a bevy of opinions when it comes to this, as not long ago, former Nets star Kerry Kittles came out to say that Kobe Bryant was indeed more skilled than Michael Jordan. 

The answer to this question will never prove to have a definitive answer as a definitive answer does not exist when comparing players that played at a level as high as the combined, 11-time champions.