Former NBA player Jason Williams clarifies his statement on Kobe Bryant not being a top 5 all-time greatest Lakers.
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Former Heat guard Jason Williams had to endure some heat for his recent statements on NBA legend Kobe Bryant. According to Williams, the Black Mamba wasn’t one of the all-time top 5 players to wear the purple and gold, a statement that sounded bizarre.
The late Lakers legend played his entire 20 seasons career with the iconic franchise, winning five championships and two Finals MVPs. One of the most skilled guards to ever pick up the basketball, Kobe had an unmatched work ethic and a competitive zeal to succeed.
Addressing Williams’ statements, we all know that the Lakers is one of the most iconic franchises in the NBA, having global popularity. Some of the legends to don the purple and gold include Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor, and Shaquille O’Neal, to name a few.
Nonetheless, it’s a sin to let the services of Kobe Bryant go unnoticed. However, Williams recently offered clarification on his statements.
Jason Williams believes Kobe Bryant is the greatest Lakers of all time, but not the greatest to have donned the purple and gold.
Yes, the above statements are confusing as the term “great” is used in different ways by Williams. Nonetheless, the former champion gives the example of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James to further his case saying the following.
“I said what I said, and I mean what I meant,” Williams said. “Kobe Bryant is the greatest Laker of all time, but that doesn’t mean that he’s the greatest basketball player that ever played for the Lakers. You know what I mean? It’s kind of like if I said D-Wade (Dwyane Wade) was better than LeBron [James]. LeBron is a better basketball player than Dwyane Wade, but when you think about the Miami Heat, who do you think of?
“I think there were five better basketball players that played for the Lakers at one time, but that’s not taking anything away from Kobe Bryant. He’s one of the greatest basketball players that’s ever walked the face of this earth.”
While everyone is entitled to their opinions, not having Kobe on your top 5 all-time greatest Lakers is rather unusual. To many, the Mamba is considered the closest thing to Michael Jordan. Kobe’s Mamba Mentality continues to be embodied by many young NBA superstars of today.
The most recent example of Williams’ theory is when Kevin Durant played for the Warriors. Despite winning back-to-back Finals MVP, the Bay Area was always Stephen Curry’s house.
