Kobe Bryant, who made $323 million in his career, beats Michael Jordan on this illustrious list

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has the most combined All-NBA 1st team and All-Defensive 1st team appearances in NBA history

There isn’t anyone like Kobe Bryant in the league anymore. No one left in the league with the same level of confidence and determination.

Of course, one can argue that players like Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo are made from the same cloth. But, in all honesty, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

While Steph and Giannis are undeniable killers who sit atop the NBA pyramid, Bryant was sheer will manifested. He wasn’t the biggest on the court, the most athletic, or the strongest.

Bryant was an absolute beast because he just did not know how to quit. Period. He was the hardest working player even by NBA superstar’s standards.

Former superstars, players like Dwyane Wade, were awestruck by how hard Kobe was willing to push himself. He was the first to practice and the last to leave.

Perhaps that is what made him so great. His dedication, no, his obsession with the sport. Bryant played every game like it was his last. And played his last game like he still had something left to prove.

To make things even more unbelievable, he was as effective on the defensive end as he was on the offensive end. That is why he still holds a unique record that is far from being broken.

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Kobe Bryant stands over LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Tim Duncan

Kobe holds a unique record that proves his worth as a two-way player. Apart from being an offensive genius, the Black Mamba was as fear-inducing on the defense.

He could effectively guard all positions. He was as agile as a guard and quite capable of guarding the perimeter or cutting off driving lanes. On the other hand, he could guard big men on the post-up and dominate the paint too.

Therefore, it isn’t surprising that Kobe made the All-NBA team a whopping 11 times. At the same time, he was also selected for the All-Defensive team a ridiculous 9 times. That’s a combined total of 20 selections.

Meanwhile, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan made it to the All-NBA 10 times and the All-Defensive team 9 times. His combined selections are one less than Kobe.

LeBron James has the most All-NBA first-team selections in league history. But he made it to the All-Defensive team only 5 times, pushing his combined selections to a grand total of 18.

Kobe also ranks above arguably the greatest power forward in history, Tim Duncan. The Spurs legend made it to the All-NBA first-team a whopping 10 times and All-Defense first-team 8 times, pushing his total to 18 appearances.

Yet, updated rankings place Kobe below Duncan, Jordan, and LeBron. That’s for the jury to decide. We know that Kobe did not earn $323 million during his career without being good, topping this list justifies that paycheck.

Do you think these popular rankings are unfair to change the narrative and undermine Bryant’s excellence?

Also read: Despite a $1 million endowment, Kobe Bryant was torched for a Call of Duty advertisement