The NBA media space is a gluttonous field of bad opinions, and more often than not, the names dragged into these debates clap back. But some, like the late, great Kobe Bryant, cannot, and perhaps that’s one reason why his greatness, leadership, and legacy have been under the microscope so heavily of late.
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Many have downplayed Kobe’s contributions to the Los Angeles Lakers’ three-peat championship run, labeling him a fringe second option and a peripheral star next to the towering presence of Shaquille O’Neal. But Kobe’s former teammate Matt Barnes has heard enough and is putting his foot down.
Barnes, during a segment of his Unplugged show on his All The Smoke production network, defended the criticism Bryant has been facing. He went as far as claiming that the only reason these people are after the five-time NBA champ is because he’s not around the put them in their place anymore.
“I just don’t like [it] because none of this weird talk was going on while he was here,” Barnes began, as he shed light on how media giants shape narratives. “I work for ESPN, I work for Fox Sports… Some of these big machines … I just don’t go by it.”
“It’s crazy when you look at ESPN, Kobe [is] always on the outside of [the top] 10,” Barnes continued, before stressing that real hoopers don’t see it that way. “You got to listen to what your peers are talking about. When you’re talking to some of the guys that went to war [with Kobe] … Kobe [is top] two, Kobe [is top] three. Kobe [is top] five.”
He explained why he trusts players’ opinions more than the media’s. “I’m not saying don’t listen to the people outside,” Barnes continued. “But when it comes to legacy and greatness … I would tend to lean towards the players. You see it day in and day out and know what it takes to lace him up every single day. With the bigger companies and machines and talking heads, there’s favorites … narratives they stick to. There’s dislikes they have.”
That’s when Barnes got blunt and personal. He said the floodgates of criticism opened only after Bryant passed away in that tragic chopper crash five years ago. “Let’s keep it real, like before Kobe died … he was a hit or miss as far as kind of popularity. There’s a lot of other people that will speak to stir [sh*t] up … it’s crazy that it’s former players…. I just said what I said because none of these guys was talking this sh** when he was here.”
Barnes has always been vocal, but this one hit differently. He called for honesty and respect around Bryant’s legacy. “This is all opinion-based,” he said. “To me, Kobe is the second greatest player of all time. Period!”
That is debatable. There are a plethora of GOATs to choose from, including LeBron James and Michael Jordan. But even they would agree that everyone, Barnes included, has the right to pick their favorite. And Barnes, being a former player himself, knows very well what makes someone a legend. There’s no doubt Kobe is one of the biggest ones around.
