Kobe Bryant has often found himself out of the GOAT debate, especially in the last few years when LeBron has dominated the league in terms of statistics.
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During Kobe’s era in LA, Bryant had always made a case for being mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jordan.
However, Bryant’s claim to the throne of the GOAT has faded away, largely due to LeBron’s rise.
But a lot of people still believe that with respect to style and flair, Kobe is head and shoulders above LeBron.
Now, the GOAT debate has re-entered our lives, thanks to LeBron’s statements about how he felt that he had become the GOAT post that 2016 NBA finals comeback win.
Jordan’s comments were then dug up, about how he approached the GOAT question in 2009, and the fans saw a stark difference. Jordan admitted that he could never accept the tag of the GOAT, as it would be disrespectful to players who played the game before him.
Ever since, fans and the media are tried to dig Jordan’s comments regarding his peers and the current generation of players, especially LeBron and Kobe.
Addressing a question directly posted to him, regarding who he thought had a bigger claim to the tag of the best player, Jordan came up with a brilliant answer.
Jordan was asked to chose between Kobe and LeBron, and he was quick to provide the kids with 5 good reasons as to why Kobe is better(in terms of who the GOAT from the present generation is).
MJ said that there was something better about 5 than 3, and that tipped the scales in the favour of Kobe.
“Would I rank LeBron over Kobe? In terms of best of all time? No,” Jordan replied.
“There’s something about five that beats three.
“Kobe won five championships. LeBron won three,” he added.
Do you think Championships are the only way to judge who the GOAT is? Jordan wouldn’t be the GOAT then actually.
But it is interesting to see how Jordan handled the question, trying to tell the young kids that winning is an important part of our game, something that shows how mentally tough the individual is and if he/she can perform during clutch situations.
While the championships shouldn’t be a deciding factor, a player’s trait to rise to the occasion during tough situations should. And that is where Jordan ranks above all his peers, with his impressive 6-0 NBA finals record.
Kobe too has excelled during clutch situations and LeBron’s 3-6 NBA finals record will always work against him.
