LA Times: How Does Kobe Bryant Rank Among NBA Greats?

[NewcastleKEG]

People seriously underestimate Bird. He walked in and turned a 29 win Celtics team into a 61 win team his rookie season, when their only major addition other than Bird was having Pistol Pete come play 26 ineffective games. Bird was a jack of all trades on the offensive end, though his defense was awful after he destroyed his back in the 1983 offseason. Bird's effort and passion for the game was equivalent to Manu on steroids.

He really does but ultimately you have to put Magic ahead of him

[duncan228]

People seriously underestimate Bird. He walked in and turned a 29 win Celtics team into a 61 win team his rookie season, when their only major addition other than Bird was having Pistol Pete come play 26 ineffective games. Bird was a jack of all trades on the offensive end, though his defense was awful after he destroyed his back in the 1983 offseason. Bird's effort and passion for the game was equivalent to Manu on steroids.

Bird's the reason I'm an NBA fan. Nosebleed seats in Boston Garden his rookie season. Once you see Bird play you're a fan for life. He was something. I still watch old clips of his.

[baseline bum]

Bird's the reason I'm an NBA fan. Nosebleed seats in Boston Garden his rookie season. Once you see Bird play you're a fan for life. He was something. I still watch old clips of his.

Bird was something. I used to hate him when I was a kid because I was an enormous Magic fan (I always cheered for the Showtime Lakers in the playoffs once the Spurs got eliminated back in the 80s), but damn he was fun to watch. Bird and Kobe are probably the two best players I have ever seen at hitting perfectly contested acrobatic jumpshots, and Magic and Bird are clearly the two greatest passers I have ever seen. I'm happy I got to see him live probably 7-8 times and got to meet him a couple of times too.

[baseline bum]

He really does but ultimately you have to put Magic ahead of him

I'd take Magic too, but it's close.

[NewcastleKEG]

I'd take Magic too, but it's close.

Maybe the fact everyone rates Magic so high and Bird in the middle/low make Magic a bit overrated ?

[YellowFever]

Why do you think Kobe should be ahead of Shaq and Tim?

Because the League has been a Guard's league for the past 30 years.

I don't like it but years from now all the hype will say Kobe was better than Shaq or TD.

And this hype will actually have people believing it's the truth.

How the do you think Jordan got picked as GOAT over Kareem, Chamberlin, Russell....etc.

[VivaPopovich]

jerry west and elgin baylor do not rank above Bob Cousy in Pre-Magic/Bird

[MambaJuice2408]

Jesus, how long do Laker's fans need to hold some gay ass butthurt grudge against Shaq. You just won a championship, can we please drop the whole "Shaq didn't lead the Lakers to three rings" bull , when anyone that watched those seasons knows that Shaq was the foundation to those les(not to bring up that super dope 34-48 lottery season Kobe led them to the year after Shaq went to greener pastures).

How you can even mention that year proves how stupid you are.

Not only they did lose shaq. They lost Malone, Payton, Fisher just to name a few.

[stretch]

Bird was the MVP of the league for three straight seasons. I also believe he finished 2nd in MVP voting the 3 seasons before he won his first one. That's basically saying he was arguably the best player in basketball over a 6 year span. Can Kobe, or anyone else outside of MJ and maybe Magic say that (speaking of the modern era)?

So the year that Dirk won MVP, you say he was the best player in basketball? How about the year KG won it? Or the years that Barkley and Malone won it while Jordan was still around?

MVP = Best player in basketball

got it

[stretch]

You dont think Magic and Bird could hang today? hahahaha

Yeah... guys like...

Patrick Ewing
Nate Archibald
Karl Malone
Bernard King
Maurice Cheeks
Mark Aguirre
Clyde Drexler
Walter Davis
Dennis Johnson
James Worthy
Charles Barkley
Marques Johnson
Sidney Moncrief
Kevin McHale
Dominique Wilkins
Hakeem Olajuwon
Michael Jordan
George Gervin
Robert Parish
Adrian Dantley
Julius Erving
Isiah Thomas
Alex English
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Moses Malone

What a bunch of no name fodder.

lol @ half of your list being big men, or players that they would never likely have to guard, or have guarding them, period. not to mention a large chunk of those guys are a couple levels of athleticism below the guys we see today.

but if we wanna go that route then i can throw in Shaq, Timmy, Dirk, Gasol, KG, Dwight, and plenty more, including less athletic guys or guys that are 2nd options in the league yet are every bit the player that some of those guys are.

[Man In Black]

C'Mon Now WTF?

3. Kobe Bryant. If his friend Shaq won't mind the ripoff here, the MTE, Most Talented Ever. And now his own extensive resume is looking more polished, with his fourth ring, first Finals MVP (a legit and important award) and finally a championship to call his very own.

5 (tie). Tim Duncan. Karl Malone scored more points and had bigger muscles, Charles Barkley was more of an uber athlete and rebound machine, but no power forward has ever played with the consistency and precision of a metronome like Duncan has. His four rings, three Finals MVPs and two regular-season MVPs speak to the profound respect the Big Fundamental enjoyed from both the media and his peers.

5 (tie). Shaquille O'Neal. Not the MDE. That was Wilt. But the greatest force of nature since hurricanes and tidal waves. The Daddy's four les and three Finals MVP awards make Shaq, Kobe and Duncan the winningest among all active NBA players.

Let's see:
They all have 4 les...check 1 point each TD-4:KB-4:SON:4
They all have Finals MVPs...1 point for each. TD-3. SON-3:KB-1
They have all have Regular Season MVPs...TD-2:SON-1:KB-1

So just adding just that, not including the things that Kobe & shaq can't touch like ALL-NBA and ALL-NBA Defensive team Tim's ENTIRE CAREER or Highest Team Winning Percentage since entering the NBA...Tim has 9 points. Shaq has 8 points. KBB has 6 points.

I'm no math major but...HOW DOES a lower 6 beat HIGHER numbers 8 and 9?

OH I KNOW, I write for the LA Times and have to write it this way or I'll have to deal with people fire-bombing my car!