Kobe Bryant is widely considered one of the biggest names ever to grace the NBA. He faithfully spent his 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, achieving countless awards and accolades with the franchise to become one of the greatest in the team’s history.
LeBron James, who is still active and playing for the Lakers, has also etched his name among the league’s greatest players and gets mentioned often in the GOAT debate. In a recent discussion, the former NBA player disclosed his choice between LeBron and Kobe, amidst the duo’s contrast.
Trevor Ariza calls Kobe Bryant the GOAT choosing LeBron James as 1B
GOAT debate in the NBA usually borders on LeBron James and Michael Jordan. However, the former NBA player for the Lakers Trevor Ariza had recently placed Kobe Bryant above LeBron James.
The ex-Lakers’ swingman Trevor Ariza, while discussing with Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay, explained why he picked Kobe Bryant ahead of LeBron James, underneath at 1B. Trevor disclosed that Kobe Bryant is the best and his favorite player.
Ariza added, “For me, he’s the best player ever. That’s my favorite player, Mike is in a completely different conversation. But if I had to say, Kobe is the best player ever. Kobe 1A, LeBron is 1B.”
Shannon Sharpe found Ariza’s opinion amusing, which could be influenced by the time they spent together on the Lakers, Ariza, and Kobe. Ariza joined the Lakers in 2007, becoming Kobe’s teammate in a two-team trade that involved Brian Cook and Maurice Evans.
Ariza, with the Lakers in 2009, won a championship. Although Ariza had only a brief stint playing alongside Kobe, he was still able to witness Kobe’s 2008 MVP award and fourth NBA title. Interestingly, Ariza’s brief time with the late NBA legend Kobe was enough for him to view Kobe as the best player ever.
Contrasting LeBron with Kobe
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, both had a significant impact in the league, owing to their unique on-court dazzle. The duo boasts of a combined 9 NBA rings, with multiple achievements. Nonetheless, the duo has different skills and attributes, which make them special.
In contrast, LeBron James is a much better clutch player than Kobe, especially in the game’s last minutes. The duo’s stats on clutch time, clearly shows LeBron being a better player. In clutch time, while LeBron James has 2,439 points, Kobe Bryant has 2,369 points, per ESPN.
Furthermore, LeBron, who knows how to make others around him better, is known to be a great passer of the ball and whenever he finds his teammate in a much better position to take the shot. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant was viewed by many as being selfish, which hurt the team’s unity, as per the Phil Jackson biography.
Additionally, LeBron, though with fewer NBA championships, is known to have dominated in each of the title-winning season. Nonetheless, Kobe’s five championships were won together with Shaquille O’Neal, then Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum, which made a great supportive team for Kobe’s triumph.
There are high expectations that the GOAT debate, especially in the NBA, will always be discussed by fans and analysts alike, considering people with different interests. Without a doubt, both Kobe and LeBron have made a significant impact in the NBA for others to follow.
