The NBA has a rich legacy, spanning nearly 80 years, and several great players have graced the league. George Mikan, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, the late Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Nikola Jokic have all dominated their respective decades.
However, when it comes to the GOAT conversations, three players have dominated the list more than any others. MJ, Kobe, and LeBron are the holy trinity of the NBA and are arguably the strongest contenders in the GOAT debate.
Recently, (@HoopMixOnly) on X posted an edited image of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James sitting next to one another on the bench. The image was captioned, “THE THREE GREATEST EVER.” While there have been several other great players who left their mark on the league, these three transcended the sport.
THE THREE GREATEST EVER. pic.twitter.com/vNoxEMxSJC
— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) December 22, 2021
When it comes to who is the greatest of all time, that argument is pretty much settled as the throne belongs to Jordan. However, there’s always an ongoing discussion about the same involving Kobe and LeBron. The Bulls legend was once asked to pick between the two, and he gave a very detailed answer.
Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, who did Michael Jordan pick?
The answer isn’t as simple as fans on the internet make it to be. On one hand, we had Kobe, the embodiment of hard work and passion for the sport. He had the same hunger for greatness that MJ had and was touted as the toughest player since the Bulls legend. Kobe won five championships and influenced the world beyond basketball.
On the other hand, we have LeBron. He has been playing for over two decades and is the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. LeBron has an edge over anyone else who has ever played the sport because of his longevity. No one has played for as long and with the kind of dominance as LBJ. So, how can one choose between the two?
They’re two completely different players, played different positions, and followed different career paths. Kobe stayed with one franchise for two decades. He went through hardships and championship years with the same team. LeBron switched teams in search of titles and has been very successful so far.
But when MJ was asked to pick between them in 2013, he said, “In terms of dominance of the game of basketball, at this stage it’s LeBron… Championship-wise, it’s Kobe Bryant. He wants it so bad, and he’s willing to go to the extreme. Guarding a point guard at the age of 34, playing 38 minutes, 40 minutes, that’s ludicrous.”
Jordan stated that he sees a lot of himself in Kobe, which is the best compliment an NBA athlete can get. “He’s cursed as much as I am,” Jordan said.
And even though it was difficult for him to choose, MJ had an answer. He said, “Five (rings) beats one.” At the time, LeBron was nearly a decade into his career and only had one championship. So, if Jordan is the greatest ever, then Kobe is number two and LeBron is number three. Regardless of how one shuffles this list, the fact is that these three are 3/4th of the NBA Mt. Rushmore.
Prateek is a seasoned content writer with over 2500 published articles and two+ years of experience. His passion for UFC was ignited during Conor McGregor’s meteoric rise, and closely following McGregor’s journey inspired him to bring a sharp, fan-driven perspective to his UFC coverage, blending detailed analysis with compelling storytelling.
