Kobe Bryant is not the type of person who would ever come out and say he believes he had a more impressive career than LeBron James has had to this point, but there’s only so much the Los Angeles Lakers legend can listen to from internet trolls.
Howard Beck of Bleacher Report recently spoke with several NBA greats about LeBron’s legacy, and Kobe was among them. When asked if James’ 3-6 record in the NBA Finals hurts his resume, Bryant gave somewhat of a vague response.
“All I thought about as a kid personally was winning championships. That’s all I cared about,” Kobe said. That’s how I valued Michael. That’s how I valued [Larry] Bird. That’s how I valued Magic [Johnson]. It was just winning championships. Now, everybody’s going to value things differently, which is fine. I’m just telling you how I value mine.
“If I’m Bron, you got to figure out a way to win. It’s not about narrative. You want to win championships, you just gotta figure it out.”
As far as one Twitter troll is concerned, the path Kobe took to his five championships and seven NBA Finals appearances was a lot easier than the one LeBron has had to embark on. Kobe respectfully disagreed, noting that the San Antonio Spurs teams he faced several times were as formidable as any of King James’ foes.
If @kobebryant was on the Heat/Cavs instead of @KingJames the past 6 years, and faced the 13', 14' Spurs & 15',16',17', 18' Warriors, hed have ZERO rings. Context is everything. https://t.co/4KqR6qvZo2
— Eric Salinas (@EricSal_7) June 11, 2018
WE had to face the Spurs EVERY post season pretty much. Not to mention the first super team in Boston but hey, what do I know https://t.co/VwAXmiEWdz
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) June 11, 2018
It seems like the G.O.A.T. debate is going to eventually come down to LeBron and Michael Jordan, though an argument can certainly be made for players like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. However, one Hall of Famer feels Kobe does not get the credit he deserves in discussions like that. We can almost guarantee Bryant agrees, though he would never come out and admit it.
