Magic Johnson Says Kobe Bryant Belongs In GOAT Convo With Michael Jordan, LeBron James

NBA legend Magic Johnson recently said that Kobe Bryant belongs in the GOAT conversation with Michael Jordan and LeBron James. 

Bryant won five championships, two Finals MVPs and one MVP with the Los Angeles Lakers. 

“Yeah because we know Kobe belongs in that conversation even today,” Johnson told Nitecast Media. “Kareem, Kobe and they all wore the purple and gold. So I think about what Kobe meant to the game of basketball worldwide and to me offensively he’s the second-best dude in terms of at that shooting guard, small forward positions behind Michael Jordan. When you think about scoring-wise nobody could stop Kobe just like nobody could stop Michael Jordan.”

One of the greatest players in NBA history, Kobe averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks in 1,346 regular-season games with the Lakers.

Kobe was an 18-time All-Star, a five-time champion, a four-time All-Star Game MVP, a two-time Finals MVP, a two-time scoring champion, a 15-time All-NBA Team member, a 12-time All-Defensive Team member and the 2007-08 MVP.

Kobe is fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He scored 33,643 points during his iconic career. 

“Offensively, Kobe stands out as one of the greatest,” Johnson said. “At the shooting guard position, or even as a small forward, he ranks just behind Michael Jordan. Regarding scoring, Kobe was virtually unstoppable, much like Jordan. His skill set, determination and ability to perform under pressure made him one of the most clutch players in NBA history. Kobe would be a top choice alongside Jordan if you needed one player to take the final shot with the game on the line. Both had the uncanny ability to either sink the shot, draw the foul, and calmly knock down the free throws to seal the victory. We witnessed Kobe do this countless times.”

Jordan, Bryant and LeBron are three of the best players in NBA history. They have combined to win 15 titles, 12 Finals MVPs and 10 MVPs.