Poll: Where does Kobe rank among the NBA's greatest players?

[Jvalin]

No doubt Kobe was an all-time great. Supremely talented player. Fierce competitor. Closest thing we've ever seen to MJ (at least imo).

Two questions (couldn't include them both in the poll):
Where does Kobe rank among all time greats?
Where does Kobe rank among his contemporaries (guys he played against/with)?

I'll go first.

GOAT
Magic

GOAT candidates (in random order)
Wilt
Russell
Kareem
Bird
Jordan
Oscar
LeBron
in about 15 years' time, Luka

other players I'd take over Kobe (in random order)
Shaq
Dream
Duncan
KD

That's 12 names. Can't say I know enough about all the great players prior to the mid 90s (Jerry West and Moses come to mind). All things considered, I'd go with top 15 player of all time and the 7th best among his conteporaries behind MJ, LeBron, Shaq, Dream, Duncan and KD.

[Who]

Top 20. Maybe just inside top 15.

[GreenFaith1819]

Top 10.

I went first.

Can't discount the rings...the MVPs...the fire, determination...

Could probably go top 12..

[Roy H.]

Top 20. Maybe just inside top 15.

Agreed. I’d say Top 15.  Historically, I think he will be viewed behind multiple players from his era, most notably Duncan, Shaq and (later) Lebron.

Great killer instinct, extremely hard worker.  Bad teammate, a bit inefficient.

[Donoghus]

Back & forth btw top 10 & top 15.  He's right around that cusp.

[smokeablount]

I said 15 but I think one could make a case for 10 and even 20 too, which seems weird. 

[BASS_THUMPER]

i live in Cali

wrong thread but

ask them here..

he top 3.

I always worried bout KOBE when we (CELTICS) went in to his house..
after watching THE MUSE....mad respect for him


*sippin*

[nickagneta]

I would have him somewhere around 11-15. In no particular order I think these guys were definitively better than Kobe

Jordan
Bird
Magic
Kareem
Russell
Wilt
Shaq
Lebron
Hakeem
Duncan

Kobe is in that next group with

Oscar
West
Kobe
Moses
Durant???

[Surferdad]

I would have him somewhere around 11-15. In no particular order I think these guys were definitively better than Kobe

Jordan
Bird
Magic
Kareem
Russell
Wilt
Shaq
Lebron
Hakeem
Duncan

Kobe is in that next group with

Oscar
West
Kobe
Moses
Durant???

Kobe was better than Shaq (easily) and probably Duncan and maybe Wilt and Hakeem as well.  I give him the edge on Lebron, for now.  I voted him top-10 and I think he's around 7.

[smokeablount]

I would have him somewhere around 11-15.

I said 15 but I think one could make a case for 10 and even 20 too, which seems weird.

TP Nick, now I feel more justified with my statement.  The range is top 15, but one spot outside that range on either end is top 10 or top 16 aka top 20.

[NKY fan]

Wow you guys are severely under rating him. Easily top 5.

[Scottiej23]

I can't immediately think of 10 players clearly better than him. So top 10 seems about right. I don't think anyone could argue he is not at least in the top 20.

[PhoSita]

I went really in depth on all time greats a while back and he was like #13 for me.  I don't know why that would have gone up in the time since.

Maybe if you control for eras and significance to the game overall he would make top 10. 

The problem I always had with Kobe is I felt that he had a lot of seasons where he was a bit of a ball hog.  He was, arguably, never the best player on a team that won a title, even if he was the key "clutch" shot taker for most of his teams.  In my book the guy who won the Lakers that 2010 title was Pau.  Maybe Kobe was the best guy in 09.


Kobe to me was a guy who was always focused on being the greatest version of himself that he could be.  That's super admirable. 

But I think of him in contrast to Tim Duncan, who was always focused on what he could do to make his team the greatest version of itself that it could be.  Duncan elevated his teammates in a way that Kobe never did. 

Kobe's not in the tip top tier of all time players, for me, as a result of that distinction.

[slamtheking]

No doubt Kobe was an all-time great. Supremely talented player. Fierce competitor. Closest thing we've ever seen to MJ (at least imo).

Two questions (couldn't include them both in the poll):
Where does Kobe rank among all time greats?
Where does Kobe rank among his contemporaries (guys he played against/with)?

I'll go first.

GOAT: Magic

GOAT candidates (in random order):
Wilt
Russell
Kareem
Bird
Jordan
Oscar
LeBron
in about 15 years' time, Luka

other players I'd take over Kobe (in random order):
Shaq
Dream
Duncan
KD

That's 12 names. Can't say I know enough about all the great players prior to the mid 90s (Jerry West and Moses come to mind). All things considered, I'd go with top 15 player of all time and the 7th best among his conteporaries behind MJ, LeBron, Shaq, Dream, Duncan and KD.

well, Magic ain't the GOAT (Russell obviously) but I'd have him in my top 5.

in addition to those you listed as definitely better (11), I'd add West, Moses Malone, Dirk Nowitzki, Elgin Baylor, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Durant (when he's done).  Probably some more if I put my mind to it.

I'd put Kobe on the same level as Pierce -- great scorer (Kobe benefited from taking plenty of shots to get those points) that could play D when motivated and could facilitate offense when motivated.  Not good enough to win a title as the best player on his team -- needed a better big man to get his team across the finish line --  first Shaq and then Pau Gasol (yes, Gasol was the more critical player on those last 2 title teams)

[gouki88]

For me he’s top 15-20.

There are tiers of all-time greats for me.

1:
Bird
MJ
Russell
Kareem
Magic
LeBron

2:
Duncan
Oscar
Shaq
Hakeem
Wilt

3:
Oscar
West
Kobe
Moses
Curry

So top-15, off the top my head