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

[RPGenerate]

General consensus seems to be top 15, and I'm definitely in agreement. I could see arguments for top 10, but no way is he's in the top 5.

[Somebody]

12-15 range to me. Don't see him cracking the prestigious top 11, but I also don't see him dropping below the likes of West and Doctor J due to his longevity.

This is probably my top 15 list (in order, but I'm open to arguments ranking players in the same range differently):
Tier 1
LeBron James
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Michael Jordan
Bill Russell

Tier 2
Shaquille O'Neal
Hakeem Olajuwon
Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan
Wilt Chamberlain

Tier 3
Larry Bird
Magic Johnson

Tier 4
Oscar Robertson
David Robinson
Kobe Bryant
Karl Malone

[Roy H.]

12-15 range to me. Don't see him cracking the prestigious top 11, but I also don't see him dropping below the likes of West and Doctor J due to his longevity.

This is probably my top 15 list (in order, but I'm open to arguments ranking players in the same range differently):
Tier 1
LeBron James
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Michael Jordan
Bill Russell

Tier 2
Shaquille O'Neal
Hakeem Olajuwon
Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan
Wilt Chamberlain

Tier 3
Larry Bird
Magic Johnson

Tier 4
Oscar Robertson
David Robinson
Kobe Bryant
Karl Malone

Wilt belongs in Tier 1; I would argue that Larry and Magic belong there, too. Tier 3 for them is just silly to me.

[Roy H.]

Kobe was better than Shaq (easily)

Shaq was the best player on the Lakers during every championship he and Kobe won together.

[Somebody]

12-15 range to me. Don't see him cracking the prestigious top 11, but I also don't see him dropping below the likes of West and Doctor J due to his longevity.

This is probably my top 15 list (in order, but I'm open to arguments ranking players in the same range differently):
Tier 1
LeBron James
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Michael Jordan
Bill Russell

Tier 2
Shaquille O'Neal
Hakeem Olajuwon
Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan
Wilt Chamberlain

Tier 3
Larry Bird
Magic Johnson

Tier 4
Oscar Robertson
David Robinson
Kobe Bryant
Karl Malone

Wilt belongs in Tier 1; I would argue that Larry and Magic belong there, too. Tier 3 for them is just silly to me.

Don't think Wilt belongs there (overrated prime years due to scoring blindness, he was unable to blend scoring and passing together well for most of his prime) although he's solidly in the top 9 (imo they're in a class of their own). Bird and Magic have longevity issues that prevent them from going any further imo, although I do see an argument for them reaching Tier 2 f you look at their peaks in the best light (eg. Put them right beside the GOATs like Jordan and LeBron), which I don't buy.

[SHAQATTACK]

I d go 15-25 i guess

Theres been a TON of fantasic players of all time.

Mike is GOAT ....then there is everybody else in my book.

[Csfan1984]

I put him top 20 as I had a clear top 10 guys ahead of him as far as careers. 15-20 was rough for me as I saw more of Kobe but there were some very efficient and dominant guys in tougher eras than what Kobe played in. I have to really research playoff rosters vs elite players to put Kobe higher. I am a student of past 80s games but not a scholar of them.

[Moranis]

My rankings are something like this

Top 3 - Wilt, Lebron, Jordan

Next 4 - Kareem, Magic, Larry, Bill

Next 5 - Duncan, Hakeem, Shaq, Oscar, Moses

Next 5 - West, Durant, Garnett, Dr. J, Mailman

Kobe is probably next, but I'd listen to arguments on Robinson, Baylor, Barkley, Dirk, and Curry.  So somewhere in the 18 to 23 range all time right now and if Curry gets healthy and regains his form, I think he passes him up rather easily when all is said and done (not to mention someone like Giannis coming down the pipeline). 

Kobe had just 1 league MVP (and it isn't like Lebron wasn't the best player that season - Lebron scored more, rebounded more, assisted more, etc., it was just the writers weren't quite ready to crown the king).  There are legitimate arguments that he was never even the best player on a title team (he probably was in 09, but I do think Pau was better in 10).  As great players go, especially ones known for scoring, Kobe was pretty darn inefficient (his career best TS% was 58% and his average was 55%).  That compares very poorly with the other truly great players.  Lebron for comparison has a career TS% average of 58.6% (so better than Kobe's best season).  Harden, who seems to have that Kobe in him (offensively), has a career TS% of 61%.  Heck, if Harden ever breaks through and wins a title, even with his atrocious defense, I think he could pass Kobe on the all time lists given just how efficient a scorer he is (and every bit as prolific).  Harden clearly has perception problems, but his last few seasons have been truly impressive when you actually look at them.  He just suffers from the same affliction as the Mailman, Barkley, etc.

[nickagneta]

I think there is a legit argument that Kobe's MVP should have gone to Lebron or KG and that over half his All-Defense awards he got were undeserved.

[ETNCeltics]

lol at anyone who doesn't put Larry near the top.

And there's no describing the ignorance of someone who doesn't put Wilt near the top. No one approaches the things he did. If it should be somehow devalued because of the era he played in, then how is it no one else could do the things he did?

[GreenFaith1819]

I think all of Kobe's awards were well-earned.

Doesn't make sense - now - to try and discredit them.

[nickagneta]

I think all of Kobe's awards were well-earned.

Doesn't make sense - now - to try and discredit them.

Oh, believe me, I was discrediting his awards while he was getting them, not just now.

There is probably a long thread somewhere deep in the archives where most of this blog were openly bemoaning, deservedly so, that KG didn't get that MVP award. Discrediting his awards is not something new, not on this blog, not by me.

[GreenFaith1819]

I think all of Kobe's awards were well-earned.

Doesn't make sense - now - to try and discredit them.

Oh, believe me, I was discrediting his awards while he was getting them, not just now.

There is probably a long thread somewhere deep in the archives where most of this blog were openly bemoaning, deservedly so, that KG didn't get that MVP award. Discrediting his awards is not something new, not on this blog, not by me.

I think it is hard to beat those regular season stats from Kobe for that year.

KG was instrumental for BOS that year but from a defensive standpoint. KG did get DPOY, though.

Unfortunately - defensive stalwarts never win MVP awards unless they score a bunch. KG - by his nature - wasn't going to kill you with his offense.

[RPGenerate]

I think there is a legit argument that Kobe's MVP should have gone to Lebron or KG and that over half his All-Defense awards he got were undeserved.

I think CP3 also has just as strong a case as Kobe did in 2008, if not a better one.

[GreenFaith1819]

Kobe "probably" got a little media bump with that MVP award that year - first year contending without Shaq...trying to make a name for himself....they just got Pau......

I'm just glad for how it all turned out in the end.

Paul Pierce punched his own ticket to Finals MVP and his first banner AND BOS's 17th.