When it comes to the perennial GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debates in basketball, the names Michael Jordan and LeBron James often dominate the conversation.
However, Lakers legend Byron Scott believes that if Kobe Bryant were still with us, those discussions would pivot towards Jordan and Bryant, not James.
In an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, Scott expressed his perspective on the ongoing GOAT debates. “I think they would probably be talking about more of Michael and Kobe,” he said. “I think, like you said, it was an untimely death. I think a lot of people forgot how great Kobe was.
“And it’s not taking anything away from LeBron James. I think LeBron James is one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen. One of the greatest humanitarians in the NBA as well. I mean, he’s done so much for the community, especially in Cleveland, Ohio.”
Scott, who played alongside and against some of the greatest players in NBA history, acknowledged the greatness of all three players.
He also highlighted the generational gap as a factor influencing the GOAT debate. “But when it comes to the GOATs, to me there’s a few guys you got to talk about,” he said. “Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to me is one of those guys that is often not mentioned, and I think a lot of that’s because of the generational gap.
“But MJ, I played against MJ, I know how great he is. Kobe had that same killer mentality. And LeBron is up there as one of the greatest. But when you talk about the greatest of all time, I think it’s kind of hard to really justify who is the greatest because of the eras that they played in.”
