Kobe Bryant | No. 6 | Nick Wright's Top 50 NBA Players of the Last 50 Years | What's Wright?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- Kobe Bryant checks in at No. 6 on Nick Wright's Top 50 list. The iconic shooting guard was league MVP, a two-time Finals MVP, and is still the Lakers' all-time leading scorer. For many, Kobe is in the discussion of the greatest player in NBA history thanks to his starring role in five different Lakers championship teams of the early 2000s.
#WhatsWright #NBA #KobeBryant
SUBSCRIBE to get the latest What's Wright? content: sprtspod.fox/wh...
Listen to What's Wright? podcast on Apple Podcasts: sprtspod.fox/Wh...
Listen to What's Wright? podcast on on Spotify: sprtspod.fox/wh...
The all-new FOX Sports App, built for the modern sports fan: tinyurl.com/y4...
► Club Shay Shay’s TH-cam channel: sprtspod.fox/Su...
► First Things First’s TH-cam channel: foxs.pt/Subscri...
► UNDISPUTED’s TH-cam channel: foxs.pt/Subscri...
► The Herd with Colin Cowherd’s TH-cam channel: foxs.pt/Subscri...
► Speak for Yourself’s TH-cam channel: foxs.pt/Subscri...
► FOX Bet Live’s TH-cam Channel: foxs.pt/Subscr...
► Titus & Tate’s TH-cam channel: foxs.pt/Subscri...
►The Skip Bayless Show TH-cam Channel: sprtspod.fox/SU...
Like What's Wright? on Facebook: / whatswrightshow
Follow What's Wright? on Twitter: / whatswrightshow
Follow What's Wright? on Instagram: / whatswrightshow
Follow What's Wright? on TikTok: / whatswrightshow
About What's Wright? With Nick Wright:
Hosted by sports personality and star of FS1’s “First Things First," What's Wright? With Nick Wright will see Nick dish his hot takes on the biggest topics in the world of sports, while sharing the behind-the-scenes of his family life. He'll play games, make lists, and most importantly, he'll tell you what’s Wright.
Kobe Bryant | No. 6 | Nick Wright's Top 50 NBA Players of the Last 50 Years | What's Wright?
• Kobe Bryant | No. 6 | ...
What's Wright? with Nick Wright
/ whatswrightshow
What's your favorite Kobe moment?
My favorite was when he air balled four shots in the playoffs vs jazz..
I like his series vs suns in 2010 wcf to me thats the best playoff series he played.
Lots of great moments and he played his whole career in the stacked western Conference. What has lebron ever done in the western Conference minus the bubble season? Do we even count bubble rings?
The 09 championship meant the most to me. I remember staying strong with the lakers as a kid from 03-07 with everyone saying they won’t win again. Especially 04-08 but winning G5 in Orlando meant the world to me as a Kobe/Lakers fan. & ‘10 was the cherry 🍒 on top with G7 vs Boston.
Kobe getting his last ring
Winning without Shaq
Thank you, Nick! As a Kobe fan nothing was more frustrating than defending Kobe from the "those first three championships don't count because Shaq carried him" arguments!!
@Tyler Holt Shaq carried Kobe Bryant in 2000 possibly.
@@saiyerugara9038true, that was the only and last time he did tho. After that first championship, Kobe was averaging 28ppg for the 2000-2001 season and in the playoffs that year he dominated averaging 29ppg, 7rpg, and 6apg, and the following year he averaged 26ppg. So yeah, Shaq carried Kobe only one year out of the 3peat Kobe/Shaq era Lakers.
Look up Shaq numbers during they 3 peat n u tell me who ment more to that team
Shaq was a great player before com to LA. No rings @@sportsfantastic361
@@saiyerugara9038 he was hurt in game 2, he missed game 3, he hits the game winner and takes over with Shaq fouled out in game 4, and in the clinching game he had 26. Obviously a prime shaq is better then 21 year old Kobe but to say he carried him is stupid. Especially considering Kobe was playing on one ankle
I will put Kobe at 5 instead of 6
AWESOME ranking Nick! I love seeing Kobe get some well deserved love. He’s absolutely top 5-6 ever. Great points to place him there. 👌🏻 favorite vid thus far as a big KB fan. keep doing your thing man! 🔥
Kobe tops Lebron in my book
But your book is just colouring in pictures, not an adults book so that's okay
Kobe top 5-6 if you started watching in the last 20 years and don't know the history of the game.
@@davidsyked9420 kobe tops a mount rushmore player in lebron 😂
Kobe def better than team hopping can't win without a superteam lebron
At least you got Kobe top 6. Casuals trying to not mention him in the top 10.
Yeah I’m impressed and surprised lol
He's like 9th
Bill Simmons probably 😏
This list is only for the last 50 years, not all time.
@@donfusilli true. I forgot.
One thing I learned the most throughout this Top 50 list is that Utah has it rough when it comes to the playoffs lmao
Kobe was a monster
i think Kobe > Duncan but there’s definite a conversation for duncan being over. Respect to Nick, a lot of dudes have Kobe lower than this when he in no way should be, good list. But yea if it was me i’d have duncan 6, then kobe at 5/4 (i could make an argument for bumping magic down)
Agreed. Kobhe also won 3 golds playing of rTeam USA.. Duncan meanwhile choked for team USA in 2004. Duncan lost to Puerto Rico, Liuania, and Argentina (biggest Choke job in history of USA). First non gold medal in 50 years for USA.
Credit to Nick for ranking Kobe #6, knowing anything about Nick throughout the years he wasn't rerally the biggest Kobe's fan sometimes just to prop up Lebron. I thought he would have been around 7-9
sympathy because he passed when kobe was alive nick took every chance to talk down on kobe to big up lebron completely unnecessary
I’m surprised he’s not 15 lmao
Well this is top 50 last 50 years he will prolly be 8 on nick all time list
@@edgabriel6639 yea true
@@PlutoJB98and people down talk lebron in favor of Kobe n Jordan 😂
Kobe 01,02,03,08,09, 2010 lead all these playoffs in 4th quater scoring 01 02 he was the best player in the west playoffs was the clutches player in all those playoffs 01 was putting up 35/9/4 47% 2nd round WCF 2001 avg 33/7/7 on 51% shooting 01,02,04 led every series to beat the Spurs Kobe was the better player in those playoffs don’t forget he was the best defender as well on his team man play maker and main scoring option a lot of times
Facts
Playmaker? Really, I think Kobe is a great player, but he had some issues, mostly inefficiency and some selfishness. He wasn't there to be a playmaker... and he wasnt.
Kobe was not better than Shaq in the Playoffs from 00-02
@@sideshowbobsaget8876 yes he was
@@sideshowbobsaget8876 He was better in the rounds leading up to the NBA Finals. Once the Lakers reached the NBA Finals Shaq always had the advantagous matchup and the Lakers played Hi-low through Shaq.
Good episode Nick, but TY was right about Kobe being the best from 2008-2010.
I think as a talent he was best from 2003-2007. But yes, going to the finals 3 straight years( 08-10) is a great achievement
Only from 2008? More like 2004...
He was the best from 2003-2011 to be honest
Kobe was the best probably form 01-2010 talent wise
@@sfmsyndicate8-243 agreed
This video is really well done. They all have been but this one made me remember some of those incredible playoff runs and finals. Rip Kobe.
For real, listening to it bring back all playoff series
8 was explosive, unrelenting rage. 24 was the GOAT. Mamba Forever.
Lol “THE GOAT” 😂
Michael Jeffrey Jordan all day
@@mess1ah8x92 I wouldn’t say it’s squirming. Actually it’s definitely not squirming. Making a case for Jordan over Kobe is about as easy as it gets. I could have Kobe ranked as high as 2nd all time. A total freak…. Just not better than Jordan
Kobe's teams vs Tim Duncan in the playoff series was 4 to 2.
Teams the key word.
For 3 of those 4 wins, Kobe had Shaq, Duncan had a 20 year old Tony Parker….
@@hardwoodthought1213 in 08 when it was Kobe’s team vs Duncan’s = gentlemen sweep
@@willardweston8984 Yep, and that’s Kobes greatest series ever.
In 1999 he swept and won 2003 when Duncan had mediocrity he got Kobe and Shaq. In 2003 Duncan literally made Kobe and Fisher cry on the bench, please go look it up 😂😂😂😂
This is facts people like to forget
@@dejon18 People also like to forget for 3 of those 4 wins Kobe had a top ten player ever in his prime next to him whilst Duncan had a 19-21 year old Tony Parker…
I personally think that Tim and kobe r better than magic mostly because Tim Duncan and kobe defense puts it over the edge so I'd have magic at 6 but still overall as long as kobe is top 7 I'm good with it. Glad Tim Duncan will be getting some love in the top 5 tho, great ranking
Magic is easily the best point guard in nba history in terms of achievements and how good he was right from the start.
If you’re the best player for a position, you are immediately ranked super high. Kobe isn’t the best shooting guard in nba history (although not his fault), but people do factor that in. I can show you that because the remaining 5 all fulfil that criteria:
Magic Johnson (best PG in history)
Michael Jordan (best SG in history)
LeBron James (best SF in history)
Tim Duncan (best PF in history)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (best C in history)
Bro really loved your take, i dont have Timmy ahead of Magic but you are right if I make that Defense argument to put Kobe over magic also should do it with Timmy, thanks for the eye opener
Nick go watch the 01, 02, 04, 08 Lakers vs Spurs playoffs when Kobe gave Duncan led teams the business 😮💨
Even 03, he averaged more points than shaq
Acting like they didn’t eliminate each other the same amount of times😅
@@jackwhelan3478 Kobe vs Duncan, 4-2 in the playoffs
@@willardweston8984 how many of those games did kobe have shaq? Tony and manu were awesome but nothing close to as impressive as shaq.
@@PipleZipletim had david robinson then tony and manu. Stop acting like he didnt have anybody 😴
Im honestly shocked he has Kobe ranked this high. I thought he'd have Kobe ranked 15th or something the way he usually talks about him
Kobe was 18-12 vs duncan in the playoffs too btw.
He was also his own teams 2nd best player for 3 of his 4 series wins, and in those 3 whilst Kobe had Shaq, Duncan had a 20 year old Tony Parker.
If head to head matters Dirk/Nash >>>> Kobe
Steph Curry is 12-6 against LeBron in the playoffs does that make him a better player than LeBron of course not.
And he outperformed duncan in those playoff seris as well
@@harinderrana9735 no but when you factor in that they have the same # of rings, and he has the upper hand on every single stat besides "efficiency" (wasn't a major factor in his prime) and reb and blocks. Kobe was more skilled, even in the post, he was more versatile and HAS A WINNING record against duncan in the times it mattered most, playoffs.
duncan also never won back to back or 3 peated.
obviously him having a winning record in the playoffs isnt the end-all be all, but it is something that doesn't get looked at or acknowledged when it absolutely should.
no one gives kobe the full respect he deserves. the guy has more all defensive and all FIRST team defenses than Tim Duncan, who was known widely as the best defender in basketball.
no one wants to talk about that though.
@@hardwoodthought1213head to head in the playoffs definitely matter, especially if its the western conference finals.
There are other ways to argue Kobe over Duncan, but that guy picked the worst reasons lol
there's no way. the facts are against you
One of the best to ever do it! Dope Video!
I feel some type of way wit yall puttin Ducan above Kobe... every player that was playing through Kobe Era says Kobe was the best player during that time.. Ducan was never considered the best player at any time in his career he was the best at his position but never reguarded as th3 best player by his peers
I have to disagree with you here. Duncan came into the league as a top 10 player, while Kobe worked to get to Iverson level for his 1st 8 years.
Duncan was the 2nd best big (pf/c) the very second he stepped on the court. Duncan won 2 MVPs during the Shaq/Kobe ever.
Kobe played 20 years and was the best player on his team for 10 max. Duncan played 20 and was the best for 18.
Nonetheless it's a coin flip between the two. Kobes peers say him and the same applies to Duncan's peers. Just because he didn't tell you that he was the best and didn't play in a big market shouldn't take away from how amazing Duncan was
Also never having a losing season, averaging 65% win rate, and having the most all time defensive team selections is probably the reason why he has him higher.
Those and the 2 MVPs are my reasons for having him over Kobe, even though I like Bean FAR more
I feel some type of way when you dont realize tim duncan beat prime shaq and kobe twice. once without a top 75 player
Duncan was better than Kobe from 99-05
I feel things about seeing Duncan or Kobe above Larry. You can make an argument for Kobe’s big game mentality, love Kobe, but in the end it’s fallacy and Larry’s clutch is enough for me and Duncan never, ever over Larry.
Kareem has 6 championships and only 2 Finals MVP.
Won MVP 6 times in an era where players voted and not media, Won MVP while missing the playoffs while Kobe isn't allowed to be MVP as a 7th seed according to critics.
Kareem played with one of the most stacked championship teams in history, played with 2 different Finals MVP in Magic and Worthy.
Kobe only played with Shaq.
Duncan played with 2 Different Finals MVP, Arguably 3 if you consider 2005 was Manu Ginobli getting robbed. Yes, his own Spurs coaches said he should have won Finals MVP over Duncan.
But to get back to Kareem, His Last 4 championship were all side kick level numbers or "bus rider rings" but all his championship count and Kobe averaging better stats at 21 are consider side kick bus rider rings and his 3 chips with Shaq is belittled but Kareems isn't all all, his top 5 status isn't knocked what so ever.
Kobe also beat Duncan 4 out of 6 playoff series and was arguably the best player in those playoff series Statistically and thru the eye test. Seeing all the intangibles as well, hustle, extra pass, deflections etc that isn't seen on the box scores.
Kobe also won 2 rings without a top 75 Teammate and had to validate his rings, a standard that was held to no other player when he played.
Personally, I have Kobe right behind Jordan based on his mastery of the game then all the other stars, accolades, peer opinions etc
No way. He doesn’t have the individual numbers that the guys above him have, and he doesn’t have enough finals mvps.
Imagine Lebron getting 3 rings and never winning a finals mvp for any of the 3 🤯
Kareem also won 4 more MVPz than Kobe 😂 imagine cherry picking that FMVP point and ignoring everything else
Well said, and I agree with everything that you said.
@hardwoodthought1213 who cares, those mvps don't mean as much when u look at who his rivals were and how watered down the league was cuz of the ABA, in ghe weakest era ever the dude had only 1 ring
Finally some commentary by a national sports analyst whether u like him or not , giving Kobe bean Bryant his due. I hardly ever hear anyone talk about Kobe’s 08-10 3 year run when he truly was the best on the planet . ( me personally I think Kobe was the best player in the league from 02-09 then bron took over ) Kobe use to lit up the best teams in the conference before they even went to the finals . Kobe was my goat , I’m 33 so I watched his entire career.
Wanted to see Kobe light up lebron in the finals but it had to be Dwight. The magic got smashed even though they beat Cleveland. Would’ve been even a worse beat down lol
@@M3_86 Cleveland had no answer for the Lakers front court, and nobody could defend Kobe. Kobe during that 2009 run was laser focused, he wasn't going to lose to anybody.
Kobe was the best from 2003-2010 but he was the undisputed best player amongst the league by NBA players and coaches in 2006.
@@koolkai4299 agreed. I just wanted a lakers Cleveland showdown just so lebron had a loss in the finals to kobe 🤣🤣
And to think back in 2017&2018 this dude did everything in his power to downplay Kobe maybe him growing hair made him grow sense finally #MAMBA
Its good to see Nick finally stopped his hate towards Bryant, but I wanted to say Kobe was the best player in the league from 04-10 in my opinion
One thing Nick or Chris didn't mention though is that out of the consensus top 10 list, Kobe is the only player who was drafted above 10+ (13th).
Don’t see how that’s relevant
@Sergio Zapanta
Why would they ever need to mention that? It does nothing.
@@hardwoodthought1213 its relevant because he wasn't really high regarded back then. They bullied him
@@solodolo4098 Expecststions don’t affect your actual impact, we don’t rank players higher than they should be simply because we didn’t expect them to be that good. People loved Kobe, they just weren’t comfortable drafted a guard out of high school, especially in a stacked draft class. Had he not been the first HS guard and had he been drafted in a weaker class he’d have gone too 5-7
@@hardwoodthought1213 nope he got bullied they admitted that they didn't want a high schooler. Imagine if he played earlier than benching him for two years, just imagine the milestones he could of achieved
Something I think gets overlooked when discussing Kobe and his scoring, and matters when you see some of the numbers from guys today, is when he put up those numbers.
For most of his career, the team average points per game was under 100 at about 98 ppg. The last 3 - 4 seasons it’s around 114 ppg.
Even Jordan, who had that major scoring drop in the NBA the last 3 seasons of his career to the low to mid 90s, played most of his career with teams averaging 110 or so. Kobe had just 2 seasons where the league managed 100 ppg, and just barely.
My top 3 is kobe, lebron, and Jordan. In that order idc idc idc. I saw what I saw
You must have been born after 1999 to see what you saw and make this comment.
@@michaelzhang7897 I just have my own opinion. I’m definitely biased but that’s who I would take if I was drafting all time
@@1kSedrick what year were you born in? I can understand your bias if you were born after 1999 which is most likely the case.
Duncan won 2 without a top 75 player
He did but not back to back like Kobe.
So did Curry
Kobe carried the Lakers in 2001, 2002 playoffs. Shaq qwnt against weak centers in the finals and emerged finals mvp. Kobe is the reason I watched basketball. He remains the GOAT in what I saw
Kobe was fantastic in those 2 playoff runs, but Shaq was maybe, and I mean maybe a tick behind him. But once the finals is added to it, it wasn't really close. And one of those years he destroyed mutumbo, can't call him a weak center
@@xcwilliams7980 I strongly agree. The problem is, the NBA doesn't credit the whole series. The focus is the finals matchup. I still believe Kobe was the best player.
@@kaisarimbisso5011 There is major context being ignored, namely that Shaq was doubled almost every touch. Kobe getting his in single coverage isn’t surprising, and 2000 alone proved Shaq could win with Kobe being mediocre
@@hardwoodthought1213 in 2000 Kobe was more of Middleton, Kyrie, to Shaq. But the next 2 years they were equally as good, but Shaq dominance no matter what the match up was, will always have him ahead of Kobe.
@@kaisarimbisso5011 Shaqs dominance always left him ahead of Kobe, and just about any player ever at the point of his career. Kobe had great stretches for sure, and he would've won the wcf trophy in 01, 04, and maybe 02 of they had one back then
He's somewhere between 2 and 5. I cant hate on #6 but I watched Kobe's entire prime(2000-13) and LeBrons entire career, I don't see how anyone can watch these two play and then conclude that Bron was better. Bron aint over Kobe, not close. I got Kobe 3 and Bron at 6.
Kobe beat Duncan 4 out 6 times in the playoffs and outplayed Duncan in most of them series
shaq*
@@justinyan7938 shaq wasnt there in 08 and they still got dominated just saying
@@dejon18 Yeah no Shaq but he had Gasol.
@@connormacleod1490 so what duncan out performed him just like he use outperform shaq kobe was ALWAYS the tl difference maker
@@dejon18 Gasol and Odom still helped Kobe a lot.
Nick, you and your LeBron man crush. Kobe was always better then leflop. You just need to face it.
I respect the ranking despite me disagreeing but I appreciate Nick showin Kobe love. He was definitely the best player in league hands down from at least 03 or 04 to 2010 or 11. It was him and Duncan. Shaq didn’t necessarily digress but that’s when he stopped taking his conditioning seriously. Then it was Him and Lebron who didn’t have the playoff success at the time so u had to give it Bean. Colorado definitely played a part in Kobe not being the face of the league but he was almost universally known as the best player in the league
Kobe was BY FAR THE BEST IN THE WORLD from 01-10 for a whole DECADE!
That was worldly recognition from players and peers as MAJORITY of fans knew that at the time even during that Colorado incident.
Even Shaq himself said that during the 3PEAT!!!
Thank you. Well said 💯💯💯
@@Mercurial. I actually agree with u I was just givin a lil room for an argument plus shaq was the best player for the first 2 titles. I think after the New Jersey series. Kobe was recognized as the best
Bron became the undisputed best in the 08-09 season
@@sbrnation7090
How is that when he got CRUSHED and shipped out and couldn't make the Finals where he was supposed to meet Kobe in finals matchups.
Couldn't get through D.Howard and had 6 TO a game 🤦🏾♂️
I'm so glad you included that last caller lmao such a bad take it didn't even get a full reply. But bad enough to still be included. Love it!
Imo 🐐
I agree with u Nick
I'm quite frankly shocked Nick put Kobe this high, I thought he'd be 12-15
Bruh nick don't hate Kobe like tht y'all dragging it
Sorry i can never put Duncan in front of KOBE 🖤💜💛
2006-2008, Kobe was the best player in the league. Ironically it was Kobe's first title run with Pau that I felt Lebron was the best player in the league - carrying that Cavaliers squad to 66 wins and he further confirmed it the following year when they again had the best record in the league with 61 wins. But if the playoffs are where you separate the men with the boys, then you can definitely argue Kobe was still better than Lebron and I was sure had the 66 wins Cavs met the 65 win Lakers in 2009, the Lakers would have taken them out in no more than 6 games. 2010 was where I was legitimately worried about the Cavs - more than any other team in the league and Boston took them out for us. But of course by 2010-2011, there was no question anymore who was the best - which was Lebron
06-10
2005-2012
Kobe was low key the best until he tore his achilles
@@teedee1167 Trust me when I say I was a Laker fan since the 1994-95 season so I watched all of Kobe's seasons. By 2010/2011 he could no longer be considered the best. In fact, that year, I would have had Kobe 4th behind Lebron, Wade and Rose. In 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, he was third behind Lebron and Durant
Kobe was the best player until 2011
also as a kobe stan i'm okay with people ranking duncan ahead of kobe.
Kobe knew that when Tim won his 5th ring...it was a wrap for him in the all-time rankings.
He admitted as much when he was asked about it. But considering how many players there are in NBA HISTORY...it's not like top 10 is an insult or something.
no that never happened. no player ranks duncan over kobe. just media retards do
😂😂😂 Kobe terrorized Tim in the playoffs . Stop it even Tim knows he ain't on Kobe level
@@Carolinagunsmoke I said what I said.
He never said that so you said wrong
@@C.T-fl9sd He did. So YOU'RE wrong
Kobe is the only player in the top 10 to win multiple championships without another top 75 player. Kobe more all time defense first teams than lebron. Kobe faced more 50 and 60 plus win teams in the playoffs than lebron and has a better record against them.
Kobe is far more influential and has had a bigger impact on the game and inspired so many more athletes than Tim Duncan. Kobe without Question better than Duncan who by the way had the luxury of playing his whole career with HOF players and coach. Kobe on the spurs would be their number 1 option over Duncan, enough said.
Very true but you can make the debate paul deserves to be there.
Also he won one of his chips against a team that does not have a top 75 player on the list. I would argue that dwight deserves to be there though.
@@Christopher._M that magic bested lechock's 66 win playoff team in the playoffs lmao
Lebron beat a 73 win team in historic fashion without a top 75 player.
Kobe also lost against the pistons in 04, who had not one top 75 player but the Lakers had 4 🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️
@@anthonydexter3527 sure, and lebron didn't even make the play ins with 4 top 75 guys on the roster this year.
I'm well aware they had injuries but even when they played together they didn't have a great record.
@@Christopher._M
Pau is NOWHERE near being a top 75 player as he had NEVER even one 1 playoffs series before he joined Kobe who made Pau a WINNER!
If Dwight isn't in the 75 then Pau definitely shouldn't be in there.
Pau was a an All star at best while Kobe was a SUPERSTAR as THE BEST IN THE WORLD!
#LEVELS
Not mentioning Pau when talking about the last two titles for Kobe is insane for sure. BUT I think people really sleep on just how impressive it was to take that 08-10 roster to the finals 3 straight times, win two of them, and do so in the western conference. This was a time in which the OKC Thunder were coming up BIG in the West, the dynastic Spurs team was still going strong, and CP3 was in the Hornets just to give teams some extra trouble. And he got that far with a roster in which his best teammate has a worse case for the HoF than Manu Ginobili??????? Insanely underrated. No player has come close to such a feat since.
Pau Gasols HOF case isn’t worse than Manu.
Gasol made 5 All-NBA teams to Manu’s 2. Gasol led his own team to the playoffs whilst Manu never rose above backup status. Gasol has just as good an international resume considering Manu did nothing outside his anomaly 04 season. Pau also had better longevity and a better peak.
Gasol was a top 15 player all 3 finals runs, as evidence by the fact he made All-NBA each season. Duncan won 4 titles without an all-NBA teammate
@@hardwoodthought1213 You're actually right on that. Not even gonna lie. Forgot that Pau did actually have some success in Memphis before joining that Lakers squad.
But I feel Pau and Ginobili are viewed similarly in terms of where they rank all time. Most people would put Tony Parker over Pau for sure. Duncan's teams were definitely better. So were most championship teams, which is really the more important point I'm trying to make. And as far as taking a team of that level to the championships multiple times...I think Kobe is alone in that conversation. The fit in that team was next level though, all those players played GREAT off of each other.
@@beefyboi64 Most people would put Tony Parker above Pau Gasol??? LMAO who are these people, casuals??? KOBE DIDN'T EVEN LEAD THOSE GASOL/KOBE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS IN WINSHARES -- GASOL DID.
Actually Steph Won 2 Chips without a Top 75 player also. RIP Mamba. Best Skilled player I've seen & that's including Jordan. Jordan like Lebron just had better physical attributes. Kobe worked for everything.
I think they did the list before the final. So we didn’t know curry was gonna do it. But Stephen is right there
@@cjt9264 Valid point
Steph also has arguably the best gm in the league during the last 8 years whereas Mitch Shitchuk couldn’t surround Kobe with anything until he ripped Memphis off for Gasol
Shout out to Steph who is a great player in his own right but with that being said let's get into it.
You talking bout how Curry won without a top 75 player sounds good until you realize Isiah Thomas did it while WINNING BACK TO BACK CHAMPIONSHIP'S.
Or do you want to talk about how Hakeem Olajuwon won in 94' WITHOUT a single all-star or another HOF player?
But that wasn't enough, you get desperate and go after the BIG FISH and say how " Curry is the most skilled player you ever seen & that's including Jordan "......well the problem with that is when y'all be talking about " skills " I've notice the conversation is VEEEEEEEEERY LIMITED and what I mean by that is I GUARANTEE you're mainly talking about shooting and dribbling THAT'S IT!!.....when you talk skills you got to bring EVERYTHING A PLAYER BRINGS TO THE TABLE OFFENSIVELY & DEFENSIVELY, don't try to " hand pick " certain skills....now ya boy Curry is looking like a PION next to Jordan & Lebron.
Another thing too, Curry benefit from a weak defensive era ( not saying it's his fault ) but he do benefit from it. If you were to drop Curry in the late 90's & early 2000's where the defensive metrics were at a all-time high, you'll see him shooting 32, 33% from 3.
A prime example, go look at how the Celtics did Durant ( a player who is more skilled then Curry ) this past playoff run with the physical play, with physical play and different looks they were giving him, they made him look like a average player, he was struggling just to get 20 points.
Even Luka Doncic said how the Euro League was harder then the NBA today, but I can tell you being the fan you is...... YOU'LL LOOK PAST IT!!
You don't never ask yourself WHY EVERYBODY say how Jordan would average 45 to 50 points a game in THIS ERA?🤔
Not saying Curry isn't a great player cause he is but when you take in all the different zone packages on top of the physical play defensively with guys players being able to put their hands on you.......THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING!
Steph is the "best skilled" player you've ever seen??? You need to watch more basketball lol I agree he is the best 3 point shooter of all time. That's literally 1 skill but yes he's tremendous at it. Lol but can he defend? Ha he ever taken on the best player on opposing team? Can he Rebound? He's not even a great passer for a guard. He's not top 10 in my opinion. You can't be top 10 and be one dimensional. You gotta remember he has a nice team setup around him. When Klay was out was gsw that good?
All big Kobe fans for sure have him top 2.
Any regular Kobe fans have him top 5.
Some haters have him top 10
Then there's the degens who have him under 10
Kobe is clearly top 5. He doesn’t want to put him as top 5 because he’s a Bron fan
He really isn’t, and had this been all time instead of 50 years Kobe would be 8th all time
@@hardwoodthought1213
So he's not?
Tho THE ONLY MVP IN NBA HISTORY with 6 Finals is a top 5 player and ahead of Kobe huuh 🤡
@@Mercurial. speak English, not sure what your point is even supposed to mean
@@hardwoodthought1213
Ohh so u suddenly got amnesia and couldn't COMPREHEND who's that player is ahead of Kobe on Nick's list? 😭😅
@@Mercurial. You mean James? Because if you did you should have put 6 finals LOSSES.
4 MVPs >>> 1 MVP
4 FMVP >>>> 2 FMVP
10 finals as your teams best player >>>>>>>>>> 3 finals as your teams best player
18 All-NBA >>>>>> 15 All-NBA
Better averages in PPG, RPG, APG, SPG, BPG, FG%, 3P% in both regular and post season >>>>>> Kobe
Not even close
If you listen to nick wright your nba credibility is non existent
Should be No. 2 in between Bron and Jordan
So Kareem doesn't exist in your multiverse? Its Jordan, LeBron, Kareem.
@@rickbrees3297 He's 4
Kobe was the best player in the league from the time Shaq left to when Pau Gasol arrived easily. Unfortunate waste of a prime surrounded by a terrible team. Sad.
False the best player in the league went from Shaq to Lebron
@@KyleMacSkill incorrect
@@KyleMacSkill lechock wasn't best till kobe got hurt kid. lmao
@@ultraego1892 lol revisionist history cause the guy passed I get it, everyone who knows basketball knows how inefficient Kobe was - most misses in NBA history by a mile.
Kobe was THE BEST PLAYER in the world by far from 01-10 as he WON, scored and DOMINATED more then any other player during that DECADE!
Even Shaq himself during that 3PEAT Kobe was the best in the world!!!
That last guy talking was totally wrong
I love Timmy D but I must ask, was he the primary decision maker on any of his teams?
@Fire Haze he literally lead his team in assist . Casual
@@eh697 that doesn't mean he was the decision maker casual
In 03 Duncan won a title averaging 11 more PPG than his 2nd option, lead SA in assists as a big and was the leagues best defender.
What are you smoking? Of course he was 😂 man won in 03 without even an All-Star teammate whilst Kobe never got past round 1 unless Shaq or Pau made All-NBA
1.Michael Jordan
2.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3.Kobe Bryant
4.Magic Johnson
5.LeBron James
Those are the 5 greatest players in NBA history
Higher than I expected from Nick, lower than my own perspective and opinion.
Not a bad spot though.
I know hes a huge lebron fan but i respect him for great talk on Kobe 💯💯💯
you didn't respond to brussard's question
Most 1st Team All-Defense selections = Kobe, Jordan, Payton, and Garnett tied with 9
I got Kobe 6th as well on my list. In fact our lists are very similar in the top 10
@Meko Kobe my favorite all time but Magic transcending bro
@Meko yes. Sometimes greater and better are the same thing when comparing players and sometimes it's different. I think you could argue Kobe was a better basketball player. But to me Magic was greater and I weigh that slightly more when coming up with a ranking. But its all subjective anyway. If someone has Kobe ahead of Magic I wouldn't argue against it.
I respect that I think he’s 5th cuz of his defense + skill level all around. Sneaks pasts Tim for 5
Kobe number 1 of any ever played.
Kobe CLAPPPED 2010 BOSTON Super Team with no 75 player while the Celtics had 3 top 75 players is Kobes greatest achievement. kobe was the best player in the world from 2006 to 2010 EASILY! Remember the 2008 Olympics? That REDEEEM team was led by KOBE it was his team he was the best player on that team. He was the best player in the world it was not really close.
He also lost in 04 with 3 other top 75 players to a team that had none
Goes both ways, top 75 is such a dumb measure, before this season you couldn’t even make the argument.
KG was injured in 2010, whilst Gasol made All-NBA and was one of the 15 best players in basketball.
@@hardwoodthought1213 It does goes both ways. Boston was STACKED and was a reason LBJ ran to MIAMI because he could not deal with them. Kobe beat them!!! Pau was no scrub but Boston had BIG 3 Rondo, Tony Allen. Boston had the better team. This is similar to beating the GSW with KD team. Those celtics were STACKED.
Duncan won in 2005 and 2007 without a top 75 player
thats not going back to back
@@andrewojeda250 he said he was the only person to win multiple championships without a top 75 player. He never mentioned back to back
manu,parker?
@@kelseyreganit8383 Don't think they made the top 75.
Kobe Bryant is the only player ever to win back to back titles without top 75 player of all time
LEBRON is the GOAT.
All-Time scoring record.
Only player in 30K-10K-10K.
Beat better teams in the Finals.
Won for 3 different team.
Won rings in different decades.
8-Straight Conference Champs.
Most All-NBA selection.
Most All-Star selection.
Idc who’s list it is… Kobe is LOCKED Top 5.
No Debate.
Nah. Kobe not top 5
Justify it
Shooting percentages called bro
@@hadiaskari1044 Kobe blocked that call 😂
You can make the argument that Kobe is ahead of LeBron:
5 rings to 4, plus two rings where Pau Gasol was the second best player, so two tougher rings to get.
9X All-NBA Defense 1st Team, to LeBron's 5X, so twice the defender. Slam Dunk Champion
2 X Scoring Champ, to LeBron's 1 and scores 81 in a game, and 60 in his last game (LeBron: 61 best)
Whatever your opinion is....Kobe being ranked 6th on A Nick Wright List who before the podcasts and talk shows literally tweeted, "I enjoy seeing Kobe fail" Also, in 2012 having Kobe 5th all time not just last 50 years .....this video is equivalent to a top 3 ranking. Argue with who you want. The dude historically doesn't like him so not bad.
Kobe the only to win back to back chips without a top 75 player
Gasol is way more of a top 75 player then AD
@Carlos Cotman
Pau Gasol is easily a Top 100 player.
Nick… Kobe is 3 or 4! You geekin’ yo
You're really taking him over Magic?
@@USALeonHeart yes Kobe was 9X all defense 5 championships Kobe Bryant dropping 40 was a regular occurrence Kobe is a better player than magic
Bro they really added that CJ guy who made the worst case for Kobe ever. Where they find this guy
Kobe is #3 or 4 not 6 n btw he's got 8 clutch playoff shots not 1 i kno them all by heart
Top 5
He still leaving something's out like Kobe did all that why why checking the best player on the other team most of the time and the fact that he wanted to check the best player on the other team he was being double team and triple team while he was doing that I'm glad to see Nick giving KB some Love because we all know he's a LB guy👏👏
He Ave 25 in reg season and 25 in playoffs. He didn't elevate in the postseason
So, where is Kobe if he won only 4 titles? Many think the Kings Lakers series was fixed. I don't know if that is true 100%, but I have suspicions. Then that 3 peat never happens.
How does that affect Kobe's legacy?
What about in 2007 Robert Horry pushed Steve Nash on the score table and Amar'e Stoudemire got suspended for no reason .. don't you know that Tim Duncan has a problems with Amar'e Stoudemire in that playoff series? Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs got a pass to beat the suns to get back to the finals to win his fourth ring? Is that question of Tim Duncan's Legacy?
Pay attention to your own reasons why you mistakenly rank Kobe behind Tim Duncan. He beats him more with Shaq and even more without him in the playoffs. Duncan had 4 HOF’s (Robinson, Ginobli, Parker & Leonard) with him throughout his career whereas Kobe had 2 (Shaq and Pau) and Kobe was dominate from 2000-2012 where Duncan was the 2nd or 3rd best player on his team by his last title victory. On another note Kobe was the best player in the league in 2006-2010 and If argue that when the league was predominately dependent on the big man still in 2000-2005 Kobe was the best non Center/PF in basketball. Kobe is top 5 without question. I’d argue he should be ahead of Magic and LeBron but I’ll save that for another time.
He was the 3rd best player on his last title win? Lol wtf you smoking...
I might mistaken but wasn’t AI the MVP in 2001 so how was Kobe the best non center that year
@@cameronartis-payne1920 No doubt AI won the award. But I’d argue that Kobe was the better player. AI was in the inept East dominating while Kobe was in the West going against the best teams. Kobe spanked AI nearly every time they met in the 2000’s. Kobe was defending and was the better offensive player that year and throughout their careers.
@@drae1976 The HOF argument is so weak. Kawhi didn’t even make an All-Star team until Duncan’s last season, Robinson made 1 All-NBA team in the 6 seasons he played with Duncan.
Manu/Parker COMBINED for 6 All-NBA teams in 35 seasons played with Tim, Gasol alone made 4 in his 7 seasons with Kobe.
There are levels. Duncan’s help is historically weak for someone who won as much as he did. Legit only player to win multiple titles without a current All-NBA teammate and he did it 4 times, Kobe never did it
Of course Duncan is ahead of Kobe, why wouldn't he be?
Duncan has same number of Chips, more Finals MVPs, AND more Regular Season MVPs.
you didn't watch nba. I can tell 1000% lmao kid stop smoking
@@ultraego1892 I’ve watched since 97.
Duncan was better.
Just to let you know Nick, there's a video interview of Lebron in 08 literally calling Kobe the best player in the game...just saying 😌 🤷
Giannis just called LeBron the best player in basketball, you agree with that?
@@hardwoodthought1213 I do actually....regardless in 08 Kobe was coming off an mvp season, a finals appearance and an Olympic gold medal. So there was much more substance behind it. 🤫
Giannis great player. Not better then Steph.
5 greatest
1. Jordan
2. Kobe
3. Shaq
4. Steph
5. LeBron
Duncan was great, but none of his teams ever went back to back....so he was great...consistently great, but he was NEVER dominant. Kobe 3peated with shaq, and went to 3 str8 finals without shaq winning 2 of 3......how ppl put Duncan over kobe is baffling to me. But to each their own....🤷🏾♂️
I don’t get it either man…. While they were playing the majority of people thought Kobe> Duncan
Duncan won 3 in 5 years and was two plays (Fisher 0.4 and Manu foul) from getting to another 2 finals.
Only Kobe fans boost this back to back.
Fine, Kobe never won back to back MVPs, Duncan did.
Bird also never repeated.
And no, no one thought Kobe was over Duncan before 05.
@@hardwoodthought1213 Duncan also had 2....and even 3 other hof standing next to him, and he didn't have to be the best player on his teams.....and not to discredit him at all because he was absolutely great, but being dominant is a valid point. We don't need boost anything for kobe because we watched the games!! Back to back mvps in the regular season is great, but that was never argued, and that's won by ppl voting....I said specifically HE WAS NEVER DOMINANT......you can argue opinions
@@hardwoodthought1213 When u compare them in the same era Kobe was more dominated. In the 00’s Kobe went to 7 Finals (5-2) on 2 completely different rosters while also having a complete rebuild in the middle. Kobe 4-1 All time when they met in their primes in the playoffs w/ Kobe almost always torching the Spurs as the best player in the series.
Shaq was the guy from 99-02, Duncan from like 02-05, and Kobe from 05-10. When people consider whose era the 00’ and early 10’ Was the majority said Kobe>Duncan…. I don’t get how that changes for sum years later when both haven’t played another game
@@hardwoodthought1213 Also Kobe’s 3 straight Final runs (something Duncan never did but Kobe did twice) without Shaq from 08-10 was insane… don’t try downplaying it. Kobe:
2)won b2b Finals,
3)won b2b FMVP,
4)only player in NBA history to score 600 plus points for 3 consecutive years in the playoffs
5)scored the most point in NBA history by any player in a 3 year stretch in the playoffs,
Kobe did all this playing tuff comp in the West. For perspective Kobe beat more 50 win teams in the West in this 3 year stretch than Magic did his entire career. During this 3 year stretch Kobe avg 30.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 5.6 APG in the West. And if you look at the WCF in this stretch Kobe gentleman’s swept the defending champ Spurs in their prime in 08’, beat a prime Melo led Nuggets 09’ (Kobe avg 34) and the Powerhouse Suns led by 2 time MVP Nash and Stoudemire in 10’. Kobe in the WCF in this 3 year stretch avg 32.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 6.1 APG on near 50-40-90 shooting splits. Don’t try minimizing that run 😂
Thank you Nick ! I love Kobe. I thought you would’ve put him lower. Number 6 is about right. Can’t wait for 1-5. I think I know where you’re going.
1. Lebron
2. Jordan
3. Kareem
4. Wilt
5. Duncan
?
Wilt is "too old" to be on his list. He hasn't mentioned "Magic" yet.
@@jonseversike replace wilt with magic and you are probably wright
Yes. How could I forget Magic ! He’s # 4
Before this list I think he had Jordan 3rd. Let’s see if he moves him up to 2nd after some more research.
He might leave him at 3 for the views (jk)
Yeah that’s definitely his top 5 lol
I still wouldn’t put him behind lbj
Skip Bayless has Lebron currently ranked at #9 in his top 10.
And deservingly so!
Why do media say kobe was not the best but NBA greats such as A.I or Grant Hill or Shaq or Stephen Jackson & Matt Barnes & Jim Jackson & So on & So all say he was the best! Of that overall era. If u say who was the best during the 2000s its Kobe Shaq then Duncan ... Duncan won 03/05/07 in that 6 yr span if you wanna count 99 for career purposes sure never regarded as the best. Kobe won 5/7 frm 2000-10 7 Finals in a 10 yr span & won 5
Nick has to down play Kobe to protect Lebron, it's easy because Kobe is not here to protect his legacy, everybody knows Nick is out of Lebron camp, if you ask Nick want Lebron had for breakfast he will tell you, he can make a call and find out
Total Achievements: (Titles / MVPs / Finals MVPs / 1st All-NBA / 1st All-DEF / Scoring Titles)
1) Jordan = 46
2) LeBron = 31
2) Kareem = 31
4) Kobe = 30
5) Duncan = 28
6) Wilt = 23
7) Magic = 20
8) Russell = 19
9) Shaq = 18
10) Bird = 17
11) Hakeem = 16
12) Durant = 15
There's a bunch of players with 14 Achievements.
Stephen Curry has 13 Achievements.
At the age of 27, Giannis has the best shot to make it into the Top 10...he already has 12 Achievements
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@tyjohnson3111 Yeah Curry isn't quite there yet
@@FreedomFighter2112
Explain to me how a scoring title is equal to an All Star or All NBA nod. Please in detail.
@@tyjohnson3111 All-Star isn't included. A scoring title is won by 1 player in the entire NBA
@@FreedomFighter2112
Sorry for my mistake.
I also mentioned All-NBA.
How does that equate to a scoring title?
How does being All-Defense equate to being an MVP?
How does being DPOY equate to being FMVP?
the CJ guy at the end made me laugh
2002-2011 kobe was the best player in the league
Kobe 4-2 vs Duncan in the playoffs
that last guy is a certified clown
15:33 idk when this was recorded but Curry just pulled off that same feat
Kobe! Kobe! Kobe! 🐍
He has two Game 7 losses that if they had ended up being wins would give him 7 rings and probably GOAT. 2 games out of a 20-year career.
He actually only lost one game 7 his whole career and that was to phoenix
Kobe was the best from 03 to 10. ask the players who played in that Era 😉
Can't miss the playoffs and eliminated in the 1st rd while u the best player alive for 3 years at his apex. That's the worst apex of any all time great player
Didn’t even finish top 2 in MVP voting until 08, but now in 03 as his teams 2nd option he was the best 😂😂😂
BS. From 01-10 for a DECADE he had it all!
@@riracks
U mean "apex" as in losing to The Mavs with a Super Team and losing to JJ.BAREA and The Jet as THE WORST Finals series performances in NBA HISTORY or being THE ONLY MVP IN NBA HISTORY with 6 finals during his "peak" of 8 years in a era of THE WEAKEST EAST EVER 🤡
@@riracks who was on his team starting? Smush Parker? Chris Mihm? What other all stars did he have that year? Also Kobe played his whole career in the stacked Western Conference. What has LeBron done in the western Conference other than the 2020 bubble season? Do we even count bubble rings?
Kobe vs Duncan isn’t a discussion. It’s Kobe and it’s easily.
The Laker fan did a terrible job explaining. But he was right that Duncan had FAR MORE stability. He never had anyone as good as Shaq, of course. But. I’d take 19 straight seasons of very very very good supporting and coaching over the roller coaster that Kobe dealt with, even if it did include Shaq.
How has SA and Pop looked without Duncan? I can name a dozen teammates of Tim who have said he was the stability, he was the culture. You know why Kobe had no stability? Because he was an awful leader and teammate until he got Pau, who tried to leave the team 3 separate times, demanded max money when washed, forced out Shaq, Jackson, Howard, isolated teammates, refused to mentor future All-Stars. All things Duncan wouldn’t and didn’t do.
@@hardwoodthought1213 the argument isn’t “who was easier to get along with”. It’s who was better at playing basketball.
The Spurs lost Duncan, as well as Parker, Ginobili, and Kawhi in a short time frame. Let’s not pretend they just lost Duncan and fell off the map. That isn’t the reality.
@@stevenellis99Did Duncan leave yesterday? Pop has had what, 7 seasons without Duncan now to figure it out. In that time what has he done? Meanwhile LA, that shambolic franchise who couldn’t give Kobe stability won a title like 4 years after Kobe retired.
Duncan impacted winning more than Kobe hence he was the better player.
@@hardwoodthought1213 that reply wasn’t nearly as meaningful as you think. What great players have the Spurs had since all those guys (again, not JUST Duncan) left? The Spurs haven’t struggled because they lost Duncan. They’ve struggling because they haven’t had any great players since then😂.
You’re comparing two franchises.
The Spurs lost Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, and Kawhi all around the same time. Haven’t gotten any stars sense and they’ve struggled.
The Lakers lost Kobe and Gasol. They signed LeBron and traded for Anthony Davis.
Youre putting Duncan ahead of Kobe SPECIFICALLY because the Lakers have been able to bring in new superstars while the Spurs haven’t 😂. That makes NO SENSE WHATSOEVER.
@@stevenellis99 That’s quite obviously not my argument for Duncan >> Kobe.
However, your entire response exactly disproves your initial point. The Spurs and Pop were not some great franchise capable of winning, outside of 1997-2016. Those years coincide with Duncan being drafted and retiring.
The Lakers and Phil Jackson, who you claim failed Kobe somehow, had a winning window far exceeding the 20 years Kobe played.
In short the evidence is clear that the Spurs outside the years Duncan played have struggled, dispelling this myth of best coach and franchise whilst LA have had no issues without Kobe. The Spurs didn’t provide Duncan with stability, he provided them with it.
Kobe was the reason I started to love the game; his ranking is 100% fair and balanced; personally i have bird ahead of him (still top 10), but almost wholeheartedly agree with the analysis
stop lying kid. you are bos fan and hates kob
No way Kobe is better than Shaq or Hakeem
who was that noob with those comments at the end, spurs/pop when duncan joined were definitely not the spurs today. pop was new n spurs kept never made a single finals with Drob.
Top 3 for me
My question for this whole list (and in general for all lists I’ve ever seen) is why is there never any players from the ‘04 pistons ever mentioned in all time lists? I mean I know they didn’t have any transcendent players but Ben Wallace is an all time great defender and I believe is deserving to be at least an honorable mention or a very low spot
u think ben wallace should be on a top 50 list?
@@tajmula671 top 50 no, top 75 yes
1 title, no clear best player, that 1 title did come against an all time great team with 2 top 10 all time players, but as even Chauncey will tell you, that win had a lot more to do with Kobe being unable to keep his ego in check than them actually being a better team.
There were some really great players on that team, but there’s been a ton of absurdly talented players in the last 50 years.
CJ from LA don't know what he's talking about 😆 I've always said Duncan was pretty much disrespected and under rated because he's not flashy or vocal. But TD was first pick overall and Kobe came out of high school but wasn't even a starter. Greg pop was not considered the greatest coach of all time at the time until spurs started winning titles because of TD. Kobe had shaq who was a monster in his prime. And let's not forget Phil Jackson who was considered the greatest coach at the time TD did it with Avery Johnson and the tail end of the Admiral. And then did it again with Tony Parker and Manu. And then later with the addition of kawhi. TD run went thru the Lakers in their prime against okc against the suns and pistons that beat the lakers also put a beat down on Miami heat. Kobe was amazing don't get me wrong but I do have TD above him. I actually feel like nick has Kobe a little high. But I understand he's factoring longevity as well.
👏 Nick ✌️
That was utter revisionist history from that clown! 😂😂