Oct 27, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry warms up before taking on the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Lakers Legend Responds To Controversial Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant Ranking

Originally posted on Golden State Warriors on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 12:49 PM ET

The NBA is filled with debates about who the better player is between any given pair, and while the most common comparison is between Michael Jordan and LeBron James for the greatest of all time, there are plenty more conversations to be had.

Bleacher Report recently released their "Top 100 NBA Players of All Time" ranking, and even the order of the top 20 has ruffled some feathers.

Via Bleacher Report: "TOP 100 NBA PLAYERS OF ALL TIME

1️⃣ MJ
2️⃣ LeBron
3️⃣ Kareem
4️⃣ Magic
5️⃣ Russell
6️⃣ Shaq
7️⃣ Duncan
8️⃣ Bird
9️⃣ Wilt
Steph
11 Kobe
12 Hakeem
13 KD
14 Oscar
15 West
16 KG
17 Jokić
18 Dirk
19 David Robinson
20 Dr J "

TOP 100 NBA PLAYERS OF ALL TIME

1️⃣ MJ
2️⃣ LeBron
3️⃣ Kareem
4️⃣ Magic
5️⃣ Russell
6️⃣ Shaq
7️⃣ Duncan
8️⃣ Bird
9️⃣ Wilt
Steph
11 Kobe
12 Hakeem
13 KD
14 Oscar
15 West
16 KG
17 Jokić
18 Dirk
19 David Robinson
20 Dr J

FULL B/R STAFF RANKINGS HERE: https://t.co/P8hSoAoE1R pic.twitter.com/kq47DdXzYC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 14, 2025

Of course, many fans will point to different players that they disagree with, but Los Angeles Lakers legend and NBA Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal chimed in on the rankings. O'Neal is ranked as the sixth-best player of all time, but he disagreed with the ranking of his former teammate, Kobe Bryant.

Via SHAQ: "Kobe at 11 is criminal"

Kobe at 11 is criminal
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) July 14, 2025

Bleacher Report ranked Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry in tenth place, one spot ahead of Bryant. Of course, there are some arguments you could make in favor of either legend, but O'Neal undoubtedly makes a point about Bryant being too low.

Bryant was a five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star, but Curry's resumé is not too far off. Curry is a four-time champ and 11-time All-Star, while becoming the league's best three-point shooter of all-time certainly raises the bar. Curry and Bryant are legends and would never compare each other like this anyway, as many would argue they should both be in the top ten.

This article first appeared on Golden State Warriors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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