Magic Johnson Believes Kobe Bryant Would Be In The GOAT Conversation If He Were Still Alive

Kobe Bryant's place among the NBA greats is a subject of great debate for fans and experts. While some argue that Kobe's passing has enhanced his case, Magic Johnson believes his death is the only thing holding him back from being considered on the same level as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

“Yeah, because we know Kobe belongs in that conversation even today. Kareem, Kobe and they all wore the Purple and Gold. So I think about what Kobe meant to the game of basketball worldwide, and to me offensively he’s the second-best dude in terms of at that shooting guard, small forward positions behind Michael Jordan. When you think about scoring-wise nobody could stop Kobe just like nobody could stop Michael Jordan.” 

For most people, Michael Jordan is the greatest player ever for obvious reasons. He's a 6x champion, 5x MVP, and 10x scoring leader. Over 15 years in the NBA, Jordan broke countless records while averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 49.7% shooting.

Today, Jordan still sits comfortably at the top of the rankings but players like LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have challenged his title as the GOAT. During his 20-year career, Kobe Bryant was also on par with Michael and many to this day call him the closest we've ever seen to replicating No. 23's game.

Kobe's skills as a shooter, ball handler, playmaker, and defender were comparable to Jordan's and his relentless competitive mindset made him an equally fierce opponent to face.

Kobe's resume wasn't quite as impressive as Jordan's, but he was still one of the most accomplished players the league had ever seen. In 20 years, he was an 18x All-Star, 5x champion, and 15x All-NBA player. He's the NBA's fourth-highest scorer ever with a total of 33,643 points to his name.

In his prime, Kobe was a master of basketball and he could not be stopped, just like Jordan could not be stopped during his heyday. As the face of the Lakers for two decades, Bryant had a whole legion of fans loyal to him and they continue to defend his career to this day.

As a former Lakers great himself, Magic Johnson knows all too well what it's like to lead the Lakers and he knows how much pressure comes with the job. Instead of trying to protect his legacy, Bryant embraced the pressure right away and he managed to live up to the greatest expectations.

After his passing in 2020, as the result of a tragic helicopter crash that killed 9 people, the conversation around Kobe took a different turn. Suddenly, people were afraid to critique his game, and his career became glorified in a way that we've never seen before.

Sadly, since he's no longer around to remind us of his greatness, some are starting to forget just how good Bryant was at his best. But thanks to the efforts of legends like Magic Johnson, Kobe's legacy is stronger than ever and his status as one of the all-time greats holds up to this day.