Image Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

“I would rank Kevin Durant above Kobe” – Former NBA star makes shocking remark on Lakers legend

The former NBA star believes Kobe Bryant should not be included in the GOAT debate alongside Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Image Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Kobe Bryant’s impact on the NBA is undeniable. His “Mamba Mentality,” and his five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers cemented his place among the greatest to ever play the game. Even after retiring in 2016, Bryant is still firmly mentioned alongside Michael Jordan and LeBron James as one of the most influential and dominant players in NBA history.

However, not everyone sees Bryant as a top contender in the GOAT debate. One former NBA player, Chandler Parsons, has questioned whether Kobe should even be in the top-3 all-time list.

“I love Kobe [Bryant], God rest his soul, but he’s not top-3 in most people’s eyes,” Parsons said on the Run It Back show.

“I don’t even understand how this is even an argument with him & LeBron.”

On being asked about who he would put ahead of Kobe, Parsons, who played nine seasons in NBA, pointed to Shaquille O’Neal and players from previous era as possible candidates. But revealed that he would rank Phoenix Suns’ star Kevin Durant above Kobe.

“I would rank Kevin Durant above Kobe.”

Where is Kobe Bryant placed on your all-time list of NBA players? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/uYlYL7c86Z
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 14, 2025

Kobe Bryant’s NBA career

Kobe Bryant spent 20 seasons in the NBA, all with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won five NBA championships and was named Finals MVP twice. He scored a total of 33,643 points, ranking fourth on the all-time scoring list. Bryant was selected to 18 All-Star games and won the NBA’s regular-season MVP award in 2008.

Also Read:

Bryant retired in April 13, 2016. In 2017, the Lakers retired both his Nos. 8 and 24, making him the only player in NBA history to have multiple numbers retired by the same franchise. He died in a tragic helicopter crash in January 2020, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others.

Chandler Parsons

Kevin Durant

Kobe Bryant

Swati Bhatia

nba

mlb

wnba

I work as a content strategist, specializing in creating engaging content about the NBA, WNBA, and MLB. My main focus is on writing breaking news updates, research-based articles, and covering trending topics. Right now, I’m leading the content team for the NBA, WNBA, and MLB categories at Playoffs English.