Kobe Bryant, the quest for greatness

My rankings in on the right side.

Sportnation votes on the left.

I’m pretty close to what the majority has in mind as to how the NBA’s greatest ranking should go.

It’s pretty obvious, the old-timers are getting the short end of the stick coz the voters remember the “new breed.”

Michael Jordan is pretty much untouchable atop the list.

Guess who’s the guy who can bring him down to two?

Lebron James!

Nooooooooooooooooooooppesss!

It the freshly minted 5-time champion Kobe Bryant! No other guy can fly alongside MJ but Kobe.

How can he? It’s a stretch but Kobe could do the impossible.

Say, he plays at this still good level for 3 to 4 years and hooks up 2 more rings. He’ll get to seven championships. One more than Jordan. And while doing so, he’ll get to bump his career numbers - pad up his stats and set few more records. Then years 35 to 38 yo, barring any injuries, for sure he can still play (like 20 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists guy) and goes for the “numbers kill”. Numbers Kill means making sure he’ll get to Kareem total points, most games played, most tantrums in a career, get all Los Angeles team records and the likes.

With Kobe being a master of the game, Kobe can switch to different positions depending on who’s facing them. He can be the future point guard of the Lakers for all we know. With his solid inside game, he can play the small forward position (his likely position at the tail end of his career - just like MJ with the Wizards). And, an “old” Kobe is still better than 90% of the shooting guards who play in the NBA.

Since Kobe does nothing but basketball (no rap recording deals, no movie outfit, no documentary films, no cameo roles), I don’t see him quitting hoops tomorrow.

Kobe Bryant could end up playing 20 quality seasons with 7 to 8 championships and owning significant number of NBA records.There are reasons why Kobe picked 24 as his 2nd career jersey number. 2 times 4 is 8, his old number. Or, 24 is one over 23. For now, everybody knows, Michael Jordan is still up in the NBA air. But who knows.

When MJ said come fly with me. Kobe listened.