NBA Fans Debate Why Kobe Bryant Should Be Above Larry Bird On The All

The debate is now settled. The Lakers legend, who retired in 2016 after 20 seasons with the team, has been voted by fans to take over as number one on the list of all-time Lakers greats. With his career accomplishments and style of play at such a high level for so long, it’s easy to see why he earned this spot above Larry Bird.

The “when did kobe get drafted ” is a question that NBA fans have been debating for years. The answer to the question is when Kobe Bryant was drafted in 1996.

Kobe Bryant is without a doubt one of the most famous NBA players of all time. The Mamba played in the NBA for 20 seasons and left an indelible impression on NBA fans throughout that time.

Kobe Bryant has an impressive CV that includes 5 NBA Championships, 2 NBA Finals MVPs, 1 regular-season MVP, and several other honors. When it comes to ranking Kobe on the NBA’s all-time list, though, many appear to dismiss the Mamba’s accomplishments.

Even among the NBA’s Top 75 players, Kobe was ranked 10th. Fans didn’t seem to mind most of the players listed above the Los Angeles Lakers great, but they didn’t appreciate Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics being ranked above Kobe.

The argument seemed to have died down, until one NBA fan on Reddit reignited the conversation. u/HungariansBestFriend on Reddit asked, “What are the benefits of choosing Bird over Kobe? Although Kobe has a superior résumé, the eye-test results were almost identical, therefore I give Kobe the advantage.”

Many additional admirers responded to the Redditors’ article by sharing their thoughts on it. Here are some of the finest Reddit responses to the post:

“I’ll pick Kobe over Bird, but the case for Larry is three consecutive MVPs, three straight visits to the Finals, and his efficiency,” diipp2k says.

“I believe you could argue that Bird earned those honors in just 12 genuine seasons, making it one of the finest 10-year periods ever.” Waimang NINJA: “I believe you could argue that Bird earned those honors in only 12 real seasons, making it one of the best 10-year spans ever. He missed one season due to injuries, and his final two seasons, he was a shadow of his former self due to back problems. So, although Bird “only” received nine first-team choices, it was practically nine in ten years. In every category except scoring, the Birds have a superior career record than Kobe. Although Kobe was a stronger defender, Bird wasn’t bad either. In my opinion, Kobe has a little advantage over Bird in terms of durability, defense, and…..

“Better peak player from 84-88, he averaged 27/10/7 on 51/40/90 and won back to back to back MVP’s,” shanmustafa says.

liljett: “Considering Bird built that resume & played only 12 seasons I’d still take Larry Legend, no disrespect to the Mamba though.”

“People forget what a playmaker Bird was, and I’d argue that Bird was a more complete player,” Rh1-No says.

MrAMC5: MrAMC5: “Even in the finest of conversations, Bird is forgotten. I’ve only seen him referenced a handful of times. He’s the only player to win three MVP awards in a row, and at his peak, he was better than Magic. He was an immediate difference maker when he initially came in the NBA, which is sad since he had to battle with injuries.”

lkn240: If you’re looking for a unique way to express yourself “Bird was unquestionably a greater peak player, but Kobe had a superior prime. Putting one individual ahead of the other, depending on what you value, isn’t outrageous.”

incprac25: incprac25: incprac25: in “I prefer Kobe over Bird. Although Bird’s peak was higher, Kobe’s peak lasted longer and he won more.”

awanderingleaf: awanderingleaf: awandering “Kobe is clearly superior. Bird has been regarded as a legend for much longer, and since people want to preserve history, he is given precedence over Kobe. Bird has seen his fair share of dreadful playoff series.”

Most people think that despite not having played in the NBA as long as Kobe, Bird was still a superior player based on the remarks.

The most compelling reason for this is that Bird reached an unattainable height. At the end of the day, each fan will have his own opinion on who is the better player. However, when it comes to the aforementioned danger, Bird seems to be a step ahead of Kobe in the opinion of the majority of fans.