The GOAT Debate: LeBron, Kobe, and the NBA Landscape

The future of NBA superstar LeBron James is uncertain, and this has reignited the heated discussion about who is the “greatest of all time” (GOAT). Opinions are split—some believe that title belongs to LeBron, while others, including myself and some Hall of Famers, think it should go to the San Antonio Spurs’ exceptional rookie, Victor Wembanyama.

Nick Wright from FS1 often finds himself in the thick of these debates. He’s been a long-time supporter of LeBron, declaring him the GOAT over Michael Jordan about ten years ago, following James’ incredible Finals win against the Golden State Warriors.

Typically, the GOAT conversation centers on LeBron and MJ. However, a number of fans propose that Kobe Bryant deserves a mention, a notion that Wright dismisses in a recent segment of “What’s Wright? with Nick Wright.”

He claims that between 1999 and 2002, Shaquille O’Neal was the top player in the league. From 2003 to 2007, he argues, that title went to Tim Duncan. Wright asserts that LeBron officially became the best player in the NBA after scoring 48 points in double overtime against Detroit in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, maintaining that status until Giannis Antetokounmpo made his mark around 2018.

However, the exclusion of Kobe from the conversation was surprising. Wright categorizes Kobe as the eighth greatest player, suggesting he was never the best in the world. While I appreciate his insights, I feel compelled to challenge this view that LeBron supporters sometimes echo when discussing their hero’s GOAT status.

To clarify, I don’t believe Kobe is the GOAT, and I doubt many outside of die-hard Lakers fans would argue otherwise. He seems like a diluted version of Michael Jordan in some ways. That might sound a bit harsh, but I don’t mean it to come off as disrespectful—Kobe is still one of the all-time greats. It’s just that everything he excelled at, MJ had done before, plus more.

Yet, claiming that Kobe was never the best player in the league feels misguided. Even before Shaq left for Miami, there were murmurs about Kobe beginning to dominate the Lakers. That became even more evident when the front office chose him over Shaq during their infamous fallout.

Wright’s assertion that Tim Duncan was the best player from 2003 to 2007 seems to be tinted by hindsight. Don’t get me wrong, Duncan is legendary—perhaps the best forward of his era—but even during that time, people weren’t exactly shouting from the rooftops about him being the best player. While Duncan has his accolades, including three championships and two MVPs, he simply couldn’t rival Kobe’s influence or raw talent.

Too much of Duncan’s legacy rests on team success. Sure, the Spurs had a strong supporting cast, but after Shaq’s departure, Kobe was left to carry the load on his own. If LeBron solidified his GOAT claim in 2007 after his 48-point game, why wasn’t Kobe regarded as the best after winning back-to-back scoring titles in 2005 and 2006 and the MVP in 2008? Scoring 81 points in a single game should surely warrant some consideration as the “best in the world,” right?

I have nothing against Wright; he’s not alone in this line of thinking. It’s just fascinating how Kobe’s time at the top seems to have been largely overlooked. Anyone tuning into a Kobe game during those playoff years in the mid-to-late 2000s would hear announcers declare him “the best in the game right now.” The players from that era largely agreed.

So, could Kobe be a contender against LeBron and Jordan for the title of all-time greatest? I don’t believe so. But it feels a bit like historical revisionism to say he was never the best in the NBA.