With the 2019-20 NBA season still on hiatus for the next month or so, fans and media alike have had ample time to come up with rankings regarding some of the hierarchies in league history.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a rich tradition of producing some of the NBA’s most iconic players and they have found themselves on these lists more often than not. Kobe Bryant is certainly no exception.
There has always been plenty of debate regarding Bryant’s ranking among the all-time greats. The recent list composed by Kendrick Perkins reveals some high praise for his former competitor.
Perkins recently took to Twitter to name his five most skilled players in NBA history with Bryant edging out his idol in Michael Jordan:
My Top 5 All-Time Most Skilled Players…
1. Kobe Bryant
2. Micheal Jordan
3. Kevin Durant
4. Kyrie Irving
5. Kevin Garnett
It should be noted that Perkins’ list is quite different from his all-time starting five, which did not feature Bryant. He did, however, include LeBron James.
Although Perkins may have pegged Bryant as the most skilled player to ever pick up a basketball, it seems this was not enough to earn him a spot on the starting five. While the exact criteria he used to come up with the list was subjective, Perkins certainly set it up for there to be plenty of room for debate.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Perkins’ lineup is the respect he has for Kevin Durant and Kevin Garnett. They managed to make both lists as two of the most talented frontcourt players in his opinion.
Of course, it is safe to assume that a relationship as former teammates of Durant and Garnett may have played a role in the decision-making process.
Perkins may find himself having to argue his case for Garnett and Kyrie Irving’s status on the list, however, there are few that would disagree with his assessment of the top two since Bryant and Jordan were clearly cut from a different cloth than the rest of the players that have graced the NBA up to this point.
Through sheer talent and determination, they managed to erase any weaknesses in their game in order to dominate in every fashion on both ends of the floor.
