While Kobe Bryant rose above everyone else as the premier player of his generation, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar had a lot of competition for that spot throughout the years. One of those players who looked like they would challenge Kobe for that spot was Vince Carter.
With his unreal athleticism and outstanding scoring ability, Carter became one of the biggest stars in the NBA. He also played 21 years in the league, meaning he was able to share the floor with not only Kobe but also LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
And in doing so, Carter feels that the Lakers legend should be in that GOAT conversation. Carter recently spoke on this, believing Kobe, LeBron and Jordan should be spoken about as a trio for the greatest NBA players ever, via Bleacher Report:
“I’m truly thankful I got a chance to play against Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and of course LeBron. I’m gonna name those three because we’re always talking about the greatest to play the game, Kobe Bryant should and will always, out of my mouth, be named as one of the greatest to ever play the game. They deserve to be talked about as a trio, not a duo.”
When Carter was asked why he feels Kobe doesn’t get that same level of appreciation as Jordan and LeBron, he simply didn’t have an answer:
“I don’t understand why. The approach of MJ was just like Kobe. He looked at the blueprint of MJ and he said, ‘I’m gonna do that and more.’ And he’s won, it’s proven. Why is he not in that conversation?”
This is an ongoing debate about Kobe’s place amongst the all-time greats. The players themselves seem unwavering in their belief that Kobe is at or near the top of the list, and Carter is the latest to discuss this belief.
For whatever reason, Kobe is often not viewed at the same level as Jordan and LeBron, but Carter and others continue to place the Lakers legend in that conversation which says a lot about the respect his contemporaries have for him.
Shaquille O’Neal insists there was no feud with Kobe Bryant on the Lakers
Someone else who has regularly expressed his belief that Kobe Bryant belongs in the GOAT conversation is his former Lakers teammate Shaquille O’Neal. And while the two famously had issues during their time together on the Lakers, Shaq insists the issues between them are exaggerated.
Shaq recently spoke about this saying that there was no ‘feud’ between himself and Kobe, adding that they always had respect for one another and that never wavered even though the two didn’t always see eye-to-eye.
