Jason Whitlock: “ I think what Steph Curry just did in these Olympics establishes him as a more iconic, important, historic, and dare I say... I don’t know if I can use the word ‘better’, but to me Steph ranks higher now on the all-time greats of NBA basketball players than Kobe Bryant. Steph has two MVPs, he’s got four NBA titles, he was just legitimately the MVP of the Olympics even though they handed it to LeBron. His impact on the game – he's changed the style, what he’s done for young people in the game... I think it exceeds Kobe Bryant’s. I came out with a top ten list and I think I’ve got Steph number 6 and Kobe seven, or Steph five and Kobe six. I now have Steph Curry ranked ahead of Kobe Bryant. Kobe’s brand has been elevated because of his tragic death. Not Kobe hate, I think Kobe was a great player. I was critical of Kobe during his playing career, but if you take it all in totality -- he’s an all-time great player, but Steph ranks ahead of Kobe.
I have no rebuttal to the fact that Kobe was the far better defensive player than Steph Curry. Impact on style of play, and impact in terms of importance to a franchise, I just don’t know if you can really top what Steph Curry has done in this era where everyone just team hops. Steph and the consistent greatness of the Golden State Warriors over the course of his career has been incredible.
We live in a time where death really elevates. I guess it always has – the great painters and their paintings all get more valuable in death, and Kobe died such a tragic death that I think people forget Kobe and the tantrums, Kobe and Phil Jackson not seeing eye-to-eye, Kobe and the teams that didn’t make the playoffs and him threatening to leave... In my view he was far more a headache and created some instability for the Lakers organization. I think if Kobe found a way to squeeze another year or two out of his relationship with Shaquille O’Neal, then we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. We would be having the conversation ‘Is Kobe really right there with Michael Jordan?’
I have Jordan-1, Kareem-2, Magic-3, LeBron-4, Bird-5, Steph-6, Kobe-7... And I have Caitlin Clark at number 10!”
Watch Jason Whitlock of Blaze TV’s Fearless explain why he thinks Team USA’s gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics pushes Steph Curry past Kobe Bryant on the all-time NBA player rankings.
Check out the segment above as Whitlock details why the ‘greatness’ of Kobe is being exaggerated because of the natural romanticizing of the past, especially if the person tragically passed away.
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