As a no-nonsense guy, the late great Kobe Bryant believed that discussing the NBA GOAT debate is for casuals. However, he was once quizzed to comment on the everlasting debate, and the Los Angeles Lakers legend unsurprisingly came up with a sensible answer.
According to Kobe, he couldn't fathom the people's obsession with the GOAT debate when it is simply about all-time greats passing down their greatness to future NBA stars. By studying the game of the all-time greats who came before them, NBA superstars, including him, evolve and become the GOAT of their eras, continuing a cycle in the process.
"See that's the type of immature question… What I'm saying is regular people ask really simple questions sometimes," Bryant said on The Corp with A-Rod and Big Cat when asked to name who the NBA GOAT is.
"Here's the thing, though. MJ is doing what he learned from David Thompson and Jerry [West] and those guys. Stuff that I've done, I've learned from MJ. Stuff that Bron does, he learned from me in playing in the Olympic team and the work ethic and all that stuff. It's a chain thing, man," he explained.
NBA legends don't talk about the GOAT debate
Bryant went on to reveal that, unlike average NBA fans, great players don't even bother spending a minute talking about who the greatest of all time is. According to "Black Mamba," those who have achieved GOAT status understand that a part of their own greatness came from the legends who paved the way for them.
In other terms, it's somewhat of an unspoken truth or belief within the NBA's all-time great circles.
"I know people want to talk about who's this, who's that because it fills up good conversation time or downtime or whatever the case may be," Kobe pointed out. "But for us as athletes, it's really a chain reaction. You can't have one without the other. It's just not possible."
A fresh perspective on the GOAT debate
By acknowledging the contributions of their predecessors, Bryant and other modern NBA greats were able to innovate and push the boundaries of the game, leaving a lasting legacy for the next generations to admire and build upon.
Looking at the bigger picture, the term GOAT is indeed a status that is continuously being passed on from one era to another. With that in mind, Kobe was on point when he implied that no one player can ever be the rightful and clear-cut NBA GOAT.
Related: “It was just like Michael used to do… he would just take over” – Steve Kerr shares how Kobe Bryant reminded him of Michael Jordan in the 2001 WCF
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