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The debate over legacy in the NBA does not always come to an end with statistics, and it is necessary to have someone who has been there with both parties to turn the tables completely. This is exactly what happened when Draymond Green spoke to Shaquille O’Neal lately.
In his appearance on “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” Draymond Green had to explain exactly why Shaquille O’Neal was asking about why it seems that Kobe Bryant never enters discussions on the greatest basketball players.
“Kobe? Yes, for sure. One hundred percent,” Green said before laying out his reasoning. “Here’s why I think he’s not. Number one, he played with you, and people hold that against him,” Green explained.
The Lakers have three consecutive championship titles from 2000 to 2002, with all three of O’Neal’s Finals MVP awards, and Green thinks that is something that is used against Bryant when separating individual performance from team performance.
The following point made by Green was on how things unfolded after O’Neal left in 2004.
“When Shaq left, the Lakers had a few rough years. They weren’t winning, even though Kobe’s numbers were incredible. At the same time, LeBron was rising in Cleveland and making his name. I don’t think Kobe was the consensus best player in the league for long enough,” Green added.
The performance of Bryant in scoring 81 points in 2006 is considered a legendary event, but the Lakers could not reach the playoffs the previous year and had a hard time competing.
Such disparity in timing can be seen through the comparison of Jordan’s statistics, where he achieved a PER of 27.9, while Bryant only had 22.9, besides ten scoring titles and five MVPs for Jordan versus two for Bryant.
This head-to-head rivalry has a lot to do with why Kobe Bryant referred to Michael Jordan as his big brother before this podcast.
Kobe Bryant Once Called Michael Jordan His Big Brother
The rivalry that Bryant had with Michael Jordan followed the two athletes through many years, and Bryant did not hesitate to embrace the rivalry.
In his interview for ESPN’s documentary The Last Dance, he responded to the comparison head-on. “He’s like my big brother,” Bryant said about Jordan.
Not only that, but Bryant elaborated on why the one-on-one challenge bothered him so much.
“I truly hate having discussions about who would win one-on-one, your fans saying, ‘Hey Kobe, you beat Michael one-on-one.’ I’m like, ‘Yo. What you get from me is from him.'”
The numbers prove this respect. The two legends have played eight regular-season games against each other, and five of them have been won by Bryant’s Lakers.
In these games, Jordan’s averages were 24.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists, and Bryant’s averages were 22.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
Who do you think should be called the real GOAT, Bryant or Jordan? Comment down.
Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles!
