One of the better discussions in all of basketball is who the Greatest of All Time is. Most people around the game of basketball believe that the debate is between former NBA superstar Michael Jordan and current Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
The two embody greatness at the highest level and the debate has continued strong. James is still playing so he has a chance to add to his resume and overall case in the debate.
But one former All-Star doesn’t see it that way. Former star Stephon Marbury called out James for being included in the GOAT debate simply because he believes there is another former player who should be ahead of him in the pecking order.
While appearing on The Mark Jackson Show, Marbury made his case for former Lakers star Kobe Bryant to be above James.
“When I look at Kobe, I’m like, ‘How is LeBron better than Jordan when he isn’t better than Kobe?’ I’ll be trying to figure that out. I’m like, ‘Why are we really having a basketball conversation?'” he said.
Marbury didn’t go as far as to say that Bryant topped Jordan but did call James the best “all-around” player that the NBA would see. Still, fans can’t help but wonder if Marbury still holds a grudge against James for their 2007 sneaker incident.
“LeBron James is the best all-around player that this game will ever see,” he added. “It won’t be nobody like him. But he will never be better than Michael Jordan. I’m sorry.”
The former NBA player has had a beef with James, even coming back this past summer. While James was leading Team USA to another gold medal, Marbury disagreed with the decision of him winning the MVP honor.
“They gave the MVP to the wrong player,” Marbury wrote. “Maybe they called out the wrong name by accident. I think we need to try to rewind the moment when Curry displayed himself as the best shooter who ever touched the ball. In international ball, if you can’t shoot, you can’t have the ball at the end of the game.”
All in all, Bryant does deserve to be recognized as one of the greatest to ever play the game. But both James and Jordan transcend everything and there is a reason why they are among the most common names in this discussion.