Former Los Angeles Lakers player and head coach Byron Scott gave an interesting perspective as to why the late and great Kobe Bryant is not compared to Michael Jordan as much as he expected following Bryant’s decision to retire in 2016.
Scott claims that if Bryant hadn’t tragically passed away in a 2020 helicopter crash there would be more conversations comparing Bryant with Jordan, who is often regarded as the greatest player in NBA history.
“I think they would probably be talking about more Michael and Kobe. I think, like you said, his untimely death – I think a lot of people forgot how great Kobe was,” said Scott on Brandon Robinson’s Scoop B Selects.
Scott coached the Lakers from 2014-2016, aligning with Bryant’s final two seasons of his illustrious 20-year career. Despite the team failing to win more than 21 games in his two seasons at the helm, he got a front-row seat to watching Bryant play every night.
Bryant is gone but he is certainly not forgotten. The Hall of Famer is an 18-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, five-time NBA Champion, 15-time All-NBA selection, 12-time All-Defensive selection, and NBA 75th Anniversary Team member, just to list some of his accolades.
No matter where Bryant is on your list of the greatest NBA players ever, there is no denying the legacy and impact he made on the city of Los Angeles and the fans all across the globe.
