NBA Analyst Shares Bold Take Regarding Kobe Bryant's All-Time Ranking

There will always be the debate as to who was the better player, Michael Jordan or LeBron James. An NBA analyst now attempts to settle the question of who was better between Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.

Feb 8, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A statue for former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is unveiled during a ceremony at Star Plaza outside of Crypto.com Arena Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports / Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

The age old question of who is the greatest NBA player always is up for discussion. Some say Michael Jordan. Some say LeBron James.

There are also those who put Kobe Bryant in the conversation but one NBA analyst recently said he thinks that's a stretch. In fact, ESPN's Zach Lowe stated on The Lowe Post that Tim Duncan is closer to the top of the list than Bryant.

"I'm not saying I'm definitely ranking [Duncan] over anybody. I've got to do the actual deep dive," Lowe said. "But, I have been pretty hard on the island of I think I'd rank him above Kobe for sure - well, not for sure, let me amend that - I think I would rank him above Kobe all-time."

Lowe also said he puts Duncan in his top 10 list.

"I think he's [Duncan] probably closer to the sixth, seventh, eighth range - I'm doing this off the top of my head, than he is the 12th, 13th, 14th range of all time," Lowe said. "Some day I am going to have to do the Tim Duncan deep dive."

Zach Lowe on Tim Duncan: "I have been pretty hard on the island of ranking him above Kobe all time. I think he's probably closer to the 6-8 range than the 12-14 range." https://t.co/Ed3DIszOSO pic.twitter.com/Qxkzbsjy6v

— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) July 23, 2024

The players are easy to compare. They both played in the same era. Their teams played in the Finals 13 times, with each player winning five titles.

This decision by Lowe could shock many. Duncan might be a top 10 player, but Bryant deserves top five consideration. There are those who played against both Bryant and Jordan who would even make the argument Bryant was the greatest player ever.

Scott Salomon is a contributor to Back In the Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at sas@southfloridamedianetwork.com.

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