Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Reveals Honest Opinion on NBA GOAT Debate
![February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Magic Johnson is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Magic Johnson is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5760,h_3240,x_0,y_18/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/bulls_news/01j5xs8xg8hsaa7j2fas.jpg)
The NBA GOAT debate is one that will likely never be settled. With so much of this debate being about what a particular individual values most, there will never be a consensus agreement on one basketball player being the greatest of all-time.
While the NBA GOAT debate has almost unanimously been narrowed down to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, one all-time great believes Kobe Bryant belongs in the discussion.
Speaking with Nick Hamilton of Nitecast Media, NBA legend Magic Johnson said Bryant belongs in the GOAT discussion, particularly because of what he meant to basketball, along with his unstoppable offensive skill.
"I think about what Kobe meant to the game of basketball worldwide," Johnson said. "So to me, offensively, he's the second-best dude at that [two-three] position behind Michael Jordan. When you think about scoring-wise, nobody could stop Kobe just like nobody could stop Michael Jordan."
Johnson also brought up Bryant's Team USA contributions, and how his Olympic teammates viewed him at that time.
Kobe & LeBron in the 2008 Olympics 😳 pic.twitter.com/35Q9MmGuu7
— Hilltop Hoops (@HilltopNBA) January 30, 2020
"LeBron James and Dwyane Wade credited Kobe for what they learned from him during their time together in the Olympics” Johnson said, per Hamilton. "In many ways, Kobe changed the game and helped it grow globally. His impact, both on and off the court, ensures that his name will always be part of the GOAT conversation."
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