Lakers News: Lonzo Ball Shockingly Shades Kobe Bryant During GOAT Debate

Ricardo Sandoval | Dec 1, 2024

Apr 11, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) reacts to a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-Imagn Images / Mark D. Smith-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers have had some of the greatest basketball players ever to grace the purple and gold. Throughout their 77-year span, the Lakers have seen Hall of Famers and revolutionary players play for their organization, but none may be greater than the late great Kobe Bryant.

Bryant spent 20 years as a Laker and panned out a resume that can be stacked next to an all-time great. Some might consider Bryant the greatest of all time. But that is not the case with everyone, including former Lakers guard Lonzo Ball. 

Ball appeared on the Unapologetically Angel podcast hosted by WNBA star Angel Reese. In the podcast, Ball was askedabout his Mount Rushmore of NBA players, but he did not list Bryant.

He explained his reason but threw some shade at the five-time NBA champion. 

 “I love Kobe Bryant, but he was never the best player to me when I was watching him. Just because he’s got the most misses ever, you know what I’m saying? I don’t know. But back to Curry—his resume, the way he changed the game—he’s the best shooter ever. Carried USA. There ain’t nothing that he hasn’t done, and he’s got the rings to back it up too. So, I don’t know.”

Ball may have grown up in Southern California, but it's clear that he is not a big Bryant fan, or at least he is really critical of the all-time great. 

Everyone has their own opinion on who they believe is the GOAT or not. Instead, Ball went with these four players on his NBA Mount Rushmore. 

“LeBron, Jordan … I’m going Shaq, [too], because he’s the most dominant ever … And then fourth, I’m going — we just had this debate — I would go Magic, but I’m … it’s looking like Curry might have to find his way in there, honestly.”

Reese then asked, "Why Curry?... Not Kobe?" and that's when Ball gave his reasoning. 

Although Ball doesn't have Bryant in there, Bryant's career speaks for itself, no matter whether he has the most misses of all time or not. Bryant ranks fourth all-time in points, is an NBA MVP, two-time scoring champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 11-time All-NBA First-Team, nine-time NBA All-Defensive team, and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. 

Bryant has a case to be the GOAT in the NBA; some have him there, and others don't. 

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