Lakers News: Vince Carter Lists 2 LA Stars in His All-Time NBA Top 3

Vinsanity submits three GOATS for our consideration.

March 22, 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) shoots a basket against the defense of Phoenix Suns shooting guard Vince Carter (25) during the first half at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Eight-time All-Star swingman and first ballot Hall of Famer Vince Carter recently chatted with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks for an informative conversation, spanning his entire 22-year NBA career (currently the league record, which All-NBA Lakers forward LeBron James seems set to tie in 2024-25).

As so often happens in these freewheeling, extensive conversations, the chat eventually turned to the 6-foot-6 Half-Man/Half-Amazing's pick for the NBA GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). Vinsanity's personal top three list, it turns out, covers two Lakers. He performed against all three players during the course of his own decorated career.

“They deserved to be talked about as a trio - not a duo”

Vince Carter says Kobe should be included in GOAT discussion 👀🐐

(via @TaylorRooks) pic.twitter.com/UlcwScBJde

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 30, 2024

"I'm truly thankful. I got a chance to play against Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and of course LeBron. I'm gonna name those three because we're always talking about the greatest to play the game. Kobe Bryant should, and always, out of my mouth, be named one of the greatest to ever play the game. They deserve to be talked about as a trio, not a duo."

"The approach of MJ was just like Kobe," Carter said. "And he's won... Why is he not in that conversation?"

Restricting the GOAT talk to Jordan and James is fairly reductive, but putting Bryant in there ahead of, say, fellow Lakers legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who was better for longer), Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain, as well as Boston Celtics luminaries Bill Russell and Larry Bird and San Antonio Spurs superstar power forward Tim Duncan, could be seen as something of a slight all those legends. That group, in some order, is widely considered the league's all-time best, with Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Stephen Curry, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal all lurking.

Jordan, James and Abdul-Jabbar, in some order, probably represent the pinnacle of the league. Jordan's reign was briefer than those of the other two, but only Bill Russell and his Celtics enjoyed more sustained, efficient high-volume success in the league (he won 11 rings in 13 seasons, after all, to six for Jordan and Abdul-Jabbar, five for Bryant, Johnson and Duncan; four for James, Curry and O'Neal; three for Bird; two for Chamberlain and Olajuwon; and one for West and Robertson) — Russell's era also had far fewer teams and far fewer playoff rounds, meaning Jordan had to go through more to win.

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