Kobe Bryant: Is He Already History's Greatest LA Laker and a Top-5 Player?
When it comes to discussing Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and where he currently stands in NBA history, it's sometimes hard to see the truth through all the propaganda—both negative and positive.
Emotions usually run high on both sides of the argument, and personal feelings about Bryant are often substituted in favor of sane, rational debate about the subject.
But the truth of the matter is, NBA history already says Bryant is firmly in the conversation as the greatest player in Los Angeles Lakers history, and that designation would thrust him squarely in the argument as one of the league's top five players of all time.
The Lakers are arguably the greatest franchise in NBA history, and although they trail the Boston Celtics in the number of championships won, the Lakers have been participants in more than half of all Finals series.
Additionally, the list of NBA legendary players is littered with former Lakers such as Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor and James Worthy.
Kareem, Magic and West reside near the very top of that list, and Bryant's numbers and career achievements suggest he belongs right there with them.
Bryant and Magic are tied in the number of championships won as a Laker, with five, and Bryant recently passed West as the franchise's top scorer and currently resides in sixth place on the NBA's all-time list.
Bryant may never catch Kareem, who reigns as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, but it's not impossible to think that once Bryant's playing days are finally done he might move up as high as No. 3 in that category.
Bryant has also captured one league MVP award, two Finals MVP awards, eight first-team selections to the NBA All-Defensive Team, and has reached the NBA Finals in nearly half the seasons in his NBA career.
That resume speaks for itself, but unfortunately, Bryant's polarizing nature holds him to a standard that no other legendary player has had to reach.
Some people just generally despise Bryant, and other players like Michael Jordan and Magic who had equally questionable personal lives never faced the same type of scrutiny and demonization that follows Bryant regularly.
Both Jordan and Magic faced questions about marital infidelities just like Bryant, and Jordan's reputation with various games of chance is notorious.
Bryant has already eclipsed Magic in almost every meaningful stat related with the Lakers besides assists, and even though his numbers suggest he may have already passed him as the franchise's greatest player, Bryant can never beat Magic in a battle of personalities.
Bryant's legacy as a player is already close to Jordan's, but the debate over who is the better player usually dominates the conversation, and that's an argument that Bryant will never win.
But Bryant doesn't have to be a better player than Jordan to occupy a spot among the NBA's list of top five all-time players, because his numbers and career accolades speak volumes on their own.
Bryant may never be an all-time top-five player in the court of public opinion, and there will always be a hoard of detractors with trivial stats on hand to prove that Bryant really doesn't deserve that lofty status.
But a legacy is a compilation of career achievements, and when held in that light no amount of scrutiny or personal opinion can diminish what Bryant has currently accomplished in his 15-year career, and the story is not yet done.
Bryant still has a few seasons left in his weary legs, and by the time he finally hangs up his sneakers the arguments against his legacy as history's greatest Laker, and an all-time top-five player, will be much harder to make.
For the record, my all-time top-five list includes players like Jordan, Magic, Bill Russell, Kareem and Chamberlain in no particular order, but Bryant is knocking on the door and has a great chance of barging right in.
