Everybody knows that LeBron James and Michael Jordan lead the way in the GOAT conversation, but if you ask 76ers guard Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant also deserves a seat at the table. Speaking in an interview with Ramona Shelburne, Iverson broke down his all-time rankings and defended his choice for Kobe at No. 2, right behind the Bulls legend himself.

“With Kobe it was so different, he was like ‘Phil I want the assignment.’ Take Fisher off him, I want the assignment. I’ve never seen anybody competitive like him. When people talk about the best players in the world, I say Mike, and I say Kobe, and then everyone else. LeBron is definitely after that.”

"I say Mike, and I say Kobe, and then everyone else." – Allen Iverson tells me on this week's Headliners that Kobe needs to be ranked right after Jordan in the "best ever" debate. Plus, we discuss time Kobe absolutely trashed a hotel room because AI had a better game than him 😲 pic.twitter.com/28j8N9KnV0

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) December 28, 2023

Kobe may not have the same hardware as Michael Jordan (5x MVP, 10x scoring champion) but he’s one of the only players to match Jordan’s competitive spirit, which helped the Bulls capture six championships during the 90s. Bryant used a similar level of passion during his run with the Lakers, where he was an 18x All-Star, 5x champion, and 2x Finals MVP.

Kobe Bryant Was The Second Coming Of Michael Jordan

By the time he retired in 2016, Kobe Bryant was universally recognized as one of the top 10 greatest players ever. In 20 seasons, he averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game on 44.7% shooting. Even so, there are plenty of critics today who refuse to put him on the same level as Jordan, Magic, or LeBron. Unlike those basketball legends, Bryant wasn’t always the best player on his team and his three-peat as the second-fiddle behind Shaq is enough for some to disqualify his claim as the GOAT.

What made Kobe truly special, however, and what separated him from the rest, is that he was willing to outwork everybody on the court. As Kobe was coming into his own in the NBA, he was never the fastest, strongest, or most talented guy in the gym. But through sheer dedication, will, and hard work, he consistently outplayed the competition in ways that only Michael Jordan had done. With a career that spanned from 1996-2011, Allen Iverson witnessed Bryant’s body of work for himself and he’s one of many legends who has come to appreciate its worth.

LeBron James Is Changing The Debate

If you ask most fans today, LeBron James has a better claim to the top spot than Kobe. In 20 seasons and counting, James has broken countless and continues to add to his already stacked NBA resume. James, a 4x champion, is the king of consistency with career averages of 25.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game on 53.9% shooting. He’s also a 19x All-Star, 6x All-Defensive player, and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with over 39,300 points scored.

Clearly, LeBron James belongs in the GOAT conversation and while his exact place is still up for debate it’s going to get harder and harder to deny his claim as the greatest player ever. if he’s able to capture one more championship with the Lakers and match Kobe’s five title victories, it could be all he needs to solidify his place over Mike and Kobe. Then again, LeBron will never have the same passion, energy, and dedication that Kobe did and it’s why many old-school legends like Iverson will always consider Bryant on par with the best of the best.