"Nobody's talking about The Mamba when comparing who's the best," Iverson says The exclusion of Kobe in the GOAT debate is ridiculous45
"Nobody's talking about The Mamba when comparing who's the best," Iverson says The exclusion of Kobe in the GOAT debate is ridiculous45 originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The NBA's greatest of all-time debate isn't one that will die out as the rhythm of the conversation has long been set with Michael Jordan at the forefront, his shadow stretching over generations of basketball greatness. Yet, it's not always the mention of a name that ignites controversy.
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Sometimes, the names that are left out send shockwaves through the discourse.
Allen Iverson, one of the most influential guards to ever lace up in the NBA, knows the weight of legacy and the repeated exclusion of Kobe Bryant from the GOAT conversation isn't just an oversight.
It's a blatant erasure of basketball history.
Bryant's case
Iverson battled through Bryant's era. Their careers, linked by an era of grit, intensity and uncompromising competitiveness, overlapped in a way that only peers can truly speak on. In his eyes, no debate about greatness is whole without Kobe's name firmly in the mix.
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"Right when you think Mike is the greatest, which he is, but then, Kobe Bryant come along," Iverson said. "Then you got LeBron James. I get kind of upset at times when people talk about the comparison of LeBron and Mike. And I'm like, 'damn.'
"People kind of forget [about Bryant]. I would say out of mind is real. Nobody's talking about The Mamba when comparing who's the best that ever played?"
Bryant won five NBA championships, claimed two Finals MVP awards, had an 81-point masterpiece against the Toronto Raptors — a performance that remains the second-highest scoring performance in league history — and is an 18-time NBA All-Star. He also claimed two Olympic gold medals and is the only player with two jersey numbers retired, each representing a different phase of greatness.
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Iverson doesn't pretend to crown Bryant above Jordan. His admiration for Jordan remains intact, but he gives Bryant his flowers. That proximity is earned, not gifted. It's forged from 20 seasons of relentless competitiveness, 33,643 career points and an unyielding desire to outwork everyone in the gym. Kobe didn't ask to be compared to Jordan but trained to force the comparison.
Related: "We only needed one more guy" - Patrick Beverley says the Clippers lost SGA because Kawhi thought he needed more help
Creating the legacy
When Bryant entered the league in 1996, he was just a wiry teenager obsessed with greatness. Over the years, that obsession morphed into transformation. He became the closest thing the league had ever seen to the man who ruled Chicago for 13 years.
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"As far as GOAT, it's Michael Jordan all day long, and Kobe Bryant is right on his heels," Iverson said.
Iverson and Bryant famously clashed in the 2001 NBA Finals, where the Philadelphia 76ers stole Game 1 in Los Angeles behind Iverson's unforgettable 48-point performance.
But it was Bryant who Iverson said scared him most during that series. The Lakers superstar averaged 24.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists during the Finals as his team won the title.
Iverson knew Bryant as a competitor, a rival and, ultimately, a brother in the fraternity of greatness. He is always surprised when Bryant is being overlooked in the all-time great debate. The conversation around greatness will never be neat. There are no neat boxes for the messy, generational weight of legends. But Iverson has seen enough to know what should never be left out.
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The GOAT debate isn't only about who finished with the most rings or the best stats. It's also about the impact — the fear a player puts in opponents' hearts, the weight of their presence on the floor and the standard they set for everyone else.
And by every one of those measures, Kobe belongs right there.
Related: Larry Brown on the biggest difference between Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant: "He was coming back from the club at six o'clock in the morning"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
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