Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was one of the most gifted players of all time. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers for the entirety of his career and had two jerseys retired by the Lakers in his honor. Ever since Kobe retired, he was part of the group of players who were considered the greatest of all time.
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Kobe was a five-time champion with two Finals MVP and was also the league MVP in 2007-08. He was always counted among the greats of the game of basketball, but in a recently surfaced video, Kobe had somebody else on his mind when asked about the GOAT.
Wilt – The man, The myth, The legend
In the video, when asked about Wilt, Kobe is in awe of Wilt’s 1961-62 season, where he averaged 50.4 points per game and 25.7 rebounds. Chamberlain’s 4,029 regular-season points made him the only player to break the 4,000-point barrier.
It is also said that the NBA record book is just Wilt Chamberlain’s personal record book. Wilt was also a transcendent athlete who had an elite motor. During the same 1961-62 season, he played a still-standing NBA record 48.53 minutes a game.
Even with all the statistical success, Wilt’s career was forever tied with Bill Russell’s. They both were contemporary centers who often met in the NBA Finals. Bill Russell and his Celtics prevented Wilt from glory many times before Wilt could finally overcome the Celtics.
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Wilt also holds the record of scoring the most points in a single game, a perfect 100. To think of somebody scoring 100 in a game is unfathomable. Wilt did this and more. He was a seven-time scoring champion. He was like nothing the basketball world had ever seen and will probably ever see.
Kobe and Michael
In the aforementioned video, Kobe says” Remember the list. Wilt, Me, Mike. It’s a short list. Wilt, Me, Mike”. Many players were dubbed as the next MJ, and they would take over his mantle. But only Kobe ever did. Everything Jordan did on the court, Kobe could match it, if not do better.
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He had the same competitive spirit as Michael and had an even greater work ethic. Kobe’s workout stories are the stuff of legends. Kobe was to the new generation of basketball players what Michael was to him. A player so gifted and pure, you had to watch his tapes to learn more about basketball.
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The GOAT debate is a subjective debate and Kobe might believe then that Wilt is the GOAT, but for many scores of fans, it was always Kobe Bean Bryant.