Legendary John Wooden says Kobe is the GOAT

[Bigsmoke]

old timers

[Roundball_Rock]

Things to consider:

- He has watched every great player in history.
- He is aware about the strengths and weaknesses of every era.
- He watches a TON of Laker games (so it's not like he is being hyped into believing it) and has seen more games than anyone else on this board.
- As far as I know, he has no agenda. Completely unbiased opinion here.
- Whether it's true or not, 10 years down the road, Kobe will be remembered as the GOAT amongst the general public (and looks like a significant portion of the basketball community too). This barring LBJ doing some other worldly sh*t in that time span.
- This is John freaking Wooden. He knows more about basketball than you could ever hope. He would laugh at your face if you ever presented him with a bunch of trash stats to make your case, he understands that there is more to the game.
- Jerry West named Kobe as the top 5-6 players ever right? If you are going to agree with him on everything, then why ignore this?

The bold part is what terrifies you-know-who. When you live by mass media, you die by mass media.

I don't agree with Wooden (Kareem is the GOAT imo) but his opinion can't be summarily dismissed, for the reasons you cited. Wooden even coached Kareem yet he has concluded Kobe is the GOAT?

When a player comes along that surpasses MJ, KAJ, Magic, Bird, Russell, Wilt, etc, it won't need to be debated.

What is your reasoning for that? When Lebron surpassed Kobe as the best player in the league there was a debate. There always will be debate about such things--especially during a transitional period.

[NBASTATMAN]

Things to consider:

- He has watched every great player in history.
- He is aware about the strengths and weaknesses of every era.
- He watches a TON of Laker games (so it's not like he is being hyped into believing it) and has seen more games than anyone else on this board.
- As far as I know, he has no agenda. Completely unbiased opinion here.
- Whether it's true or not, 10 years down the road, Kobe will be remembered as the GOAT amongst the general public (and looks like a significant portion of the basketball community too). This barring LBJ doing some other worldly sh*t in that time span.
- This is John freaking Wooden. He knows more about basketball than you could ever hope. He would laugh at your face if you ever presented him with a bunch of trash stats to make your case, he understands that there is more to the game.
- Jerry "the GOAT talent evaluator" West named Kobe as the top 5-6 players ever right? If you are going to agree with him on everything, then why ignore this?

I have written that I believe kobe would wind up 5-7 all time list .. I agree with Jerry west.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Things to consider:

- He has watched every great player in history.
- He is aware about the strengths and weaknesses of every era.
- He watches a TON of Laker games (so it's not like he is being hyped into believing it) and has seen more games than anyone else on this board.
- As far as I know, he has no agenda. Completely unbiased opinion here.
- Whether it's true or not, 10 years down the road, Kobe will be remembered as the GOAT amongst the general public (and looks like a significant portion of the basketball community too). This barring LBJ doing some other worldly sh*t in that time span.
- This is John freaking Wooden. He knows more about basketball than you could ever hope. He would laugh at your face if you ever presented him with a bunch of trash stats to make your case, he understands that there is more to the game.
- Jerry "the GOAT talent evaluator" West named Kobe as the top 5-6 players ever right? If you are going to agree with him on everything, then why ignore this?

[NBASTATMAN]

The bold part is what terrifies you-know-who. When you live by mass media, you die by mass media.

I don't agree with Wooden (Kareem is the GOAT imo) but his opinion can't be summarily dismissed, for the reasons you cited. Wooden even coached Kareem yet he has concluded Kobe is the GOAT?



What is your reasoning for that? When Lebron surpassed Kobe as the best player in the league there was a debate. There always will be debate about such things--especially during a transitional period.

Wooden has written that Walton was the best all around player ever....

[1987_Lakers]

Wooden has written that Walton was the best all around player ever....

When healthy, Walton was definitely the best all around center in the NBA.

[Showtime]

What is your reasoning for that?

My reasoning is that because those players were so great and accomplished so much, if a player comes along that is DEFINITIVELY superior, then he will play at a level so far ahead of his peers and accomplish more to the point where it doesn't need to be a debate.

I don't consider MJ the definitive GOAT, because I feel players like KAJ are in the conversation because of their own accomplishments. So for somebody to leap the GOAT candidates, then that player will do so much that it won't be questionable.

When Lebron surpassed Kobe as the best player in the league there was a debate. There always will be debate about such things--especially during a transitional period.

Not about this. When somebody says Kobe is the greatest ever, they better come at the argument with something more than work ethic.

"He's never seen anybody work that hard on offense and defense and the complete game."

If you want to talk about work ethic, I would like to hear how he's more dedicated than Jordan who had an uncanny work ethic. And I find it ironic that Wooden made those comments about Kobe considering he's been showing a lackluster effort on defense depending on the situation. With that being said, we don't even know if Wooden actually said those exact things, because this is a guy paraphrasing him in a hearsay convo.

[ShaqAttack3234]

- Whether it's true or not, 10 years down the road, Kobe will be remembered as the GOAT amongst the general public (and looks like a significant portion of the basketball community too).

What makes you say that? Right now, only a small percentage consider him better than Jordan, chances are Kobe's individual statistics, MVP's, finals MVP's and scoring titles will pale in comparison to Jordan's, he won't be remembered nearly as influential as Jordan and he was not considered the best player in the league by the majority for more than 2-3 years, if that. Jordan on the other hand was considered in the league for about a decade and he was considered the greatest to ever play the game by most by the time of his first retirement.

Kobe's chances of being remembered by most as the greatest player ever are slim.

[rfm767]

When you constantly seek validation, then you are probably wrong. If Kobe was GOAT, it wouldn't need to be debated. When a player comes along that surpasses MJ, KAJ, Magic, Bird, Russell, Wilt, etc, it won't need to be debated.

NEVER understimate the power of the nostalgia side.

[Mark Madsen]

@ PAH being there

[Jacks3]

Wooden is absolutely right. Kobe is the greatest basketball player who ever lived. He's as close to a perfect player as we'll ever see.

[NBASTATMAN]

What makes you say that? Right now, only a small percentage consider him better than Jordan, chances are Kobe's individual statistics, MVP's, finals MVP's and scoring titles will pale in comparison to Jordan's, he won't be remembered nearly as influential as Jordan and he was not considered the best player in the league by the majority for more than 2-3 years, if that. Jordan on the other hand was considered in the league for about a decade and he was considered the greatest to ever play the game by most by the time of his first retirement.

Kobe's chances of being remembered by most as the greatest player ever are slim.

Slim to none... Fatal is a kobe STAN... With a kobe tat ....

[Showtime]

So in 20 years, when Kobe and Lebron have retired, and some athletic freak is the best player in the league, and Phil Jackson says he's the best player he's ever seen, I'm assuming everybody is going to agree with him, right?

I mean, Mark Jackson said PP = Bird on offense.

[Fatal9]

So in 20 years, when Kobe and Lebron have retired, and some athletic freak is the best player in the league, and Phil Jackson says he's the best player he's ever seen, I'm assuming everybody is going to agree with him, right?

Whether I agree with him or not doesn't matter (and I don't agree with Wooden here). I'd accept it as a valid opinion based on the fact that it's Phil Jackson though.

[Abraham Lincoln]

Sorry, but he is incorrect.