Monday, October 27th, 2008 at 8:01 am  |  1,116 responses

SLAMonline Top 50: Kobe Bryant, no. 1

The definitive ranking of the best players in the NBA today…

by Ryan Jones

So: Is he? Is Kobe Bryant, right now, the best basketball player alive?

Sure.

He is, without question, a very good basketball player. He is tall. He runs fast, and he SLAMonline Top 50: Kobe Bryant, no. 1jumps high. He makes a lot of baskets, and he possesses a “high basketball IQ.” Among the rest of the basketball players playing basketball in the NBA today, his “skill set” is arguably unsurpassed. He does, in other words, most of the things involved in playing basketball better than do most other basketball players. No. 1 seems about right.

Who might be better? Probably no one. There are only a handful of basketball players in the “who’s the best basketball player” conversation, and arguably only one in legitimate contention, but the case for that basketball player has had numerous holes poked in it. A lot of those pokes have been valid. So, maybe consensus is easily reached: There is no basketball player who is clearly better at playing basketball than is Kobe Bryant.

Ergo, Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player.

And yet.

A rehashing of Kobe Bryant’s myriad and widely documented “issues” would be overkill here. It does seem worth mentioning, however, that Kobe Bryant was rarely the best basketball player on the court during the 2008 NBA Finals, and only very occasionally the best basketball player on his own team during the 2008 Summer Olympics. For someone “widely” considered to be the best basketball player on the planet, these are pretty strong indictments re: his best-basketball-player status.

But, again, when debating the topic of who the best basketball player is, there is no clear-cut “better” option. There is only preference.

As in, Which basketball player would you RATHER have to start a basketball-playing team?

Or, Which basketball player does the most to make their basketball-playing teammates better?

Or, Whose shoes are hotter?

Or, Who seems like less of a dick?

Fair questions all, but they boil down to opinion, not fact. Which is fine.

The world works this way.

So, one more time: Is Kobe Bryant the best basketball player in the NBA today?

Yes. If you think so.

Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.

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  • JimmyBoy

    If you look at the numbers there are other players who can be considered clearly better than Kobe. Moreover, based on lifetime stats, PER, the Olympics, the 2009 season, and other individual statistical categories the case can be made for other players who are better, more efficient, and/or made Kobe look stupid in a game or series.

    It’s not that hard to do because Kobe does NOT live up to the hype, even with the championship he just won with the Lakers!!!!

    That is my biggest knock against Kobe. He does not live up to the media hype that he is so very great.

    I submit to you the following based on numbers:

    He is not an accurate shooter!
    He is an average passer for someone in his caliber!
    He is all-defense but you can’t show me that from the numbers!!!
    Take away his ppg and he is just another player.
    Wade has exceeded Kobe’s lifetime ppg and other stats.
    Pierce made him look stupid in the 2008 Finals.
    Wade outplayed him in the Olympics and during the season.
    Statistically both Lebron and Wade had a MUCH better season than Kobe.
    Kobe’s 3 rings were because of one of the best centers in league history in Shaq.

  • http://slamonline.com john johnson

    give it 5 years and the big discussion will be
    whos the best? derrrick rose or leBron james?
    once the bulls get wade theyll get some rings and rose will win a mvp

  • http://slamonline.com john johnson

    im sick of people comparing kobe to jordan if they had played 2gether jordan would stilll get all the rings, the mvps the constant nod as the 1# player

  • http://NBA.com Miss Kelly

    Ryan Jones,
    I have one simple question, and one comment:
    If you (& it’s obvious)didn’t think Kobe was #1 of the 50, why did you list him as such?
    AND looking at the amount of ‘ink’ you gave talking about Lebron (as #2) opposed to what you gave Kobe (as #1), it seems like you thought Lebron was #1; therefore, either your superior told you who to put down as #1 or you are not true to what you believe.

  • http://NBA.com Miss Kelly

    Ryan Jones,
    I have one simple question, and one comment: If you (& it’s obvious) DIDN’t think Kobe was #1, why did you list him as such? AND looking at the amount of (positive) “ink” you gave talking about Lebron opposed to the small amount (bordering on negative) of “ink” you gave Kobe, it seems like you thought Lebron was #1; therefore, either your superiors told you who to put down as #1 or you are not true to what you believe.

  • http://slamonline.com breeze

    kobe

  • Slam Corrector

    Hey JimmyBoy, the object of the game is to win and Mr. Bryant has 4 rings. Clearly you don’t like “24″ so you are not objective. You say Wade and Bron had better stats last year??? So what. Isn’t this about winning? Kobe has had years when he played with Smush and Kwame where his stats were CRAZY but then critics would say “well he isn’t winning”.

    You say if you took away his ppg and he’s just another player, what kind of logic is that??? Take away Shaq’s size and he’d just be another guy, make Jordan 5’6 and he’d never make an All Star team??? Dude, you can’t take away anything from anyone, these guys work on their game and the results of their work is manifested through Wins & Loses and Stats. Your eyes should be checked if you don’t see Kobe’s greatness. And I don’t want to hear about FG% that’s all you Kobe haters hold on to.

  • Thomas

    It had to be Kobe…no one in the game today has the kind of resume he has:

    4 Championship rings
    3 Allstar game MVPs
    1 Finals MVP
    1 MVP
    2 Scoring Titles
    12-time Allstar
    6-time All NBA First Team
    6-time All NBA Defensive First Team
    3 60+ pt Games
    1 81pt Game

    What does Queen James that is even comparable to that??….I rest my case

  • http://www.shoenut.blogspot.com ShoeNut

    Thomas – good job! Lakers back to back in 2010.

  • http://slamonline Akira

    okay yeah KOBE is good, yeah his fast but wade is faster yeah kobe won the championship only when pau gasol arrived in the team.
    wade have everything steals,blocks,assits and his the quikest player in the nba with amazing stats when he won the championship with Shaq in his team. kobe is better than wade shooting.
    this year them mvp was wade and miami was a good team only with yhim carrying the team on his back thanks

  • Omnixyience (Philippines)

    TO EVERYONE…

    I know some of you are STILL not contended why his NUMBER 1 and LBJ is NUMBER 2

    just read this article it is fair and not biased.

    the debate of who is the best player are based on 3 full season of the players

    http://bestplayerontheplanet.com/kobe-bryant-vs-lebron-james/

  • http://shoenut.blogspot.com ShoeNut

    Well Deserved. Lakers Back to Back in 2010.

  • http://slamonline.com bryant the 2

    kobe is the best thats right he is he alrady proved it last year rember back orlando

  • http://slamonline.com bryant the 2

    kobe is the best thats right he is he alrady proved it last year rember back in orlando going home with the ring lebron suckes kobe is better in everything.the end

  • colinxxxxxxxx

    can anyone plz tells me how come a player like him who only got 26ppg and 45%fg be #!1????? Kobe has no efficiency!!

  • Black Mamba’s clone

    Kobe Bryant the best player EVER!!! He deserves to be No. 1 because he knows in hard time while LeBron doesnt. Kobe does it at the time that’s why say it’s Kobe’s time when it misses 3 or 5 seconds so he has guts and he’s showed ALL the time that he’s not afraid that he gets the point “NO MATTER”, that’s what i call a leader, a strong, a boss, a mastermind, u get wat i mean??. LeBron doesnt know how to be a leader yet but im very sure he’ll be soon.. Thx :)

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