Kyrie Irving Trashes NBA Media For Disrespecting Kobe
Kyrie Irving has never been one to shy away from sharing his opinions on various topics in and out of the NBA world, and yesterday wasn’t any different. Speaking on his Twitch stream, Kyrie went at the NBA Media for constantly trying to undermine Kobe Bryant’s legacy, “I’m not letting people revise history,” Irving began. “I’m not letting people come on and talk about Kobe like Kobe wasn’t one of the best that not only played, but that came in as a 17-year-old against grown men. And by the time this man was 22 years old, he had a few championships, and he was busting the best of the best’s a**. If y’all don’t knock that s**t off.”
Irving made sure to acknowledge that his comments were directed at “media talking heads” and analysts who “casually throw names around” without knowing the NBA’s history. As to what these comments were addressing, Irving was likely responding to Bleacher Report ranking Kobe Bryant 11th all-time in their list of the 100 greatest NBA players, including one spot behind current superstar Steph Curry. Irving’s opinion isn’t alone, as other former players have criticized Kobe’s spot heavily as well. For instance, Shaquille O’Neal called the ranking “criminal” and Dwyane Wade stated Kobe was “Top three”. Now, are these criticisms fair? Absolutely, but also not entirely. Ultimately, where Kobe ranks among the NBA all all-time greats is entirely up to your own personal opinion.
Kobe Bryant is a five-time champion, an MVP, an 11-time First Team All-NBA, an 18-time All-Star, a two-time gold medalist, and is arguably the best player of the post-Michael Jordan era. Sure, he won three of his championships alongside Shaq, but he also won two without him, solidifying his legacy. Whether these accolades or Kobe’s stats rank him the goat or number 12 doesn’t necessarily matter. Personally, I would have put Kobe Bryant a little higher, and definitely higher than Steph Curry, but Steph is a four-time champion and the greatest shooter ever, so I see where the list was coming from. So ultimately, where Kobe ranks is entirely up to you. He may be your goat, or he may not. It’s up to you.
