Magic Johnson could play all five positions if he wanted to and could play them all at a high level. He has five rings. He had great rivals in the West, but his rivalry with Larry Bird still resonates to this day.
Michael Jordan was the best player the NBA has ever seen. Six rings. Jordan also kept Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, and John Stockton from winning any rings. Jordan also changed the game from a tall man's game to a slasher's game, and the league still has not changed back.
JT the Brick was projecting Kobe's career stats on his interactive radio show and wondered what would it take for Kobe Bryant to be known as the best Laker and player ever. With a ring this year, he would have five like Magic, plus he has more points than Magic.
Kobe also has a chance to score over 40,000 points. He might not pass MJ in rings but he will have more points if he keeps his pace up.
Kobe and MJ are similar players, so there is a discussion here. Projecting stats is risky because of what might happen in regard to injuries, lawsuits, free agent moves, and early retirements.
Kobe is the best player of his era and it is not even close. LeBron James is distracted by off the court things and has not even won a title. Kobe chose to not opt out of his contract and stay a Laker because he is all about winning.
LeBron is not all about winning, he is all about LeBron. He does the "look at me" dance. He is in a great situation in Cleveland, but wants to keep his options open. Kobe is going to do it all for one team, whereas LeBron might chase global iconism and playoff frustration in New York next year. As a Cleveland fan, I hope LeBron stays, but hope and Cleveland have never been very good together.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
