Shaquille O’Neal, Shaq, Kobe Bryant, Draymond Green, NBA GOAT debate, Los Angeles Lakers, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, NBA legends
One reason, Green believes, is that Kobe spent the early championship years playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal. The duo dominated the NBA from 2000 through 2002, winning three straight championships and becoming one of the most unstoppable tandems the league has ever seen.
Ironically, Green thinks that success actually works against Bryant in today’s GOAT discussions. Some fans credit those championships to the partnership instead of recognizing just how special Kobe was as an individual player.
If anyone watched those Lakers teams, though, they know both superstars were absolutely essential. Trying to separate their contributions is a little like trying to decide which slice made the pizza taste better.
Green also pointed to what happened after O’Neal left Los Angeles in 2004. The Lakers went through a few rebuilding seasons, and while Bryant was putting together some of the greatest individual performances the NBA has ever seen—including his unforgettable 81-point masterpiece—the team wasn’t collecting championships.
Fair or not, team success often drives these all-time conversations.
Green also noted that the timing wasn’t ideal for Bryant. While Kobe was carrying the Lakers through those transition years, a young LeBron James was becoming the face of the next generation in Cleveland.
According to Green, Bryant simply didn’t have a long enough stretch where he was universally viewed as the league’s unquestioned best player before the LeBron era took over.
Once James entered the picture, the GOAT conversation became a two-man race in the eyes of many fans, even though Bryant’s résumé continued to grow.
Of course, debates like this never really end—and that’s part of what makes basketball so much fun. Every generation has its favorites, every fan has an opinion, and nobody ever seems to convince anybody else.
Still, Green made a compelling case that Kobe Bryant’s legacy deserves to be mentioned right alongside the biggest names in NBA history. Five championships, 18 All-Star appearances, countless unforgettable moments, and one of the fiercest competitive spirits the game has ever seen make for a résumé that’s hard to ignore.
As for Shaq? You know he wasn’t about to let his former teammate get left out of the conversation. And judging by Green’s response, plenty of today’s stars agree that Kobe Bryant belongs squarely in the GOAT discussion.