Michael Jordan: When NBA Icon Was Asked to Choose Between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant

• Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have always been compared to Michael Jordan
• In 2013, Jordan was asked who was the best between the two
• The NBA and Chicago Bulls icon gave a diplomatic answer

The NBA's hottest discussions usually revolve around top 10 lists and who is the GOAT between Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

The late great Kobe Bryant has always been considered as one of the best players of all time, but many exclude the Los Angeles Lakers icon in the GOAT debate.

A few years ago, Jordan was asked to pick who was the best between Bryant and James.

Bryant retired in 2016 after 20 seasons with the Lakers. He helped Los Angeles win NBA titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2010, and was named the MVP in 2008.

Only three players have scored more points than him in NBA history, and the 81 points he scored against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006, are second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, per ESPN.

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Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others sadly passed away in January 2020.

LeBron James is 38 and is in his 21st NBA season. He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer and is on track to break more records. Here's how their accolades compare.

Jordan on Bryant vs. James

In 2013, Jordan was asked to choose between Bryant and James. He hesitated and jokingly chose Kevin Durant, but proceeded to give a detailed answer, per Sportscasting.

"In terms of dominance of the game of basketball at this stage, it’s LeBron. Championship-wise, it’s Kobe Bryant. He wants it so bad, he’s willing to go to the extreme," he said.

"Guarding a guy, guarding the point guards at age 34, and playing 38 minutes, 40 minutes — that’s ludicrous. I think this is what he’s battling with. It is what it is. He’s cursed as much as I am. If you had to pick between the two, that would be a tough choice but five beats one."

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Jordan is universally considered the best basketball player of all time, and James and Bryant are always compared to him.

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Bryant's murals continue to inspire

On January 26, the basketball world mourned the third anniversary of Bryant's untimely demise. He died with his daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash in 2020.

Since his tragic death, the basketball icon has been honoured worldwide. Murals of Bryant and Gianna were painted on streets and courts to eternalize them both.

Even in death, his influence still endures. From LA to the Philippines, artists worldwide have painted murals of Bryant and Gianna to honour them, as Sports Brief reported.