Jacob Smith

Scott Brooks: "You can argue the [Lakers] had the best player ever to play the game [Kobe] for 20 years..." Pat Riley: "He ranks right there with Jordan." David Stern: "Kobe is there with Michael." Dr J.: "[Kobe's] as good as anyone who's ever played. Let's put it that way." George Gervin: "He set himself apart from everyone else." Kevin Durant: "How do you not say [Kobe and Jordan] are by far better than anybody who's played the game?" Isaiah Thomas: “I mean, he’s the greatest of all time in life and in basketball." Adeyemi Adediran (B/R 2010): "KOBE BRYANT IS THE GREATEST PLAYER TO EVER TOUCH A BASKETBALL." Jerry Rice: "Greatest of all time. You have to earn that title, and I think Kobe did that." Randy Moss: "Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player that I've ever seen dribble a basketball." Mark Jackson: "I never thought I would say it playing against Michael Jordan for so long but Kobe Bryant at the end of the day...will go down as the greatest basketball player that has ever lived." Mark Schlererh: "One time, one game, I'm taking Kobe Bryant." Paul Pierce: "If a game is on the line and I need one game, I want Kob." Steve Smith: "He's the best, most fundamentaly [sound] player I've ever played against or watched." Kendrick Perkins: "Most skilled to EVER play the game, it's not even a debate." Chauncey Billups: "I think Kobe is more skilled than any player that's ever played." Phil Jackson when asked if Kobe has better basketball skills than Michael Jordan: "He does." Vince Carter: "I mean, I still have to give it (GOAT) to Michael Jordan, with a close Kobe Bryant 2nd." Paul Westphal: "Who is to say Kobe Bryant isn’t going to be better than Michael Jordan? Let’s get that out on the table right now. He’s a lot better than Jordan was at the same age." Shaq: "If you want to have that conversation (GOAT), there has to be another name added to that - Kobe." Rip Hamilton: "Whoever voted Kobe [at 10] flat out disrespected him...when Magic comes out and says Kobe is the best Laker of all-time, that means better than him and better than the guy Magic played with, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar." Rudy Tomjanovich: "I truly believe [Kobe] has the chance to become the greatest player to ever play the game." Greg Anthony: "Kobe Bryant is the most complete basketball player the game has ever seen." Shaq: "You know what, I had the greatest player ever. We could've won six or seven championships, but you live and you learn." Allen Iverson: "I don't understand how they don't have the debate when it comes to Kobe." Mike Breen: "It's starting to happen again Mark, the conversation, the debate on is [Kobe] as good as Michael Jordan. It's been blasphemy to say it, really about anybody, but it's an actual discussion you can have now. Mark Jackson: "Well I said it a year and a half ago, no way in the world would I ever put anybody in the conversation with Michael Jordan but Kobe Bryant is there. He's as good as Michael Jordan on any given day. I said to Bryant yesterday,, 'it's almost like Larry Holmes and Muhammad Ali.' He looked at me and said, 'I'm not Larry Holmes.' And he is 100% right. It is two Muhammad Ali's when you talk about Jordan and Bryant." Grant Taylor (B/R 2011): "Players that come to mind are Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan. But I've now officially put Kobe Bryant on this list, and judging by the title of this article, it is clear I'm not just saying he belongs with these players. No. Kobe Bryant is the greatest and most legendary of all these players." Charles Barkley: "Kobe Bryant is the best player I’ve ever seen other than Michael Jordan." Matt Barnes: "To me, Jordan is 1 and Kobe is 1B." Phil Jackson on who he'd pick to start a team with between Kobe and Jordan: “I’d do a coin flip and whichever one came up heads or tails, I would take that person.”