Kobe Bryant Omission on Top 10 NBA Players List Causes Uproar

The Bleacher Report released its Top 100 NBA Players list on social media causing havoc amongst the NBA community in the process.

Kobe Bryant Omission on Top 10 NBA Players List Causes Uproar

Kobe Bryant (Image by FirstSportz)

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Everyone has different opinions when ranking or choosing the top players in any league of any given sport. These opinions are bound to create debates and controversies amongst fans of the respected sport. Such a scenario was witnessed lately when the Bleacher Report released their TOP 100 NBA PLAYERS OF ALL TIME list on X.

Many players came and went, but a select few left an underlying impact on the sport. As Bleacher Report released their Top 100 NBA players list, it was all good until the Top 10 NBA players. This is where things got interesting because they left out the legendary late Kobe Bryant from the top 10 NBA players’ list, sending the NBA community into a frenzy.

Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers legend, a 5-time NBA champion, was ranked 11th on the list released by BR. Many could not believe their eyes and threw shade at the Bleacher Report’s NBA experts via social media. So much so that even his former teammate, Shaquille O’Neal, threw shade at the post.

Fans advocated that Bryant should have been ahead of Stephen Curry. Bryant’s impressive statistics and accolades are self-evident.

Although his five championships during his Los Angeles Lakers-only career are undoubtedly remarkable, he should also be commended for the length of his fame. He is just behind LeBron James‘ 21 All-NBA honors, tied with Tim Duncan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the second-most selections ever.

One may argue that Kobe is the most significant person to ever step onto the NBA floor. He had two distinct periods during his heyday. He did it against the old generation and the old way of playing the game as well as against the social media age, where the sport took an elevation. But Bryant was bothered by none of this.

NBA fans left furious after coming across Kobe Bryant’s omission from the Top 10 NBA list

The Bleacher Report’s NBA experts would have surely given their Top 100 NBA Players list a proper rethink before posting that out in public. It is safe to say that it did not sit well with many NBA fans (as mentioned above). Ranking Kobe Bryant, one of the most iconic NBA players, 11th in the Top 100 NBA players list, was found diabolical by some.

Many were left furious by the Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry making the Top 10 list ahead of Bryant. The late Lakers legend had a huge impact on the sport, on and off the court. The fan’s rage is quite understandable. One fan wrote on X, Ain’t no way Steph is better than Kobe… Who tf made this list?! Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Bryant had a greater impact in general, an impact exceeding the sport of basketball. His “Mamba Mentality” was a philosophy that focused on resilience, competitive excellence, and ongoing self-improvement. Around the world, it still serves as an inspiration to sportsmen, businesspeople, and artists.

On the court, his achievements are on another level, just below the likes of the legendary Michael Jordan and Bill Russell. In addition to his 5 NBA rings, the honours he won: 1× Regular Season MVP, 2× Finals MVP – 2009, 2010, 18× NBA All-Star, and 4× All-Star Game MVP. Hence, the fans’ argument regarding Bryant does make sense.

Kobe Bryant once made a crazy revelation regarding LeBron James

Kobe Bryant was in London in May 2010 to assist in the opening of the London School of Basketball, an initiative aimed at promoting basketball talent and enthusiasm around the world. While he was there, all the attention was on the late legend. During his appearance, Bryant was asked an interesting question: How would he perform in a 1v1 against LeBron James?

LeBron James
LeBron James (Credits: MARCA)

Kobe Bryant said,  “I’d win. That’s what I do. One-on-one… that’s easy for me. Playing one-on-one is how I grew up playing. That’s my thing. LeBron is more like a Magic Johnson. Great passer, all-around game. At the core of me, I’m a one-on-one player. I’d do that in my sleep.”

This was Bryant being typical Bryant. The Mamba personality he is known for was on full display during his response to the reporters. The entire discussion got viral throughout the hooping circles quite fast. It discussed Bryant’s faith in his abilities as well as his confidence.

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