During a recording of "The Big Podcast," Shaquille O'Neal expressed his view that Kobe Bryant should be included in discussions about the greatest basketball players of all time, often a debate centered on Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
"There’s only three people in the GOAT conversation. Listen, I’m arrogant, but I’m not dumb," O'Neal stated. "It’s Kobe, Bron and Mike, that’s it."
O'Neal questioned why Bryant, his former teammate, is frequently left out of these discussions. He noted that while many conversations focus on Jordan and James, he wonders "what about the Kobester?"
Bryant spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, securing five championships. He earned two Finals MVP awards and was the regular-season MVP in 2008. His championship total of five surpasses James's four titles, though it falls short of Jordan's six championships, all of which included Finals MVP awards.
Bryant was recognized for his "Mamba Mentality," a term representing his intense dedication to winning and performing under pressure. One of his most notable performances was scoring 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006, marking the third-highest single-game point total in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain holds the record with 100 points in 1962.