Getty LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Former 11-time NBA All-Star Allen Iverson has current Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James only at no. 3 on his GOAT (greatest of all time) list.
Iverson put his draft classmate and former rival — Lakers legend, the late Kobe Bryant — ahead of James with Michael Jordan as his GOAT.
“I’ve never seen anybody as competitive as [Bryant] but Mike (Jordan),” Iverson told Showtime’s Rachel Nichols in an episode with “Headliners with Rachel Nichols.” “That’s it!”
“People talk about the best players in the world, you know I’d say Mike, and I’d say Kobe. And then everybody else.”
Nichols asked if he was putting James behind Jordan and Bryant.
“Definitely,” Iverson said. “Definitely after them.”
Allen Iverson-Kobe Bryant Rivalry
Iverson went to Philadelphia as the no. 1 pick of the 1996 NBA Draft, considered to be the deepest rookie class in league history. Bryant, a Philadelphia native, went no. 13 to the Lakers in a pre-agreed trade with the Charlotte Hornets.
Iverson and Bryant became rivals as the league’s torchbearers after Michael Jordan’s second retirement and before the arrival of James.
The 6-foot Iverson became the lightest and shortest MVP in the league history in 2001. But Bryant and the Lakers beat Iverson and his hometown team in the Finals that season.
Iverson became a cultural icon as he brought street cred to the NBA much to the consternation of the late NBA commissioner David Stern. The former 76ers superstar became a four-time scoring champion but never won a ring.
Bryant, on the other hand, chased Jordan’s legacy, mimicking his every move and his signature swagger on and off the court. He won five championships with the Lakers under Jordan’s former coach, Phil Jackson, falling short of Jordan’s six rings. But he tied Jordan with nine All-Defensive First Team honors.
Meanwhile, Iverson played with James in the ill-fated 2004 US Olympic Team that settled for a bronze medal finish — the first debacle for an all-pro national team.
Turning 39 on December 30, James is searching for his fifth ring that will tie him with Bryant.
Lakers Not on Par With NBA’s Best Teams
James used the Lakers’ injuries as an excuse for their poor stretch after winning the In-Season Tournament title.
“I think the league’s best teams right now so far is … Minnesota – they pretty much healthy – OKC was pretty much healthy besides [Josh] Giddey. And Boston is … fully healthy,” James said following their Christmas Day loss to the Celtics. “I don’t think we’re healthy right now. I don’t think we’re where we want to be to compete versus the top teams.”
LeBron James with an update on his knee following the collision with Jaylen Brown: “Definitely a little soar right now.”
Besides Gabe Vincent, who is out 6-8 weeks due to knee surgery, the Lakers had the full complement of their roster on Christmas.
Lamar Odom Pushes Lakers to Use ‘Best’ Starting 5
Retired two-time champion Lamar Odom suggested that the Lakers should roll out the team’s best five even before Darvin Ham made the weird lineup switch.
A starting five of their three best players — James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves — flanked by the wing tandem of Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt “would be a problem,” Odom posted on X (formerly Twitter) after suggesting a lineup change during the December 22 episode of his podcast “The LADE Show” with Aron Cohen.
But instead of using the best five that worked for the Lakers in their last playoff run, Ham went with James, Taurean Prince, Reddish, Vanderbilt and Davis.