Lonzo Ball has angered fans by suggesting Kobe Bryant was “never the best player” while listing his top five NBA players of all-time.
Lonzo Ball Says Kobe Bryant Was “Never the Best Player”
Lonzo Ball is certainly no stranger to controversial takes, with his ‘What an Experience’ podcast alongside brother LiAngelo regularly inciting riots amongst NBA fans.
Just this week, Zach LaVine appeared as a special guest to reveal his top five dunkers in NBA history, although his list was about as accurate as it could be.
It was Lonzo Ball’s turn to be a guest on a fellow podcast this week, appearing on Angel Reese’s podcast, ‘Unapologetically Angel’ alongside brother LiAngelo.
Nestled amongst a mixture of topics, including life off the court and personal experiences on it, Reese posed the question of the top five NBA players of all time to her guests.
It drew perhaps the most interesting takeaway of the podcast, with Lonzo Ball omitting Kobe Bryant from his list.
Citing inefficiency as one of Bryant’s drawbacks, Ball said: “I love Kobe Bryant, but he was never the best player to me when I was watching him.
“Just because he’s got the most misses ever, you know what I’m saying? I don’t know. But back to [Steph] Curry—his resume, the way he changed the game—he’s the best shooter ever. Carried USA. There ain’t nothing that he hasn’t done, and he’s got the rings to back it up too. So, I don’t know.”
Angel Reese asking Lonzo Ball about his basketball Mt Rushmore. 👀 pic.twitter.com/zQrrAUPraF
— Melissaidwhat (@MsMeliss) November 29, 2024
It is interesting to note that LeBron James recently surpassed Kobe Bryan’t all-time record for the most misses in NBA history, although that is likely an unfortunate by-product of his superior longevity.
Ball’s opinion is almost certain to ruffle feathers, with Bryant widely regarded as one the NBA’s preeminent players. A 20-year career yielded a strong 44.7% from the field, along with five NBA rings and 18 All-Star selections.
