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Every time LeBron James racks up another career achievement, the discussion throughout media always (predictably and exhaustingly) turns to where he ranks among the all-time greats. Sunday night was no different, with the internet and broadcasters immediately flipping to debate whether or not James’ eighth-straight NBA Finals appearances is finally proof he’s better than greats like Michael Jordan and Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
For Bryant, it appears that discussion has grown exhausting, and he tweeted out a plea to end it following the game:
We can enjoy one without tearing down one. I love what he’s doing. Don’t debate what can’t be definitively won by anyone #enjoymy5 #enjoymj6 #enjoylbjquest
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) May 28, 2018
Bryant is right. While James has a convincing case to be the GOAT, why does every single occasion he does anything have to become an opportunity to re-litigate whether he’s the greatest to ever do it? Why does it matter if someone feels it’s Jordan, or someone else feels it’s Bryant?
It’s all ultimately frivolous anyway. There is no way to ever truly know for sure who is the best basketball player ever, because a team game creates contextual factors that alter the way players can perform or are perceived, and it’s impossible to account for things like that or changes in the way the game is played when debating who is the GOAT.
Plus, everyone defines “best ever” in different ways, so it’s all also a semantics argument, and all of those factors make it basically impossible to conclusively choose someone as the greatest of all time.
With all that said, Bryant’s point that we should probably just appreciate everyone’s greatness rather than wasting time arguing about it on the internet wasn’t well-taken by everyone, including Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet, who used Bryant’s tweet as a way to rib Kobe:
Enjoy my 5 .... Kobe’s angry he’s trapped at the kiddy table at the base of Mt. Rushmore. Have some class: https://t.co/rUmpuoUevJ
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) May 28, 2018
However, just because Bryant didn’t want to watch people argue on Twitter all night didn’t mean he wasn’t happy to end this particular argument with authority:
#Annie #Oscar #Emmy safe to say I’m focused on another mountain but I’m guessing it’s hard to fathom athletes supporting other athletes to be great ♂️ #simpleminds https://t.co/OU1Z4z7jM4
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) May 28, 2018
Bryant essentially calling Grange simple minded while simultaneously basically asking him to hold his Emmy and Oscar is pretty much a death blow you can’t come back from in a Twitter fight, and the latest reminder that wherever one thinks Bryant ranks among James and Jordan and the rest of basketball’s all-time greats, he’s definitely the future hall of famer who has mastered social media the best.
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