Dime is the premier basketball magazine, covering the NBA, NCAA, High School, Playground and International basketball - as well as sneakers, fashion and music.
Issue link: http://dimemagazine.epubxp.com/i/109153
LETTERS Don���t get it twisted. While Kobe Bryant let it slip earlier this year that he may retire in two years, we didn���t really believe he���ll say goodbye to the game so soon. Why? He knows the game���s history, and knows how close he is to surpassing a number of legends in the record books. He also knows his legacy still has room to grow. Kobe represents a singular case. It���s been a while since a player succeeded on so many di���erent levels. He���s the ultimate survivor. Kobe was a sixth man, a sidekick, the best and second-best player on championship teams in di���erent eras; he played a Scottie Pippen role, a Michael Jordan role, and even the Microwave role; he played for three or four distinctly di���erent o���ensive systems and altered both his body and his game seemingly every summer. Basically, Kobe does whatever he must to succeed. Te NBA is entering a new age sure to be ruled by players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and (hopefully) Derrick Rose. But they���re all trying to get what Kobe has. Around the time we put him on the cover of Dime #71, we asked our DimeMag.com readers: WHERE DOES KOBE RANK AMONG THE BEST PLAYERS OF ALL TIME? If Kobe Bryant is done playing today, he would at best be THE SECOND GREATEST EVER behind Michael Jordan, realistically though, he is probably 3rd or even 4th. However, with two years left in his contract and possibly more and the addition of Nash, Howard, Jamison, we may see him win 2-3 more rings. Should Kobe Bryant ���nish his career with six rings, I will put him second, however should Kobe Bryant ���nish with seven, he is up there with Mike. There are some things that Mike did that Kobe will never be able to do and the same goes for Mike; if Kobe has 7 rings, that is something he never did. Let���s not talk about how many years they have been in the league because only God knows if Mike could be as successful as he was if he had entered the league as a 17-year-old. -Fandy Cendrajaya onships he is at the level of Russell, Magic, Jordan, Chamberlain, O���Neal, Olajuwon, Bird, Duncan and Abdul-Jabbar. From my point of view he should be No. 2 ever. Only Michael Jordan has a more legendary career and Kobe still has two years more to improve his curriculum. Bryant���s contribution and success with the USA Team should also be taken into account. -Pac Bryant Pippen Kobe has always had detractors even on his own team, but he was always the hardest worker & he always got better. He is THE BEST EVER. Michael was great when the league didn���t have as many great players as during Kobe���s time. Kobe has always been a killer & even now when people seem to be writing him off he will surprise -Al Cuevas When he retires, he���ll be THE BEST TO EVER PLAY . He���ll do two things MJ never did. Score more points and most importantly, win rings without Phil Jackson. MJ and Kobe are the only players in the history of the NBA to not have a weakness. You name it; they could do it. People look at the PPG but they forget he was literally a bench player the ���rst three years of his career. As for his ���ve assists per game, ���rst and foremost Kobe is a scorer, but does anyone actually think he couldn���t average 10 assists over a season? If he focused on that, He is among THE 10 BEST PLAYERS of all time for sure. Not only for his individual awards, but also for his multiple champi- I really believe Kobe plays two more years. Hopefully he wins one more title. I do not see KB being a ���role player.��� D-Howard scores but mostly off dunks so KB is going to have to create. Nash helps KB out a lot. He wins one more chip and calls it a day, I would say he is RIGHT BEHIND MJ! I hate saying this but MJ never lost in the Finals. That has to mean something! -Jay Brodes 18 it wouldn���t be a problem. Another thing I think people overlook is the competition. Today���s NBA is wayyyy better than when MJ played. Basically every team today has a player that could���ve been a star in the ���90s. MJ never faced a LeBron, Durant, Dirk, Rose, ���Melo, Wade, and all the great players today. With Dwight now, I believe when Kobe retires, he���ll have eight rings and be the all-time leading scorer. If that���s not enough to be the best, I don���t what is. -Drake Maco He isn���t as iconic as Shaq or AI, so that alone makes THIS STATEMENT INVALID TO ME. He wasn���t even arguably the best player in the NBA until he started droppin��� 60 points every night... He became the best SG by default, after T-Mac became injury prone and AI started to be treated like the NBA���s stepchild... -Nathan Jones Kobe = One MVP. To me, SHAQ AND DUNCAN USED TO BE MORE DOMINANT than Kobe in PO during the decade. He���s not above them. -David Periquito More longevity than MJ. More points than Magic. More everything than Bird. I think in two years HE���S THE GOAT if he sustains his current level of play. Also Kobe played against better guards athletically and skill wise than Jordan. Does that count? -Delacey Nicholls