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Eight-Time NBA All-Star Makes Controversial Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant Statement

This former NBA star has a controversial take on Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.

Joey Linn

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) celebrates with center Dwight Howard (12) in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) celebrates with center Dwight Howard (12) in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. / Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
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The NBA GOAT debate is widely considered a two-player discussion between Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. While those two players are predominately accepted as a tier above the rest, different conversations can bring other players into the mix.

One of these conversations is the “skill” debate. During a recent episode of Gil’s Arena, eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard argued that Kobe Bryant is more skilled than Michael Jordan.

“I think Kobe is better than MJ, skill-wise,” Howard said. “He took everything that Jordan did and multiplied it. He did it better.”

Needless to say, this was a controversial statement from Howard among NBA fans. Having played with Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers, Howard did see the five-time NBA champion up close, so he likely has an even greater appreciation for the skill level he had.

As Howard mentioned, Bryant emulated a lot of what Jordan did during his run in Chicago. Where this statement became controversial among fans is when Howard says Bryant multiplied Jordan’s skillset and did it even better.

These all-time debates are always subjective, especially when getting into topics like skill. Bryant was undoubtedly one of the NBA’s most skilled players of all-time, and in Howard’s eyes he was more skilled than Jordan.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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