Lakers: Vince Carter's Iconic Dunk Was Probably Inspired By Kobe Bryant, And it Sparked a Debate

Who do you think did it first?

The funny thing about basketball is that it's one of the few sports where players take moves from older generations. And why not? If it worked for them, it's smart to take what you can learn from them and improve it. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was known for emulating Michael Jordan in many ways, including his finesse near the rim. 

But another legend might have taken one of his most iconic moves from Kobe. The debate was sparked online when this picture of the Lakers great was posted of him at the Adidas Streetball Challenge in 1997.

Naturally, there were some comments about his arm in the basket.

Twitter users jumped on the post immediately, with many of them claiming Vince Carter actually took this from Kobe. Carter made headlines when he did that dunk in 2000 with his arm in the basket, and it's an iconic moment in NBA history. 

And we're certainly not saying that Kobe was the first player to ever do this on the court. Carter's was just more well-known because of the stage that he did it on. So did Carter take his move from the Lakers great? That's the fun part about the debate. 

Carter entered the league in 1998 and faced off against Bryant for many years. Both guys won the dunk contest at one point, and both put on ridiculous shows with their athleticism. So did he take this from Kobe? Maybe, maybe not. There's no telling if we'll ever know, unless Carter wants to talk about it.

Just enjoy the greatness, it's fun.