O Neal spoke out for Kobe: Top 100 rankings cause controversy

On July 15, the list of top 100 players in NBA history released by US media Bleacher Report has caused a stir in the basketball world. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant ranked 11th, and this ranking has sparked a lot of discussion, especially O'Neal, a celebrity who once fought side by side with Kobe for the Lakers and won three championship rings together, expressed strong dissatisfaction.

O'Neal said bluntly: "Bryant ranks 11th? This is simply nonsense!" From his words, it is not difficult to feel indignation about Kobe's ranking. In this list, the 10 players ahead of Kobe are: basketball god Jordan, "Little Emperor" James, "Tian Gou" Kareem, "Magic" Johnson, "Lord of the Rings" Bill Russell, O'Neal himself, "Stone Buddha" Duncan, "Big Bird" Larry Bird, "Bathball Emperor" Wilt Chamberlain and "Cute God" Curry. After Kobe, there are "Big Dreams" Olajuwon, Kevin Durant, "Big O" Oscar Robertson and "Logo Man" Jerry West.

O'Neal's praise of Kobe was not a whim. As early as in an interview in 2023, he made it clear that in his heart the best team in history, the members would be himself, Kobe, Jordan, Magic Johnson and James. Kobe's tough style and comprehensive skills are all-round, with many honors such as 5 NBA championships and 18 All-Star selections, demonstrating his dominance and influence on the field. His "Mamba Spirit" has inspired generations of basketball people and become a spiritual symbol in the basketball world and even the sports world. The ranking of this list actually reflects the differences in different people's criteria for judging players' historical status. Some people pay attention to the number of championships, some people pay attention to personal data, and some people consider many factors such as players' promotion and influence on basketball. O'Neal believes that Kobe's ranking is too low, which is based on his deep understanding of Kobe's strength and his deep friendship in fighting side by side in the field. This controversy has also made fans once again discuss the historical status of all legendary stars. How to comprehensively and objectively measure the value of a player in the long history of the NBA may never have a standard answer, but this kind of discussion will undoubtedly make the charm of basketball more and more deeply rooted in people's hearts.

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