MANILA, Philippines – It is a given that Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are among the best cagers to have played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). But who is really better?
For Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher, there is no answer to that question.
“I think there will always be a debate over who’s the best player to play basketball,” Fisher told Asian reporters during a Cisco TelePresence videoconference last month.
“I think Kobe has answered it by saying it’s near impossible to compare to a guy that largely played in different eras, didn’t really have to play against each other for long stretches of time,” he continued.
Bryant’s teammate also commented on the never-ending Kobe vs. MJ debate.
“It’s a disservice to Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius Erving and all those men that that really helped make the NBA what it is today to only single out Kobe and MJ,” he stated.
When asked what he thinks Bryant should do to reach Jordan’s level or even surpass him, Fisher thinks the 2010 Finals Most Valuable Player does not need to do something extra.
“Kobe needs to continue to do what he’s been doing to push himself to be the best and help his team win championships,” he said.
Brothers off the court
Fisher went on to praise his teammate whom he regarded as a “hard worker and great champion.”
“I think Kobe and what he’s been able to accomplish since he came into the NBA in 1996, it’s amazing,” he said.
“Think about a 17-year-old young man coming out of high school and going into the NBA and developing himself and his game to become arguably one of the greatest players to ever play basketball. It says a lot about his character, work ethic...about his desire to really work hard to be the best.”