Ramona Shelburne ranks late NBA legend ahead of Michael Jordan in global influence: "He inspires every single sport"
A handful of NBA players, such as Michael Jordan and LeBron James, can make a case as the most influential athletes globally. However, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne argued on "NBA Today" that Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has that mantle over the other greats who played in the league.
Bryant was originally drafted 13th by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 but was later traded to the LA Lakers. Bryant played 20 seasons with the Purple and Gold franchise and established a reputation that only a few could ever hope to achieve.
"2008, I'm driving around Beijing," Shelburne said. "I get to go to the Olympics. ... the taxi drivers would say like, 'Where you [from]?' I would try to talk to them ... and I would say, 'I'm from Los Angeles,' nothing. I'd say 'Kobe Bryant' and [they] say, 'Oh, Kobe Bryant!' ... the answer was Kobe Bryant.
"I mean everybody in the world knows Kobe Bryant. He inspires every single sport." (8:13)
During the segment, it was asked if Michael Jordan was the most globally influential athlete, to which ESPN's Tim McMahon agreed by showcasing the Air Jordan sneakers that he had on.
There is no right answer to the question, as even the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry have something to say about it. However, Kobe Bryant made a name for himself at the height of his career with an elite basketball skill set and IQ.
Paul Pierce slams Jaylen Brown for snubbing Michael Jordan on his all-time starting five
Jaylen Brown is fresh off his best postseason run, where he secured an ECF MVP, an NBA Finals MVP and his first NBA title.
When "House of Highlights" asked him for his all-time starting five, he named: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Bill Russell.
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce was not too pleased with Brown's decision to leave out Michael Jordan.
"Most of this new generation say, 'Well, I didn't see [Michael Jordan] play," Pierce said, "but then you got Bill Russell on the list. Jordan is on everyone's list. And I know you have issues with Nike. Kobe was a Nike guy. LeBron's a Nike guy. ... I just don't get it. ... maybe you were supposed to get drafted by Michael in Charlotte and had an issue there."
Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant shared similar moves, including shot selection and competitiveness on the court. Some feel that the Bulls icon is a better slasher and defender, whereas Bryant is a better 3-point shooter.
At the same time, one can't go wrong with either of the two.