Some things in basketball just don’t sit right with fans.
Like ranking a guy who lit up the league for two decades below someone who’s still rewriting records today. That’s exactly what happened when Bleacher Report put Stephen Curry ahead of Kobe Bryant on their all-time list, dropping Kobe all the way down to number 11. You can imagine the reactions—fans and players alike weren’t holding back. It sparked debates, heated takes, and a whole lot of “How could they?” moments.
Bleacher Report’s list got everyone talking, especially when you compare Steph Curry and Kobe Bryant’s numbers. Curry’s got four titles, two MVPs—one unanimous—and a jaw-dropping 42.3% shooting from deep. He’s putting up 24.7 points and 6.4 assists per game, which is crazy efficient. Now Kobe? Five rings, two Finals MVPs, and that legendary 81-point game nobody forgets. He averaged 25 points a night for his career and brought that killer mentality every time he stepped on the court. When it comes to stats, it’s a close fight—but Kobe’s legacy is about more than just numbers. And that is what Ice Cube explained.
On Lakers Nation, Ice Cube got real when asked where he’d rank Kobe. He said, “Tough question. Cause I wanna think about Bill Russell, he’s a winner, man. Wilt Chamberlain, you know, he was just unstoppable force. Got Michael Jordan, you know, like the greatest competitor ever. Then you have Magic Johnson, who, to me, changed the game in thousand different ways.”
Then he got to Kobe: “And I feel like LeBron and Kobe—who’s better than Kobe Bryant? Who’s left better than Kobe Bryant? I pick Kobe. I will put him fifth.” Cube broke it down, saying Kobe “played in both eras… he won championship when there was a man-to-man thing and then he won when it was a zone thing. So he played in both eras, and he was able to dominate in both eras.” And that’s why, to Cube, Kobe’s gotta be up there.
Feb. 20, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) bites the basketball during the second half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center. Lakers won 103-92. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
However, this appreciation came weeks after what many saw as a surprising overlook of Kobe. Ice Cube has always admired Kobe Bryant, so it was unexpected when he left Kobe off his Mount Rushmore of LA athletes. Instead, Cube chose Magic Johnson to represent basketball. On Games With Names, he said, “I would say Magic. Marcus Allen. So hockey, come on, Wayne Gretzky. Baseball, let me go [with] Fernando Valenzuela.”
Even though Kobe is a Lakers legend and a GOAT candidate, Cube went with Magic for his all-time LA athlete list, which definitely caught some fans off guard.
Kobe Bryant’s final game: The inspiration behind BIG3
Ice Cube, the legendary rapper and founder of the BIG3 basketball league, was deeply inspired by Kobe Bryant. When Cube first pitched the idea of a professional 3-on-3 league to Kobe, the Lakers legend simply nodded in agreement that it was a good idea. But when Ice Cube asked him, “Would you play?” Kobe shook his head firmly and said, “I’m done, man. I gave 20 years. I’m done.” Cube recalled, “I even went to Kobe, asked him what you think of professional three-on-three? He just went, mm (nodding to say yes). I said, ‘Would you play?’ He was like (nodding to say no). He said, ‘I’m done, man.’ He said, ‘I gave 20 years, I’m done.’ I said, ‘Okay, I can dig it. I can dig it.’”
What really pushed Cube to start the BIG3 was watching Kobe’s final NBA game. At 38 years old, Kobe dropped an unbelievable 60 points, setting a record as the oldest player to score that much in a game. Ice Cube said, “If [Kobe] can score 60 points in his last game, he got so much game left but nowhere to play.” That moment made Cube realize there were many retired NBA stars still bursting with talent but without a place to compete, so he created the BIG3 to give them that platform.
Even though Kobe never suited up for the BIG3, his incredible career and that final explosive game were the fuel behind Cube’s vision. Cube shared, “And so, you know, we just kept rolling up the idea.” Since launching in 2017, the league has featured many former NBA stars like Joe Johnson, Isaiah Briscoe, and Tony Allen, bringing back competitive basketball with a fresh twist. While Kobe wasn’t on the court, his silent approval meant a lot, helping make the BIG3 a huge success and giving fans a new way to enjoy the game.
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