Bronny James made a surprising admission about Kobe Bryant that Lakers fans might not like, with less than two weeks before the NBA tips off.
The son of NBA legend LeBron James, Bronny is preparing for his second season in the league after a promising rookie year with the Los Angeles Lakers.
He made 27 appearances in his debut season, which included taking to the court alongside his father. It meant they made history as the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA.
Now, with LeBron James missing pre-season due to a glute irritation, Bronny has the perfect opportunity to showcase his talents and impress Lakers fans ahead of the new campaign. But, some supporters may not have forgotten Bronny's omission of Bryant when he was asked last year to name his top five greatest players of all time.
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Speaking to ESPN, he said: “LeBron (James) is one. Steph (Curry) two. Kyrie (Irving) three. KD (Kevin Durant) in four. Ant (Anthony Edwards) and Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) tied at five.”
There was no space in his list for either Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan or Lakers legend Bryant. Bryant spent his entire 20-year career in the NBA with the Lakers, winning five championships and becoming an 18 time All-Star and four-time All-Star MVP.
He remains the franchise's all-time leading scorer, with more than 33,000 points across an illustrious career. Nicknamed the "Black Mamba," Bryant became a global icon and one of the e that was widely loved by the American public.
Bryant tragically died in January 2020 aged 41, alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and nine others in a helicopter crash in California.
The Lakers went on to win the championship that year and paid tribute to Bryant.
Bronny's other notable omission from his list was another player that is widely debated as one of basketball's greatest.
Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to two separate three-peats between 1991-1993, band 1996-1998.
The second team is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball sides ever, with the team losing just three games in the 1995/96 playoffs.
Jordan also won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA, as the Americans at Barcelona 1992 were nicknamed the "Dream Team."
Similarly to Bryant, Jordan's influence has stretched far beyond the court, with his own brand of sneakers and the hugely popular documentary series, The Last Dance.
He is now the world's richest athlete, with an estimated net worth of an enormous $3.8 billion.
Although Jordan retired in 2003, he had such an influence on basketball that few would ignore him when naming the greatest players in history.
Topics: Basketball, Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers, Lebron James, Michael Jordan, NBA
James Taylor