NBA star who played against Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James explains which of the three is the best
An NBA veteran who played against Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James has ranked the three legends while putting one of them firmly ahead of the other two.
Olden Polynice, the Haitian former centre, is among a select group of players who competed against the three icons, who are widely considered basketball's greatest ever players.
During his 15-year NBA career, Polynice had spells with several notable teams, including the Seattle SuperSonics, Detroit Pistons, and Utah Jazz.
Speaking on the Bryon Scott's Fast Break show over on YouTube, he was asked to weigh in on the debate around the greatest player of all time.
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60-year-old Polynice was quick to award the top spot to one of the three, calling him a 'killer' on the court.
That top spot went to Jordan, who many consider the all-time GOAT.
Bryant came in second, with Polynice explaining: "Only because he patterned so much of his game after Jordan."
But he admitted that picking a number one wasn't straightforward.
"I can go any one of them number one and be correct. It's always these little things for me that makes a difference," he said.
Why did Polynice pick Jordan as the best of the three?
Jordan played in the NBA for seasons and is most well-known for his time at the Chicago Bulls, where he won six championships in two three-peats, winning the 1991 to 1993 championships before returning from retirement to win another three rings between 1996 and 1998.
His brilliance was acknowledged as he won the NBA Finals MVP award six times across these championship winning seasons, gaining a reputation for his ability in the air.
The 62-year-old also won Olympic gold medals in both 1984 and 1992, with America's team in 1992 widely regarded as one of the greatest ever.
What made Bryant miss out?
Bryant is one of the few NBA stars to devote their whole career to one team, spending 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers
During that time, he won five championships, winning the MVP award once in 2008.
Similarly to Jordan, he also won two Olympic golds.
He tragically died, alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash in 2020.
How is James third?
James has played for three teams during his career: Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers, where he currently plays.
The 40-year-old has had the longest NBA career of the three icons, having played for 21 seasons.
And just two years ago he became the league's all time leading scorer, with more than 40,000 points, alongside an impressive three Olympic gold medals.
But James falls behind Jordan and Bryant with four rings to his name.
Although, he has won the NBA with each of the three teams he has played for, winning the most valuable player award four times in the process.
Topics: Basketball, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Michael Jordan, NBA
James Taylor