Apr 10, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) acknowledges the fans as he leaves the court after the game between the Rockets and the Lakers at the Toyota Center. Bryant plays in the last road game and second to last game of his NBA career. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) acknowledges the fans as he leaves the court after the game between the Rockets and the Lakers at the Toyota Center. Bryant plays in the last road game and second to last game of his NBA career. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Dennis Rodman has never been one to hide his feelings about the legends. Here’s how he explained why the late Lakers star Kobe Bryant demands more appreciation in the GOAT debate than he actually gets.
On August 17, 2025, Rodman appeared on a YouTube livestream with the popular streamer N3ON. During the stream, a fan asked him the big question: Who is the GOAT between Michael Jordan and LeBron James? He said, “We know who that is, man. Jordan all day long.”
However, he did not stop there. Rodman believes that modern sports debates are ignoring the impact of Kobe Bryant. According to a report by Complex, Rodman said, “People forgot about that one guy. That one guy, that’s called Kobe Bryant. People forget about him. They talk about everybody else. They don’t talk about Kobe for some reason.”
Aug. 10, 2008; Beijing, CHINA; USA forward Kobe Bryant celebrates the victory after the mens basketball preliminary game between the USA and China at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Stadium in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. USA defeated China 101-70. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Aug. 10, 2008; Beijing, CHINA; USA forward Kobe Bryant celebrates the victory after the mens basketball preliminary game between the USA and China at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Stadium in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. USA defeated China 101-70. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
He noted that Bryant had a flair and a skill level that was almost a mirror image of Jordan. Rodman told the audience to "please recognize the guy" because of how good he really was on the court.
He played three full seasons with Jordan on the Bulls from 1996 to 1998, where they won three championships in a row. Later, Rodman played with a young, 20-year-old Bryant on the Lakers during the 1998-99 season for 23 games.
By the end of his comments, Rodman grouped Jordan, Bryant, and James as the three "awesome" players of the game. His main point was that the GOAT debate should honor the full history of the NBA instead of just picking two names to talk about forever.
Kobe Bryant’s Career Resume Shows Why Rodman Still Sees Him in the GOAT Tier
Bryant spent all 20 of his NBA seasons with the Lakers, showing a level of loyalty that is rare in sports today. During those two decades, he won five NBA championships and was named the Finals MVP twice.
He also won the regular season MVP award in 2008 and was selected as an All-Star 18 times. With 33,643 career points, he retired as one of the greatest scorers to ever play the game.
In 2006, he scored 81 points in a single game against the Toronto Raptors, which is still the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. Then, in 2016, he ended his career by scoring 60 points in his very last game against the Utah Jazz.
Even Jordan himself had a huge respect for what Bryant achieved. MJ always praised Bryant’s work ethic and the fact that he never left anything in the tank.
The two legends faced each other eight times during the regular season. Their stats in those head-to-head games were close, with both players averaging about 24 points per game.
The debate between Jordan and James will likely continue forever, but in Rodman’s eyes, Bryant has earned his seat at that table. Does Kobe Bryant belong in the same breath as Jordan and LeBron, or has the game moved on?
Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles
Written by
Utsav Sinha
Edited by
Souvik Roy