Kobe or Magic: Who is the King Laker?

Kobe Bryant or Magic Johnson – who is the greatest Laker of all-time?


They both spent their entire careers playing for the Lakers and delivered five championships to the city of Los Angeles, all the while leading their respective teams in their respective eras. While this is a debate that will probably rage on forever, we’d want to take a stab at it.
If we were to base it on career stats, Kobe Bryant has the distinct advantage, leading the Lakers in all-time statistics in several categories. Magic didn’t have that chance since his career was cut short.

However, stats are only a part of the greatness debate. Any fan who argues that his player is the best but only relies on statistics has lost. Let’s now look deeper.

Kobe was a fierce competitor, as was Magic. Kobe was more of a scorer, much like Michael Jordan, and much like Michael Jordan, Kobe developed a leadership quality that inspired fans more than players. Magic on the other hand, could do it all. He could score, pass, and play defense. Magic’s position as PG caused instant mismatches.

But here’s the thing – Magic made every player he played with better. It was part of his game. He passed the ball to teammates as good as anyone else and had unparalleled court vision. Kobe ignited fires, but seldom made things easier for his teammates. In that, we give Magic the upper hand.

My name is Randall Benjamin, 25 and an athlete from Las Vegas, Nevada. For more about me and sports, follow me on Twitter.