Jordan is widely acknowledged as the greatest NBA player of all time, having claimed six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and changed the perception of basketball globally.

However, there is much debate regarding who the second greatest NBA star in history, with the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell and Magic Johnson all being able to stake a claim.

In the more modern era, James and the late Bryant are also among those in the reckoning. And Jordan once opened up about who he considered to be the superior player.

When asked to pick between Kobe and LeBron in 2013, Jordan joked: “I mean, that’s a tough one. I would say… Kevin Durant.”

The Bulls icon continued: “In terms of the dominance of the game of basketball, at this stage it’s LeBron. Championship-wise Kobe Bryant.

“He wants it so bad and he’s willing to go to the extreme. Guarding a guy. Guarding a point guard at the age of 34, playing 38 minutes, and 40 minutes. It’s ludicrous.

“I think this is what he’s battling with. It is what it is. He’s cursed as much as I am. If you had to pick between the two that would be a tough choice, and five [players] beat one.”

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant were close friends (Getty)
Bryant, who won five NBA titles with the Lakers, and Jordan were close friends until the former’s death in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

Speaking at a memorial service for Bryant, a tearful Jordan said: “When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died.

“Maybe it surprised people … but we were very close friends. Everyone always wanted to talk about the comparisons between he and I. I just wanted to talk about Kobe.”

Jordan added that Bryant had come to him for advice during his career.

“At first, it was an aggravation,” Jordan explained. “But then it turned into a certain passion. This kid had passion like you would never know … As I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be.”