Stephon Marbury brings Kobe Bryant into the conversation and removes the Chicago Bulls legend, saying it’s unfair to compare him to other players.

Former NBA player Stephon Marbury has shared his opinion on the ongoing debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James, adding a unique perspective by bringing Kobe Bryant into the conversation. In a recent interview on the Scoop B Radio show, host Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson asked Marbury who he believes is the greatest basketball player of all time (GOAT) in the NBA, and his response made it clear that, for him, Michael Jordan stands in a category of his own, beyond comparison.

“LeBron is a great player. Don’t get me wrong. A great, great player. Incredible. Amazing. But better than Michael Jordan? – it’s simply not the same. It’s just different. In fact, it doesn’t even need an explanation, because we can’t talk about Jordan’s game. It’s like if we had to talk about what people aren’t,” said Marbury as per a post by Robinson on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Marbury went further, suggesting that the discussion on who is the greatest of all time should focus on Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, as Jordan has reached such a high level that he shouldn’t be ranked alongside other players. “People want to rank Jordan. Jordan shouldn’t even be ranked. It should be Kobe, then LeBron, and then you can pick others. It’s just not comparable, man. It’s not the same. Different worlds. Different mentalities. I don’t know why Jordan’s name is sometimes mentioned in the same conversation. I’ll clarify it quickly… there really is no need to talk about that.”

For many, Jordan’s impact on basketball, both from a global marketing perspective and his dominance on the court, is unparalleled. His Air Jordan sneaker brand along with two sets of three consecutive championships between 1990-92 and 1996-98 are sufficient to establish him as the undisputed GOAT.

Michael Jordan is on another level, according to Marbury
Marbury even went as far as saying that it’s unfair to compare Jordan to any other player. “I mean, as the best player. Those guys, Kareem and Bill Russell, somebody had to pass them the ball so they could do what they did. Jordan took the ball and that was it. Those guys – Kareem, Bill Russell, and Shaq… they’re the kinds of players that are different on Earth, that played the game. Jordan isn’t. Jordan is NOT from Earth. That’s different. It’s not the same.”

The debate between Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan will continue to thrive forever, and it will always be a tough decision. But for Marbury, Jordan belongs to a class of his own, a league no other player has reached.