Overview

• Bleacher Report’s Top 100 NBA players list published July 14 ranked Kobe Bryant 11th, placing him one spot below Stephen Curry at 10th
• Shaquille O’Neal took to X on July 14 to call the decision “criminal,” defending Bryant’s championship pedigree and work ethic
• Kenyon Martin faulted the list’s analytics-driven approach as disrespectful to “The Black Mamba,” arguing that statistical models miss key intangibles
• Matt Barnes asserted Bryant deserves second-greatest status, saying only those who never competed at the highest level would rate him outside the top ten
• The debate has reignited discussions over whether modern efficiency metrics should outweigh rings, All-Star nods and lasting influence in all-time rankings