The NBA has seen talented players come and go over the course of its illustrious history. However, some are exceptional in their own realm. Those players are often a part of the greatest players conversation. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar are some of the frequent names on this list.

Now, most would say that LeBron James and Michael Jordan are permanent entrants in the GOAT list. But, there are analysts and sports enthusiasts who argue Kobe Bryant is also a top 3 player of all time. Surprisingly, Shannon Sharpe thinks Kobe Bryant is not even a top 5 player in the NBA!

Shannon Sharpe defends leaving Kobe Bryant out of top 5

Known for being on the show Undisputed with fellow analyst Skip Bayless, Shannon Sharpe recently said that he does not think Kobe Bryant is a top 5 player all of time. Needless to say, this sparked a burst on twitter. A recent fan reaction saw Shannon clear that he has Kareem Abdul Jabbar in his top 3.

Shannon says that putting Kobe Bryant in his top 3 is tough as he has won just 1 MVP trophy. Now, Sharpe has cleared that he puts Kareem over ‘The Mamba’.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar is a 6 time regular season MVP along with 6 NBA championships. Moreover, he averaged over 24 points for his entire career.

Statistically, there is no denying the greatness of Kareem. He is an 11 time All defensive team, 15 All-NBA and is the leading point scorer in NBA history. Sharpe is not wrong for putting Kareem in his top 3 because he is, indeed, one of the best players to ever play basketball.

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Who are the real Top 3 players?

People often argue about each other’s top players list bringing up facts and stats to support their argument. However, it is a personal list where there is no right or wrong. These lists are extremely subjective and depend on how each person sees the game.

While Shannon judges it off of multiple MVP’S, others may go by eye-test or work ethic or a player’s impact on and off the court. There is no definite top 3 or top 5 in basketball. Each person is entitled to their opinion for their own reasons.

The most important thing is that there is no wrong list in this conversation. It is subjected to how a person understands the game of basketball and what benchmark they set while making the list. Who are your top 3 players? Let us know in the comments.

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