John Wooden Says…

Matt on 12 9, 2009

I was listening to the BS Report with Bill Simmons from a few weeks ago, and Simmons had Bob Einstein on the podcast, also known as Super Dave Osborne.  This guy’s voice sounded like a cement mixer, by the way.  You really should give it a listen.  Anyways, Bob says he had lunch with John Wooden six months ago and asked him to name the best player he’s ever seen.  His answer?  Kobe Bryant.

…

Huh?  Has John lost his marbles?  He probably lost ‘em 30 years ago.

I know Wooden’s old, really old, like possibly older than basketball itself, but he’s not getting a pass on this one.  Sorry, John, but you’re about to get a basketball lesson from someone a quarter your age, even though you’ll never read this.

Wooden, being 99 years old, has clearly seen every damn player to come along.  The man was probably buddies with James Naismith (I kid, I kid).  So for him to make a statement like this is fairly shocking.  He didn’t go with Michael Jordan, like oh so many do, including me.  There are definitely at least 5 players to this point who have had superior careers than Kobe Bryant.

Let’s start with Air Jordan.  Michael Jordan never lost in the finals.  He was 6-0.  Kobe has.  Twice.  MJ has six rings, and Kobe has four (and counting).  Kobe still has a ways to go to catch Mike on the all time scoring list, but probably will do it eventually.  Jordan was a superior defender than Kobe is.  Jordan was the only player ever to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.  How much more do I have to say?  Who’s going to argue that Kobe’s had a better career than Jordan?  Well, maybe Lakers fans, the most biased fans on the planet.  But that’s another story.

Next up?  Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, or as I like to call him, Lew Alcindor. (How lame is changing your name?)  This dude has 6 NBA titles, is the NBA’s all time scoring leader, won Finals MVP’s 14 years apart, in 1971 & 1985 (who else can say that?), and has the most famous offensive weapon ever.  Some think big Lew is the greatest ever.  Kobe has not had a better career or been a better player than Abdul-Jabaar.  Kobe will probably never catch him on the all time scoring list.  Seriously, go look.

How about Wilt the Stilt?  Some people think the Big Dipper is the greatest player ever.  My uncle is one of them.  I read a blog once where some dude wrote like 5,000 words on Chamberlain and how he’s the greatest ever.  I believe he’s had a better career than Kobe.  He’s 4th on the all time scoring list, has 2 titles, once averaged a whopping 50.4 ppg and 25.7 rpg.  He scored 100 points in a single game.  I think Kobe will surpass Wilt’s career fairly soon, but right now, I don’t think he’s had a better career than Wilt up to this point.  And can Kobe claim he’s slept with 20,000 women?  Hell no.  (You can’t mention Chamberlain with bringing up the 20K thing.)

What about Magic Johnson?  The greatest point guard ever has 5 titles, and there’s never been a guy who’s made his teammates better than Magic.  Kobe couldn’t dream of playing with the unselfishness that Earvin did.

John, ever heard of a freakishly competitive man named Bill Russell?  11 championships were all that he won.  Two of them were as a player-coach.  He’s had a better career than Kobe has.  No question about that.  Russell even puked before games because he was so nervous.  Now that’s a competitor.

I’m not sure if Wooden was sort of projecting out the rest of Kobe’s career assuming he’ll be healthy and continue to score a lot of points, and have a crack at a few more rings.  If he was, well, then Kobe still won’t be considered the best ever.  He’ll need even more than that.

Kobe has an outside chance to surpass MJ’s credentials, but he’s going to have to do a whole lot of work still.  I definitely think that Kobe, right now, is one of the 10 best players ever.  Maybe even higher.   One could argue top 5.  I wouldn’t be appalled.  But to say the best?  Ludicrous.  Dumb.  Insane.  Preposterous.  Common, John.  We get it, you’re biased.  After all, you did coach at UCLA for something like 357 years.

John Wooden, I respect you, but now, just a smidge less, after allegedly saying this about Kobe.  Wait, what am I thinking?  I’ll probably now disregard anything you say from here on out.  You fool.  I think your brain is mush.

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  • d wise
    LeBron is better than Kobe in nearly every facet of the game.
  • Dolemite
    Ya'll got dis all mixed up like a lady of the night workin a Sunday mornin'. It don't matter who say that Kobe Bryant is the greatest of all time, because he simply ain't. Kobe would tell that to you himself. And now we got all these young saplings runnin' round tellin everyone Lebron the greatest of all time. I can't handle these white cracker whippersnappers.

    Ya'll haven't even mention the greatest player of all time.

    George "The Iceman" Gervin
  • chyea
    "me", you're an idiot. Stop rambling incoherently and learn how to spell. I bet you're a Lakers fan...go back to licking your window on the short bus. Don't forget that Kobe did not win 4 rings on his own, he had Shaq, maybe the most dominant big man of the past two decades, for the first THREE. Yeah yeah MJ had Scottie who was great blah blah stop. Kobe is one of the greats, but he isn't Mike, Magic, Bird, Russel, Wilt, or Kareem. and BTW, Laker fans, Lebron is as good or better than Kobe, but doesn't have the supporting cast Kobe does. And guess what? I'm a Celtics fan, so I hate the Lakers AND the Cavs.
  • Yusuf
    John Wooden is a crazy old man. Kobe is MJ minus defense and teamwork, with a bonus of rape. He is good, he is not the best player ever
  • Kobe doesn't have 20K women under his belt.... but he's probably forced himself on more women than your entire list combined.
  • Algonquin J. Calhoun
    So let me see if I have this right; you are saying Wooden's mind is much because he gave hearsay evidence to Super Dave, who is a fake stunt person on TV and the brother of Albert Brooks, whose real name is Albert Einstein?
    Dude, if as you say, you are one 25th the age of Mr. Wooden, you need to get a day job. You are not very good at this one.
    I don't think you know what this word "journalism" means.
  • Adam
    wooden likely knows more about bball than any person on the planet. he doesnt see the game through the limited prism of numbers and career achievements, he sees how well players actually execute the skills of the game, and kobe has perhaps the greatest offensive repetoire of all time, and is a tremendously smart player on the floor.
  • agree with "me"
    Your argument is backed by stats and team championships. I've seen Kobe and Jordan both play... Kobe is a better overall player in a time when NBA players have never been better across the board. Wooden is right, Kobe has mastered the game unlike any other player has ever hoped to. It sucks having your opinion stomped on by someone, but sooner or later people are going to start saying, flat out, that Kobe is the greatest... and I'm a knicks fan.
  • Corey
    He was asked who, in his opinion, was the best PLAYER he's ever seen. He was not asked who, in his opinion, had the best CAREER. Two completely different issues there. Also, Wilt played in an era where all of the best players put up ridiculously inflated stats (Oscars' triple-double for an entire season anyone??). No one can argue that MJ is the best player ever. And how do you possibly leave Bird out of your top 5?? Did you ever see that guy play? Ridiculous.
  • me
    john wooden was asked the question, and he answered it. period. ur opinion is more irrelevant than that of a 15 yr old @ a UN Conference. its HIS opinion that matters. sooo all ur statistics, numbers, complaints, and arguments are for not. this, and u may not be able to grasp the concept, is a subjective question. it wasn't a poll on who has the most rings, the better shooting %, or # of steals in a career. it's simply a question posed to John Wooden, "who is the BEST player uve ever seen". the man gave his answer, and the man might be right. we're not talking most dominant, fastest, quickest, tallest, most atheletic. so, overall, the best ALL AROUND player in his opinion, is Kobe Bryant. you can't argue that, period. noone said it's a fact, although it could be argued that when it's all said and done, he might be. again, you're too caught up in pigeon-holing this players. That's especially why Lew Alcindor was second on ur list. U immediately jumped to a dominating player, in which case we NEED to throw Chamberlain, Shaq, and even Russell into the mix. I leave u with this..who was the first person on ur list??? MJ...and who is the NEXT closest thing to MJ right now, even according to your rediculous stat lines...?? Kobe. this man has been eating, breathing, sweating, pissing, and pooping basketball since waay before you or I were even close to being conceived, I'd take his word over yours ANY and EVERY day of the week. get ur shit straight
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