Lakers News: LA To Retire Kobe's Jersey, Is Bryant The Great Laker Ever?

The Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday announced they will retire Kobe Bryant’s No. 8 and No. 24 in a ceremony Dec. 18 during their game against the NBA champion Golden State Warriors. The decision to hang Bryant's numbers in Staples Center comes as a surprise to just about nobody, as the Hall of Fame beckons for one of the game's all-time great scorers.

“As a kid growing up in Italy, I always dreamed of my jersey hanging in the Lakers rafters, but I certainly never imagined two of them,” Bryant said in a statement. “The Lakers have bestowed a huge honor on me, and I’m grateful for the fans’ enthusiasm around this game.”

Before Bryant was even drafted by the Lakers, there were rumblings that he would be among the greatest players of all-time. The Lakers front office was so enamored with him as a 17-year-old that they traded starting center Vlade Divac to draft him, and then sat him on the bench behind Eddie Jones.

After a few seasons, Bryant blossomed into a superstar. He went on to win five NBA titles and make 18 All-Star Game appearances. In an era when players were jumping from team to team through free agency and trades, Bryant spent his entire career in purple and gold, prompting debate as to where he ranks with the Lakers' all-time greats.

Nine players have had their numbers retired by the Lakers, but the list can be cut short by those who didn't spend their entire careers in L.A. and aren't considered the game's all-time great players. Legendary centers Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O'Neal were with the Lakers for five and eight seasons, respectively. Gail Goodrich, Jamaal Wilkes and James Worthy were excellent players, but don't crack anyone's list of Top 10 Greatest Players.

That means Bryant's competition consists of Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.

There is no true way to define a player's greatness, but there are some criteria to get a better understanding of what they meant for their team. Unfortunately, among basketball fans, the main criteria for grading great players is winning championships. It's a flawed and rigid way to determine a player's worth, but then again, so are statistics.

Fortunately for Bryant, he is high on the list in every Laker category. Bryant is tops in points (33,643), games played (1,346), minutes (48,637), field goals (11,719), field-goal attempts (26,200), three-pointers (1,827) and steals (1,944).

As Bryant joins the Lakers' Mount Rushmore, it's probably as good a time as any to break down his place in Laker lore.

Bryant vs. Baylor

With the exception of perhaps Hakeem Olajuwon, there probably isn't a more underrated legend than Baylor. A star in basketball's golden era, Baylor revolutionized the small forward position, and was a dominant force on offense and defense. The 11-time All-Star once dropped a then-record 71 points in a game and even averaged 19.8 rebounds a game one season despite being just 6-foot-5.

The problem for Baylor was the Boston Celtics. Bill Russell, Sam Jones and Bob Cousy dominated the Lakers in the 1960s, and thus overshadowed his legacy. There wasn't a team that consistently got the best of the Lakers during Bryant's era, with the Lakers winning five titles in seven trips to the Finals.

Winner: Bryant

Bryant vs. West

Like Baylor, West was a superstar scorer and The Logo made big shots when it counted, hence his well-known nickname "Mr. Clutch." Like Baylor, West was a hard-nosed competitor and a model of consistency. And also like Baylor, West was named to the All-NBA First Team 10 times.

Unfortunately for West, he suffers from the same problem as Baylor: he couldn't lift L.A. over Boston. Had the Lakers defeated the Celtics a few times in their six championship meetings, this would be a respectable debate, but the Lakers simply weren't good enough. Bryant also blows past West in all statistical categories. In short, Bryant's individual and team accomplishments outweigh West's.

Winner: Bryant

Bryant vs. Abdul-Jabbar

The debate gets interesting here. Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and he's won as many rings with the Lakers as Bryant. Cap also sky hooked his way to one more trip to the All-Star Game than the Black Mamba. Abdul-Jabbar, who was one of the great low-post defenders, could have even averaged more points if the Lakers weren't so balanced with Johnson, Worthy, Wilkes, Norm Nixon and Byron Scott.

Here's what works against Abdul-Jabbar: he played for the Milwaukee Bucks for six seasons. That, and perhaps that alone, gives Bryant the edge when it comes to their Laker legacy.

Winner: Bryant

Bryant vs. Johnson

The debate gets even more interesting here. Johnson only played in 12 seasons, and one (1980-81) was cut short due to injury. His career could have continued past the age of 32 but it was cut short because he contracted the HIV virus. While Johnson still has the most assists in Laker history (10,141), stats rarely mattered to him. Johnson was the ultimate team player and his only motivation was winning titles.

Johnson lost in the finals four times, while Bryant lost in the finals twice. But when Johnson lost in the title series, it was against great teams like Larry Bird's Celtics and Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. Bryant lost to excellent teams but not ones that rank among the greatest in NBA history. When it comes to who was more clutch, the edge goes to Johnson. He hit big shot after big shot, especially against Boston.

It's a tough call, but Bryant probably falls a little short to Johnson.

Winner: Johnson