Former NBA player and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins revealed that he would take Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry over Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant on his all-time list.
Perkins was asked to choose between the two stars, and he made his decision clear on ESPN’s “First Take.”
.@KendrickPerkins is taking Steph Curry over Kobe all-time 😳🤔 pic.twitter.com/f9YVo4TxrZ
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 19, 2022
“I’m taking Curry,” Perkins said.
He was then asked if the answer was a “no-brainer” by host Molly Qerim.
“It’s not an easy one to answer,” Perkins added.
Bryant and Curry both have stellar resumes, and Curry really improved his by winning his fourth NBA title in the 2021-22 season. Curry also earned his first NBA Finals MVP award in the Warriors’ victory over the Boston Celtics.
Bryant, who tragically passed away in a helicopter accident in 2020, was named to 18 All-Star teams and won two scoring titles during his Hall of Fame NBA career. He was a five-time NBA champion and won the NBA Finals MVP award two times.
Curry is considered the greatest shooter of all time, but he does not possess the defensive skills that Bryant had. Bryant was named to an All-Defensive team 12 times in his career.
It’s hard to fault Perkins for his choice, especially with how much Curry has changed the game, but fans can’t forget how dominant Bryant was.
During his playing career, Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc. He is easily one of the greatest players in Lakers history.
Curry can still add to his resume as a two-time league MVP and four-time champion in the coming seasons. While Perkins would choose the Warriors guard, it certainly isn’t an easy decision to make.
