Vince Carter believes Kobe Bryant is ahead of LeBron James when it comes to who the greatest NBA player of all time is.
However, when asked during a recent interview on the “All the Smoke” podcast if James could still catch up to Bryant, Carter said that James still has a legitimate chance.
“He has an opportunity,” Carter told hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. “It’s just going to be based off of what he gets done. But like I said, if he gets to the finals again, you’re just going to give him more credit. Now, 10 times in the finals. It’s insane! Now, he’s got to the finals double digits.”
Carter agreed with Barnes and Jackson that if James brought a title or two to a third NBA franchise, particularly the Los Angeles Lakers, then the four-time MVP would have a lane to pass Bryant and take over second place in the rankings.
James has won a total of three titles in his career, two with the Miami Heat and one with the Cleveland Cavaliers. A title with the Lakers would give him a fourth championship, one behind Bryant’s ring count and two less than Michael Jordan’s.
James’ opportunity to get his fourth ring may come soon enough if the NBA is able to resume operations to finish out the 2019-20 season sometime in the coming weeks.
Ultimately, Carter wants to see how the rest of James’ career plays out before deciding where the 16-time All-Star stands among the greatest to play the game.
