KOKE BRYANT NO. 8 VS. KOBE BRYANT NO. 24 | KOBE IS THE BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER EVER TO GRACE THE COURTS, NEXT TO MICHAEL JORDAN

Scott Brooks: "You can argue the [Lakers] had the best player ever to play the game [Kobe] for 20 years..."

Pat Riley: "He ranks right there with Jordan."

David Stern: "Kobe is there with Michael."

Dr. J.: "[Kobe's] as good as anyone who's ever played. Let's put it that way."

George Gervin: "He set himself apart from everyone else." 

Kevin Durant: "How do you not say [Kobe and Jordan] are by far better than anybody who's played the game?" 

Isaiah Thomas: “I mean, he’s the greatest of all time in life and in basketball."

Adeyemi Adediran (B/R 2010): "KOBE BRYANT IS THE GREATEST PLAYER TO EVER TOUCH A BASKETBALL."

Jerry Rice: "Greatest of all time. You have to earn that title, and I think Kobe did that."

Randy Moss: "Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player that I've ever seen dribble a basketball." 

Mark Jackson: "I never thought I would say it playing against Michael Jordan for so long, but Kobe Bryant at the end of the day...will go down as the greatest basketball player that has ever lived."

Mark Schlererh: "One time, one game, I'm taking Kobe Bryant."

Paul Pierce: "If a game is on the line and I need one game, I want Kob." 

Steve Smith: "He's the best, most fundamentaly [sound] player I've ever played against or watched." 

Kendrick Perkins: "Most skilled to EVER play the game, it's not even a debate." 

Chauncey Billups: "I think Kobe is more skilled than any player that's ever played." 

Phil Jackson, when asked if Kobe has better basketball skills than Michael Jordan: "He does."

Vince Carter: "I mean, I still have to give it (GOAT) to Michael Jordan, with a close Kobe Bryant 2nd."

Paul Westphal: "Who is to say Kobe Bryant isn’t going to be better than Michael Jordan? Let’s get that out on the table right now. He’s a lot better than Jordan was at the same age."

Shaq: "If you want to have that conversation (GOAT), there has to be another name added to that - Kobe."

Rip Hamilton: "Whoever voted Kobe [at 10] flat out disrespected him...when Magic comes out and says Kobe is the best Laker of all-time, that means better than him and better than the guy Magic played with, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar."

Rudy Tomjanovich: "I truly believe [Kobe] has the chance to become the greatest player to ever play the game."  

Greg Anthony: "Kobe Bryant is the most complete basketball player the game has ever seen."

Shaq: "You know what, I had the greatest player ever. We could've won six or seven championships, but you live, and you learn."

Allen Iverson: "I don't understand how they don't have the debate when it comes to Kobe."

Mike Breen: "It's starting to happen again Mark, the conversation, the debate on is [Kobe] as good as Michael Jordan. It's been blasphemy to say it, really about anybody, but it's an actual discussion you can have now. 

Mark Jackson: "Well, I said it a year and a half ago. No way in the world would I ever put anybody in the conversation with Michael Jordan, but Kobe Bryant is there. He's as good as Michael Jordan on any given day. I said to Bryant yesterday,, 'it's almost like Larry Holmes and Muhammad Ali.' He looked at me and said, 'I'm not Larry Holmes.' And he is 100% right. It is two Muhammad Ali's when you talk about Jordan and Bryant."

Grant Taylor (B/R 2011): "Players that come to mind are Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan.

But I've now officially put Kobe Bryant on this list, and judging by the title of this article, it is clear I'm not just saying he belongs with these players.

No.

Kobe Bryant is the greatest and most legendary of all these players."

Charles Barkley: "Kobe Bryant is the best player I’ve ever seen other than Michael Jordan."

Matt Barnes: "To me, Jordan is 1, and Kobe is 1B."

Phil Jackson on who he'd pick to start a team with between Kobe and Jordan: 

“I’d do a coin flip, and whichever one came up heads or tails, I would take that person.”

INDIA BUNDLE OUT AUSTRALIA FOR 181 TO TAKE 4-RUN LEAD IN FINAL TEST

India’s Prasidh Krishna (C) reacts after dismissing Australia’s Alex Carey during day two of the fifth Test at The SCG in Sydney on January 4, 2025. Photo: AFP

Beau Webster hit a gritty half-century on debut Saturday but Australia crumbled against an India side missing Jasprit Bumrah to be all out for 181 at tea on day two of the decisive fifth Test, trailing by four runs.

The hosts' task in the second session should have been easier with Bumrah off the field and seen leaving the Sydney Cricket Ground, possibly heading for hospital scans.

But Prasidh Krishna (3-42), Mohammed Siraj (3-51) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (2-32) all stepped up to fill the void.

Australia lost Sam Konstas (23), Marnus Labuschagne (two), Travis Head (four) and Steve Smith (33) before lunch during fiery spells from Siraj and Bumrah.

In front of his home crowd, Smith looked set to become only the 15th batsman ever and fourth Australian to reach 10,000 Test runs.

But he will have to wait for another day after Prasidh enticed an edge and KL Rahul took the catch in the slips.

While Webster dug in during the second session to top-score with 57, the supporting cast failed to fire, leaving the match finely poised.

Australia will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw. India retain it with a win.

The home side resumed at 9-1 after a dramatic final-ball wicket on Friday when Bumrah -- captaining the side after Rohit Sharma was axed -- had Usman Khawaja caught in the slips.

That Australian body blow came two balls after Bumrah and Konstas had a tense exchange, with the pace spearhead staring down the teenager after the dismissal.

The 19-year-old Konstas padded up again on seven with new partner Labuschagne and got off the mark with two off the first ball from Siraj.

But Labuschagne didn't last with a menacing Bumrah again the destroyer, enticing the faintest outside edge to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

A fearless Konstas slammed his nemesis Bumrah to the boundary to signal an attacking intent, then produced an audacious reverse ramp shot for another four.

But the teenager overplayed his hand and fell to a Siraj outswinger, attempting a drive that flew to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully.

Head hit a four but Siraj pounced again in the same over with another gem of a delivery that took an edge to Rahul at slip, leaving Australia tottering at 39-4.

Smith and Webster, who was in the team for the dropped Mitchell Marsh, set about rebuilding the innings before Prasidh dealt them another setback when he removed the veteran just before lunch.

Prasidh, playing his first match of the series in place of the injured Akash Deep, got another breakthrough soon after their return, bowling Alex Carey.

India then took 4-3, with Reddy at the forefront, before Siraj bowled Scott Boland to end the innings.

- AFP, Sydney

ELIUD KIPCHOGE IS THE 2019 BBC WORLD STAR OF THE YEAR

Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge has been voted BBC's Sports Personality's World Sports Star of the Year...

CRICKET: STEVE SMITH & DAVID WARNER BANNED 12 MONTH