I've always felt that way.

Uh, Jerry West and I have spoken about this.

Obviously, he has no problem with the silhouette being changed.

He never asked to be the silhouette to begin with.

And fairness to him.

Um, we all know that he was a great he was.

He was a great player and a champion, uh, as well.

But Michael Jordan is Michael Jordan, and I think that when we talk about Kobe and comparisons to Michael Jordan, think about the conversation that we have about LeBron James.

There is a debate as to whether or not LeBron James is the goat or MJ is to go.

The reason why Kobe Bryant's name was never in the equation was because of M J.

If if it was not for M J, we would have been saying LeBron or Kobe, you know?

So we know how great Kobe was, and there's no questioning that.

And what have you?

It's just that Kobe Bryant playing the same position whose game essentially mimicked that of Michael Jordan, even though I could argue he was a better shooter than MJ In the end, when I think about what MJ accomplished.

Six trips to the NBA Finals, six NBA Finals, M V P six and O in the NBA Finals, undefeated throughout the eighties, when he played a full season, Uh, the man was, I'm sorry.

The nineties, uh, the man was absolutely phenomenal.

And then when you consider what he took from Magic and Bird in terms of elevating the NBA brand into a global brand and what he's meant, how he's already the silhouette for Nike and what have you?

I just think that when you look at Michael Jordan, there's not a name in the modern era that I could put ahead of him.

That's my only issue.

Kobe will be number two on that list.

MJ would be number one.

I've always felt the exact same way about Jordan.

It should be the Jump Man logo.

The thing is, Nike owns the Jump Man logo.

So how does that work, right?

Don't use that logo.

So there's another use another, but that's the iconic logo.

You think of that logo when you like.

That's the Jordan brand, right?

Um, I'll say I'll say this, Um, when Kyrie says Black Kings built the league.

He's not wrong, although you gotta throw in.

Larry Bird, Black Kings and Larry Bird built the league.

Larry Bird was bad.

Bad brother.

Anyway, the point is that I get the point like you that the silhouette in a largely African American league that was built largely by African American players to the position it is now.

And it is obviously the most popular game in urban areas.

Why is it that a white guy is a silhouette and Jerry West was a bad dude?

He was the Kobe Bryant of his day.

I mean, he averaged 30 points every year and was Mr Clutch and was in the finals all the time, even if they weren't always winning.

It won an M V p on the losing team in the finals once because he was so gangster.

Jerry West, the greatest executive ever.

I get it, but I understand that sentiment.

Wait a minute.

Can we have at least the silhouette of an African American player?

And Jordan would be my first choice.

I think I understand the sentiment for Kobe, especially from Kyrie, because Kobe was a mentor to Kyrie Irving So Kyrie is standing up for his guy.

But I do feel as you do, Steven A.

That the admirable thing about Kobe was he looked at Jordan.

The whole world wanted to be like Mike.

But who would dare actually try?

Kobe is like on the same size as this dude's play.

The same position.

This dude, I'm gonna do him.

But one better.

Number 24.

I'll do him, but one better.

He didn't quite get there, but he basically did.

He basically was the next Michael Jordan and and was loved by a generation the way Jordan's generation loved him on the court.

And so I understand Kyrie sentiment.

Well, I'm gonna say this, Okay?

The logo.

The NBA logo is a simple okay.

It's a damn representation.

Kobe Bryant breathe, ate and slept the game of basketball.

It's no better representation than the Kobe Bryant logo Mamba mentality.

Think about it.

Having that logo on these players Jersey socks every night is a reminder of what they have to go out there and do every single night and leave it on the court because tomorrow is not promised.

Kobe Bryant was was an icon.

Kobe Bryant set the tone.

Kobe Bryant opened the doors for so many others.

He was a mentor, and his life after basketball was starting to be better than probably his career on the court.

And that's saying a lot.

No former, no current player would object to Kobe Bryant being the logo included Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan spoke at Kobe Bryant's funeral, and he said When Kobe died, a piece of me died as well, right?

So what I'm saying is I would carry on this.

Let's honor this man.

He deserved it.

What is but Kobe as the logo?

And no one would have no complaints whatsoever.

Mamba mentality?

Well, let me be very clear.

I'm not trying to imply that anybody would have a complaint.

Not not anybody on this set right now.

Certainly no one in the NBA community would complain if the NBA elected to go that route.

So that's not the subject at hand, because none of us would sit up there and and summarily dismissed or frown upon Kobe being the logo.

But when you think about what MJ has meant to the sport spanning decades, and that the N B A ultimately became what it became because a magic bird and ultimately, MJ.

Now we can't dismiss Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul Jabbar and their contributions to the game.

We can never forget that rules will change crying for crying out loud because of Wilt Chamberlain.

And we understand that.

And we respect Elgin Baylor and we respect to Jerry Westerns of the World to Oscar Robinson.

There's a lot of great iconic figures that have come associated with the game of basketball.

But in terms of making the NBA the global brand that it is, Kobe would have never been Kobe, meaning the global iconic brand that he is, if it wasn't for what Magic and Bird initiated and M.

J ultimately took to another level.

So I agree where you're coming from, K P.

And I understand that you're not.

I'm not trying to say that you're wrong by any stretch of the imagination, and you're absolutely right.

Michael Jordan would have no problem whatsoever because, like Jerry West, he's never asked to be the silhouette or anything like that.

And he certainly wouldn't have any problem with Kobe being honored in such a way.

I'm just saying when we look at their contributions to the game of basketball is phenomenally great, as Kobe Bryant was.

He wasn't MJ, and that's the difference.

And that's why I say I would go with MJ is the silhouette and listen, I'm not I'm not disagreeing with you.

Like I always said before MJ got to the league, it was the circus and I mean that in a good way.

Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan came and it became Disney Land and Disney World.

The magical, rising things to that nature.

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