When Bleacher Report dropped its latest list of the 100 greatest players in NBA history, one ranking had fans and players fired up — and Klay Thompson was right there with them.
Despite being praised as one of the game’s most influential icons, Kobe Bryant landed at No. 11, just outside the top 10. And for someone like Klay — who grew up idolizing the Black Mamba — that just didn’t sit right.
🏀 Who Ranked Ahead of Kobe?
Here’s how the top of Bleacher Report’s list shaped up:
- Michael Jordan
- LeBron James
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Magic Johnson
- Bill Russell
- Shaquille O’Neal
- Tim Duncan
- Larry Bird
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Steph Curry
- Kobe Bryant
Let’s be honest — that’s a heavy-hitter list. But the exclusion of Kobe from the top 10 sparked immediate backlash, especially from those who lived through — and were shaped by — the Mamba era.
🤬 “Disrespect” Doesn’t Sit Well With Klay
Shortly after the list dropped, Klay Thompson let his feelings fly on Instagram.
- First, he reposted a quote from ex-NBA player Etan Thomas criticizing the ranking as “disrespectful,” and captioned it with a simple but sharp “SMH” (shaking my head).
- Then, he followed up with a video clip of young Kobe in his No. 8 “Frobe” days, loaded with highlights and captioned:
“And this is just Fro-be #8 … [expletive] is wrong with y’all.”
No filter. No sugarcoating. Just frustration — and passion — from a player who saw Kobe as more than a legend. He saw him as a blueprint.
📢 “He Was Our Michael Jordan”
This isn’t just fan energy from Klay — it’s personal.
“Ask anybody who was born around the time I was (in 1990), and he was like our Michael Jordan,” Thompson said in an interview with Mavs.com earlier this year.
“His style of play and his influence on the game on a global scale is something that is probably only second to Michael.”
For Klay — and honestly, for an entire generation of hoopers — Kobe wasn’t just great, he was the guy. The one they mimicked at the park. The one they stayed up late to watch. The one who made “Mamba Mentality” a mindset far beyond the court.
💬 Shaq Called It “Criminal” Too
It’s not just Klay. Kobe’s former teammate Shaquille O’Neal also chimed in on the ranking — calling it “criminal”.
And look, when Shaq and Klay are both heated, you know this isn’t just nostalgia talking. It’s real frustration about how impact doesn’t always show up in numbers — but that doesn’t make it any less legendary.
These all-time lists will always stir up debates — that’s part of the fun. But when you see someone like Kobe ranked outside the top 10, it hits different.
Whether you grew up yelling “Kobe!” on a fadeaway jumper or learned about his greatness through highlights and documentaries, it’s clear: his impact goes way beyond stats.
Klay said it best — this isn’t just about rankings. It’s about respect. And when it comes to Kobe Bryant, the Mamba deserves nothing less than top-tier treatment.