As one of the greatest players of all time, Magic Johnson knew which players had the potential to lead a team to success. In fact, he played a pivotal role in recruiting LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2018.
That being said, Johnson was once asked who he would rather build a team with: Kobe Bryant or his former teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar . Even though Earvin had always admired Bryant, he still chose Kareem and explained why.
"Well, you know, you always had to start down low so it would have to be Kareem," Johnson replied to Los Angeles Times in 2011. "That's no question. No question. Because you win down low and so Kareem is still the most dominant Lakers that's ever played and uh just amazing and he was probably the smartest guy that's ever played this game too so, it would have to be Kareem."
Johnson's decision to pick Abdul-Jabbar over Bryant didn't mean he favored his former co-star, and it certainly wasn't because he didn't see the Black Mamba as a cornerstone type of player. In fact, Buck is even convinced that Kobe deserves to be in the GOAT conversation alongside Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan.
"We know Kobe belonged in that conversation even today, " Johnson said on "NH Experience TV." "You know Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], Kobe, and they all wore the purple and gold. I think about what Kobe meant to the game of basketball worldwide, you know? To me, offensively, he's the second-best dude in terms of at that [shooting guard and small forward] position."
Interestingly, Magic recognized how clutch Bryant was as a player. He even picked Kobe to take the last shot and close games out for him.
"When you think about scoring-wise, nobody could stop Kobe just like nobody could stop Michael Jordan," he continued. "When the game was on the line, if I gotta have one guy with that rock between [them], I'm going to choose between them two dudes—Michael Jordan or Kobe—because I know both of them are going to hit the shot or get fouled and hit them free throws to win the game."
It really means a lot to be picked by a legendary figure and proven winner like Magic in almost every type of conversation. While it carried considerable weight, it also changed nothing about the skills and legacy of the player Johnson wouldn't choose, especially when considering Kobe.
Truth be told, it was quite surprising that Earvin didn't seem to find it challenging to choose between Kareem and Bryant, as both Lakers legends were proven winners and great leaders.
In reality, any team owner or general manager would yearn to have either an Abdul-Jabbar or a Kobe on his team. Ultimately, it would all come down to the type of franchise player they prefer.
If they want a dominant and consistent big man, capable of scoring in a highly efficient way, that's Abdul-Jabbar. If they want a fierce competitor who would play through pain and hell or high water, that's Kobe.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
