Kobe’s influence can’t go unnoticed either.. gets very little to no credit for bridging the gap between MJs exit and Bron’s prime keeping the NBA very relevant. Everytime you shoot in the park or in the trash can people say “Kobe!” He influenced a lot of the top guys today from Kyrie, Book, Tatum, Derozan, PG etc.

Kobe Bryant is surely one of the most influential players in basketball history, especially for people between the ages of 27 and 42. He should be on this list.

Kobe's influence is beyond basketball! Globally, other sports and even normal people!

I just KNEW Mad Dog was gonna have a super old school player at #1. I’m surprised he didn’t replace Curry with George Mikan or Mel Counts 😭

This KZfaq Exclusive debate style is much better. More serious and more analytical. The regular First Take format I get they want to be fun but I am tired of hearing about clothes, nails and corny jokes. This is way more thought provoking and feels like a true debate!

How do you not have Jordan on your list? 😂 Without him Basketball would just be another American sport and not be this popular

Not having Kobe on the list is INSANE!

I would have Kobe in there as well. He has not only influenced basketball players, also people from other sports. You have Novak Djokovic one of the greatest, if not the greatest tennis players of all-time saying Kobe was his mentor and idol, there were also a lot of other athletes and tennis players giving tributes to Kobe. He also was a FIBA ambassador. Whenever someone comes back while being down, they all say Mamba mentality. So he needs to be up there, not saying no.1, but top 3-5 would be fair, even tho I think LeBron is a greater player, I think Kobe was a bigger inspiration for others.

No mention of Dr. J is crazy. Even MJ said Dr. J influenced his game. MJ just perfected what he saw in Dr. J's game.

If this list doesn’t include Iverson, then it’s wrong!

Growing up in the 70s & 80s watching basketball Magic and Bird saved the NBA !

i’m still baffled at how neither of them consider kobe for this list

Jordan literally had kids singin “if I could be like mike” 😂😂😂 but he wasn’t influential

LMAO Madd Dogg is too old school man 😂😂😂

This may sound crazy but I’d consider Dirk in the top 5 influential. The 7’ foot big man did not shoot 3s and shoot 3s as often and as efficiently as Dirk. He developed his game where he had unorthodox yet efficient post moves, face up jump shot, and efficient 3 point shooting. I’d consider Dirk at least for honorable mention

Kobe Bryant not being on this list is so dishonest. You don’t even need to not like him to not know he is a top 3 influential player. The Beijing olympics in 08 is the case in point. Kobe was literally mobbed at every point in time, people were coming to USA games in lakers jerseys. Let’s be very honest.

This man left Jordan off the list maddog never fails 😂😂😂😂😂

The Bill Russel vs Wilt Chamberlain debate isn't fair. If Bill's teams played Wilt's teams then 10 of the best 15 players for both teams were always on Bill's team. People frame it as Russel vs Wilt but it was really really Celtics vs Wilt.

AI made them implement zone into the league, and modify the dress code multiple times, top tier players copy his arm sleeve even in other sports, and his step over, I could go on and on, he deserves a spot on the list.

U can’t talk about influence without talking about Kobe who literally inspired a generation

Surprised mad dog didn’t say George Mikan and Bob Petit

I feel like David skywalker Thompson should definitely be an honorable mention as well the man was ahead of his time for sure

I'm honestly surprised mad dog didn't put Bob Cousy #1 lmao 🤣🤣

Gotta put Kobe and AI on that list

I think you have to add Kobe and A I to the list. AI at least for the culture for nba players. They implanted a dress code because of Iverson 😂 Kobe literally inspired all the elite guys today. Every young guy coming up in the league says they all wanted to be like him.

The disrespect not including kobe in the list is very surprising.. everytime I think about shooting an impossible shot i always yell Kobe!

Not having Kobe in the list is blasphemous

Wilt for paint scoring, Jordan for midrange scoring, Curry for 3pt scoring That's my top 3 Honorable Mentions: Russell, Magic, Bird, LeBron

I think if we are talking about overall influence on and off the court then Stephen A.'s list is almost objectively perfect. MJ made the sport popular internationally. Magic made the sport popular nationally. LeBron made the sport more marketable and profitable. Steph practically singlehandedly made other brands outside of Nike & Reebok invest more into basketball because they realized that they could potentially sign a top-tier star and he also changed the way the game is played. Bill Russell was iconic for his activism, being a winning player, and being around for all of the major changes as a figure head.

SA's list was correct sans Kobe and AI. I would also add Shaq and Timmy D into the mix. Both were big men who dominated in the 2000s Shaq is the most physically dominant big man in my era won 4 chips and once he got to LA was the main cogs of their reign. Timmy D should be recognized bc he is the only superstar who earned all the honors he has, in a small market team and yet kept himself out of the negative limelight. He was a cornerstone and showed that you don't always have to lead with words but with your actions.

Kobe definitely should be mentioned. Everyone yelled Kobe when they shot that paper ball in the garbage 😂

I loved this debate...good work fellas

mad dog brings history and a different perspective. hes been around a while lol. love mad dawg😂

I can see both sides I think too many of us “fans” don’t respect the old school players and give them their due that being said Kobe and A.I should be up there mamba mentality is used almost everywhere not just on the court and A.I also changed the game

Man.... this is a tough one.... the influence of Bird, Wilt, Elgin Baylor, Iverson, Shaq. I'm not mad at these guys.

Started watching Basketball because of Kobe, can't imagine this list without him

These are two different arguements. I agree with Mad Dog that guys like Kobe, Lebron & Jordan influence if more off the court than on the court. From an on the Court perspective no one really plays like them. Guys like Curry with the 3s, Magic with Passing and Fast Break, Bird & Dirk with the 6-10 Foward that could Shoot, Stockton & Malone with the Pick & Roll. All had more Influence on the way the game is played. However if you talking about Overall Influence including off the court. Than Kobe, Lebron, Jordan, AI & Russell all have to be on the list.

What about the mamba when he went to the redeem team he changed that whole teams way of preparing while everyone went out to party Kobe was in the gym while everyone sleepin Kobe was in the gym after they saw his will to win they all joined and started to take it more serious and won gold lebron wouldn’t of got them to a gold medal wit out Mamba Mentality

Barcelonia 😂 -Stephen A. Smith

Both SAS and Mad Dog made great points

Mad Dog is awesome. You can tell he really knows his stuff, and he knows decades worth of it. Plus he's hilarious!

This is Russo's gift. Sports historian 👍

I actually think that mad dog understood the assignment for today’s segment. This isn’t a G.O.A.T conversation.

I'm here for Mad😤🐶Dog!

I take issue for not adding Kobe in this list. Kobe was one of the most influential athletes of all time. In basketball, he's top 3. He inspired an entire generation to outwork everyone and his involvement with women's basketball takes the cake. There's a reason when he passed the whole world felt like it paused

Allen Iverson not being on the list is criminal. 💯

Mad Dog and Max Kellerman look like the same person

This was probably the most on topic thoughtful discussion these two have had ever lol

I'm happy Mad Dog mentioned Larry Bird as an honorable mention. I thought about the list more last night and I can understand why Magic would be ranked higher than Bird, but to me, they go hand-in-hand. But AI definitely deserves to be on the list. My list would be MJ Magic Bird AI Curry Honorable mention LBJ and Kobe

AI (changed the culture) Steph (no explanation needed) Kobe (ppl yell Kobe when shooting trash into trash cans. Never another name) Everybody else debatable

People literally to this day yell Kobe after shooting anything but he’s not influential

To have Kobe off the the list is odd, because he was one of the most influential amongst his contemporaries!

Man I was hoping Mad Dog brung up the fact that Kobe is not on this list ! But nope the Kobe disrespect continues smh! In high school every time someone balled up a paper ball and shot it they said kobeeee aha and not to mention the Mamba mentality! Happy Birthday Mamba!

I get their points, and they eaxh make sense, but not having Kobe on here when he was our generation's MJ just feels wrong. All of the young players used to want to be like Mike, but now everyone wants to be like Kobe. This may be small and goofy, but we've all balled up some piece of trash, shot it into the can and yelled "Kobe"

How do you leave Michael off! Did you fall and hit your head on the way to work 😂

I feel like Magic and Bird should just be one together, they BOTH saved the NBA

Wilt dominated Russell one on one, just Russell's teams were better lol

1. MJ 2. Iverson 3. Curry 4. Kobe 5. Magic End of the debate man. No matter how great Lebron is, nobody is emulating their game after him nor moving the game forward like the ones outlined above.

Players who’s inspiration was Kobe Kyrie Booker PG Kawhi Demar Greek IT Klay Murray Kobe inspired a whole generation of players!

Leaving Kobe and Jordan off this list is crazy

The Kobe Bryant disrespect continues… Stephen A. basically “yada yada’d” Kobe and went straight to LeBron…. His reasoning? ‘Kobe is behind MJ’ Who isn’t? 😂. How does being “behind MJ” magically elevate LeBron over him? Silly logic

This man said "Elgin Baylor" smh .... jesus christ. I cant take any list this man ever makes seriously from now on. Im actually shocked he didnt say Bob Cousey 😂😂😂😂

Jordan and Kobe are the two most respected and influential players of all time.

How isn't Dr. J not on the list and he was EVERYONE IDOL? HE was the face of TWO LEAGUES?

The goal post that’s moved just to add certain players 😂😂… Stephen sure know how to add fluff without answering the question

Where is Kobe Bryant

I respect both of their list. Great explanations as to why they picked who they picked.

No One: LITERALLY No One: “Elgin Baylor is the MOST influential basketball player of all time.”

Hasn’t anyone crumpled up a piece of paper and yelled “KOBE” before shooting it into the trash can? Now that’s influential beyond basketball and into normal every day life.

Who’s name do I say when u shoot a shot in the garbage???? “ KOBE!! “

Mad dog argues about history in such a way that only he can prove. He be bringing up stuff from the 50s from games nobody alive saw but him and the players.

Mad dog needed to be one of the people they laid off at ESPN. He’s a dinosaur.

This was a good take by Mad Dog.

How is kobe not on here? He literally had ppl yelling kobe when theyd shoot garbage into the can. Literally was the person who started taking threes from 10 ft beyond the 3 pt line, forced the opponent to bring their best, turned gasol from a powder puff girl into a champ, the fro, the puppets, the difficult shots, the footwork, the amount of players he influenced...unlike lebron who wants to be best frienss with everyone and is ok w losing, kobe didnt accept defeat and demanded the best from everyone, even his opponents

My list: 1. Bill Russell 2. Michael Jordan 3. LeBron James 4. Magic Johnson 5. Kobe Bryant Honorable Mentions - Allen Iverson & Stephen Curry

The fact that MJ isn’t on mad dogs list is ridiculous.

Michael Jordan is the most marketable player who's ever played a sport. Mad Dog is nuts. From his own shoe brand, to his short length, to all of the MJ clones there after. Insane to not have him as number 1.

Favorite Ahsoka Characters So Far (again, never seen Rebels yet) 1. Ahsoka Tano 2. Shin Hati 3. Huyang 4. Chopper 5. Baylan Skoll 6. Morgan Elsbeth 7. Hera Syndulla 8. Sabine Wren 9. Ryder Azadi The droids are the only ones adding humor to Ahsoka. Huyang is quite similar to K-2SO who I enjoyed from Rogue One. I like droids that speak their mind. *Diana* *Lee* *Inosanto* The actress who portrays Morgan Elsbeth is Filipina from her dad side. Her last name is a giveaway. She's already 57 but she's a trained martial artist and stuntwoman. She did stunts in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series), Face/Off, and Blade. Her dad was a student of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do and Bruce was her godfather! She knows eskrima which is a Filipino martial art. I didn't bother to look her up after The Jedi episode in The Mandalorian S2 but now I'm a total supporter for this actress! She's more badass than Ming-Na Wen and I love Ming-Na Wen as Fennec Shand. Ming-Na is actually good friends with Filipina singer, Lea Salonga. I'm a huge fan of Zoë Bell from the Tarantino films. Zoë was Cate Blanchett's stunt double in Thor: Ragnarok among many stunts she did for MCU and Xena: Warrior Princess. Diana being a Filipina martial artist who knows JKD, eskrima, and being a trained stuntwoman has already made me a fan of Morgan Elsbeth.

WE THREW CRUMBLED UP PIECES OF PAPER IN THE RECYCLING BIN AND YELLED “KOBE” FOR A REASON

I think Kobe and AI definitely belongs on the list or at least honorable mention

WE NEED MORE MAD DOG! PROPS TO WILT

The Kobe disrespect is insane

Doggy be dropping DIMES!!!!!!😂😂😂😂

Bron ruined everything Jordan built for us 😔

Of course half the players Doggy mentions played before the Reagan administration 😂. Surprised George Mikan wasn’t on his list.

The Kobe disrespect is still ridiculous

This man said with a straight face that Elgin Baylor is the most influential player in league history 😂

LeBUM

I know I can't be the only one. I'm Kenyan, I became a fan after learning about LeBron. I knew of LeBron before even learning about MJ not to mention I really didn't know how big Kobe was until his untimely death

the level of disrespect for Kobe is just off the charts, even after death Bean continues to change millions of lives ,and he is still not influential

Stephen A continues to disrespect Kobes legacy to not have him as one of the most influential players in nba history let alone athlete ins in general is blasphemous

How no one on this panel has brought up Kareem Abdul-Jabbar boggles my mind.

Kobes mamba mentality influence is underrated

The only time Wilt got 5 fouls in a game 7 against Russell, was in the 1969 NBA Finals but Wilt scored in the 4th quarter, so Mad Dog was a little bit off with his story... In game 7 of the 1968 Eastern Division Finals, Wilt just got 2 personal fouls.

Allen Iverson should be in this list. The tattoos. The sleeves. The braids. The crossover. The step over. The sneakers. Rapping and balling. Rappers promoting his sneaker. Stop it

Kobe, Kobe needs to be up there. There were times when kids shouted "Kobe" for the shot to go in.

"Mad Dog"... that seems appropriate

They always fail to define these questions: influential in what sense? Popularity, game, market?

Wilt Chamberlain stands alone in greatness, changing the game & absolute dominated unlike anyone ever.

It’s hard to leave guys like Kobe, Bron, and Dr J off the list. Without Dr J there is no Magic or MJ. I’d say MJ, Magic, Bird, Iverson, and Curry. Even tho Kobe and bron are top 3-5 all time. Respectfully ✊🏼