Michael Jordan says he could've beaten any player but Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Times
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Michael Jordan says he could’ve beaten any player but Kobe Bryant

A 19-year-old Kobe Bryant, left, and the Lakers took on 34-year-old Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in 1997.
(Vincent Laforet / AFP/Getty Images)
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Michael Jordan thinks he could have beaten pretty much everyone who has ever walked the planet in a game of one-on-one basketball ... except one person.

Kobe Bryant.

But don’t think for a second that the Chicago Bulls legend was paying the Lakers superstar a compliment in a clip promoting the NBA 2K14 video game. Jordan names a long list of players, past and present, he wishes he could have played one-on-one while in his prime.

“I don’t think I would lose,” Jordan said in the video, which hasn’t yet been released in full, before smiling and adding, “other than to Kobe Bryant because he steals all of my moves.”

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The list of would-be victims includes Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Julius Erving, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Lebron James.

So there you have it. Jordan thinks he could have beaten LeBron ... in his prime. Of course, many people will agree with him. And maybe some won’t.

The beauty of the “in his prime” debate is there’s no way it’s ever going to be resolved (well, except in the video game, which I guess is the point of the whole promotion).

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So sports fans can just argue and argue as long as they want because that’s what they like to do.

Good to see Jordan joining in on the fun.

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