Kobe Bryant has been ranked below Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, and Magic Johnson in a list of the top 50 NBA players of all time

• Kobe Bryant has been ranked 14th in a list of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time.
• The list, published by Bleacher Report, ranked the five-time NBA champion behind Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, and Magic Johnson.
• Bryant is one of the NBA's most decorated ever players, and holds the record for the most ever points scored by a single player in am NBA game, having hit 81 against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.
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Kobe Bryant has been ranked 14th - behind Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, and Magic Johnson - in a list of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time.

The list, published by Bleacher Report, also ranked the Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard behind Steph Curry.

"Kobe had a whopping 17 seasons in which he played 500-plus minutes, had a usage percentage of at least 25 and posted an above-average box plus/minus." author Andy Bailey said of Bryant, who retired from basketball in 2016.

"Scoring at that level for that long is ridiculous. And it doesn't hurt his case that he won five championships, was named an All-Star 18 times (topped only by Kareem's 19), made 15 All-NBA teams and made 12 All-Defensive teams."

Bailey's heavy praise for Bryant however, still couldn't see the 41-year-old break into his top 10, which was unsurprisingly headed by Michael Jordan.

Current Lakers star LeBron James came in second, while 7-foot-2 six-time NBA championships Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came third.

Read more: Kobe Bryant criticized after calling out one of his girls youth basketball players for missing a game for a dance recital

Bryant had a glistening career in the NBA, all of which was played with the Lakers. The "Black Mamba" won five NBA championships and holds a number of the league's most impressive induvidual records.

Bryant scored the most ever points hit by a single player in an NBA game back in 2006 when he hit an astonishing 81 against the Toronto Raptors. He also holds the record for the most ever NBA points scored by a guard - managing a huge 33,643 during his career.

The Lakers icon is the youngest ever player to start an NBA game, having done so at just 18 years and 158 days old in 1997, and also the oldest player ever to manage 60 points in a single game.

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