Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young spoke about his all-time starting five and named Kobe Bryant over Michael Jordan.

Trae Young chose Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James

NBA legend Michael Jordan is widely regarded as one of the best players in the history of basketball. Many people prefer Jordan over Kobe Bryant, even though both stars possess similar mindsets and skillsets. However, in the 2000s, many kids watched Bryant and his Mamba Mentality both on and off the court. This inspired numerous young fans who idolized him during his playing years. Recently Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young talked about his All-time starting five.

During the 290th episode of the Million Dollarz Worth of Game podcast, Trae Young appeared as a guest and was asked to pick his All-Time team. Young selected himself as the point guard, Kevin Durant and LeBron James as the forwards, and Shaquille O’Neal as the center without any hesitation. The choice that shocked many was when Young chose Kobe Bryant over Michael Jordan. When the host asked Young why he went for Bryant over Jordan, Young explained that he considered Bryant to be the Jordan of his time.

Young made the decision to designate Jordan as the sixth man of the team during his statement. He also revealed that if he had not been starting for the team, Jordan would have been the one to take his place. Additionally, he expressed hesitancy towards starting Jordan at the small forward position. But instead, he chose his inspiration, Kevin Durant, at the wing.

In history, I got to have Bean at two, Kobe at my two… Mike’s my sixth man.. If I wasn’t starting, I put Mike in my place. I can’t put him at three, cuz that’s KD’s spot, that’s one of my idols.

Trae Young said via Million Dollarz Worth of Game

Out Now Go Watch Dat Trae Young @mworthofgame pic.twitter.com/UA8PxJEOAS

— GILLIE DA KING (@gilliedakid) September 8, 2024

Young further completed his team by adding Reggie Miller, Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Klay Thompson. Despite his personal preference against centers, Young acknowledged the talents of O’Neal and Abdul-Jabbar. Even though Young has constructed a solid team, the choice of Bryant over Jordan still has many fans in shock.

Kobe Bryant was considered as the next Michael Jordan

After Michael Jordan retired another star was on the rise to take his place in the history of NBA. Kobe Bryant was one of the most skilled players the league had ever seen. Throughout his playing years, Bryant was considered as the best shooting guard in the league. Even though Bryant did not win the same number of championships as Jordan, there is no doubt that Bryant was the closest thing to Jordan.

Both Jordan and Bryant faced off on many occasions. Jordan praised Bryant for his curiosity about knowing the game even better. Both stars trash-talked during their matchups and in their final matchup, Bryant gave Jordan a 55-point beatdown and proved that he could fill his shoes. Bryant shared the same mentality as Jordan, being very competitive and always having the hunger to win.

Even though people always compared Bryant to Jordan, he wanted to create his own legacy in the league. He viewed Jordan as his mentor and big brother, and the two stars formed a strong bond both on and off the court. Their relationship was characterized by mutual respect and admiration. Bryant’s determination to establish his own identity separate from Jordan’s shadow ultimately led to his own greatness in the NBA.