Jordan ranks Kobe ahead of LeBron: ‘Five rings beat three’

Former NBA star Michael Jordan. AP FILE PHOTO

Michael Jordan finally weighed in on the longstanding Kobe Bryant and LeBron James debate.

During his Flight Camp in California, Jordan did not hesitate in replying “No” when asked if he would rank James over Bryant in the greatest basketball players of all time list.

Jordan, who is widely-considered as the best player in the history of hoops, offered a simple explanation to his answer.

“Would I rank LeBron over Kobe in terms of best of all time? No,” Jordan told campers as captured by Bay Area Sports HQ.

“There’s something about 5 that beats 3,” he said. “Now [LeBron] may be mad at me now, but Kobe won five championships. LeBron won three.”

The 32-year-old James, arguably, has been the best player for nearly the past decade.

So far, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar has three NBA titles, three Finals MVP awards, four regular season MVPs among his growing list of accomplishments.

Bryant, who retired after his 20th season all with the Los Angeles Lakers, has embraced heir apparent tag to Jordan. He finished third in the NBA all-time scoring list with 33,643 points and was also known for being one of the most clutch.