After retiring following the 2015-16 NBA season, Kobe Bryant just had to wait 20 months for the Los Angeles Lakers to retire both of his jersey numbers. As Bryant focuses on building Kobe Inc. and the art of storytelling, he took time to reflect on his future Hall of Fame career.

Prior to the team's game against the Golden State Warriors, Bryant was asked about the Michael Jordan and LeBron James comparisons according to Larry Brown of Larry Brown Sports:

“One thing about me is I’m only going to care about something I know I can definitively win,” Bryant said. “If it’s not something I can definitively win, I’m not going to pay attention to it. If there’s an argument that’s happening, that argument is never going to go anywhere. Everybody’s going to argue til they’re blue in the face, so why would I think about it? If we’re playing ping pong, I know I can beat you in ping pong, I’m going to beat you in ping pong. I’m going to think about that. That’s a definitive thing.

“So I don’t think about that much.”

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While the debates will naturally continue, it is a unique perspective from Bryant. As Jordan was his idol and James continues to make history, the five-time champion is only focused on what he can control.

Although some basketball fans feel the need to discredit Bryant's accomplishments in order to prove why Jordan or James is better than him, all three players ultimately changed the game and inspired millions of fans.