Kobe Bryant Names Tony Allen Best NBA Defender Faced

The 2025 NBA Draft is generating significant excitement, with Duke players Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg among the top prospects expected to be selected early. Knueppel, praised for his sharpshooting and high basketball IQ, was compared by ESPN analyst Paul Biancardi to Kyle Korver, a historic NBA sniper known for his consistent three-point shooting. Meanwhile, Flagg, who dominated college basketball as a freshman at Duke, named Michael Jordan as the greatest NBA player of all time, a sentiment echoed by Knueppel as well. Kobe Bryant, another Lakers legend and one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, recognized Tony Allen as the best defender he ever faced, highlighting Allen's elite defensive reputation despite never winning Defensive Player of the Year. In the current NBA landscape, while Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led his team to a historic season and championship, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith still ranks Nikola Jokic as the league's best player due to his dominant all-around game and multiple MVP awards. These insights reflect the ongoing debates about NBA greatness and the promising future represented by the new draft class.