"They deserved to be talked about as a trio" - Vince Carter adds fuel to GOAT debate by adding Kobe Bryant into the mix

In the 24 seasons he played in the league, Vince Carter felt a sense of accomplishment for playing against Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. During an interview with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks, the Raptors legend argued that those three players should be talked about as a trio in the GOAT conversation.

In relation to a basketball topic that doesn't have a definitive answer, the usual two suspects are always James and Jordan and the "Black Mamba" is often left out. For some, it is due to how his final seasons went down and just because of Jordan and James' accomplishments. Vincer Carter isn't one of them.

"I'm going to name those three because we're always talking about the greatest to play the game," Carter said. "Kobe Bryant should and will always, out of my mouth, be named one of the greatest to ever play the game. They deserved to be talked about as a trio. Not a duo."

With how the Bryant effortlessly mimicked Michael Jordan's blueprint and was able to win, there's no doubt in Carter's eyes that Kobe Bryant has more than enough case to back up his place in the GOAT conversation.

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Shaquille O'Neal questioned why Kobe Bryant isn't included more in the GOAT conversation

Similar to Vince Carter's comments about Kobe Bryant's inclusion in GOAT debates, Shaquille O'Neal maintained a similar stance on the topic on his "The Big Podcast with Shaq."

"The only thing I don't like about the [GOAT] conversation is that they don't put my boy's [Kobe] name in it," O'Neal said. "If you're going to be throwing names around, you got to have my boy's name in it. That's like saying, 'What are the best luxury cars out there: Lexus or Beemer? You got to put Mercedes in there, too. Mike, LeBron, or Kobe, now ya'll debate."

Like Carter, O'Neal was able to play against these three iconic NBA players and even was teammates with two of them. It doesn't sit right with Shaq that Bryant is always the one player left out of the GOAT debate.

Shaq feels it discredits the basketball resume of the five-time NBA champion when the focus remains only on the other two. Be that as it may, the GOAT conversation will always be up for debate. Whether it's between LeBron James and Michael Jordan, or more players should be included, there will never be a clear-cut answer.