When Kobe Bryant retired, Magic Johnson called him the greatest Los Angeles Laker ever. That is all you really need to know about Bryant's basketball career. That Magic — the embodiment of Showtime, the man who sewed the Lakers into the fabric of Los Angeles — truly believed Bryant was the best to ever wear the forum blue and gold for a franchise that featured half of the 15 best players in NBA history is as high a compliment as a player can receive.