As Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James' NBA future hangs in the balance, the "greatest of all time" debate has continued to rage on across all parts of the internet and beyond.

Some are questioning whether LeBron really is the GOAT, while others (such as myself and a few Basketball Hall of Famers) seem to think the crown has already been transferred to San Antonio Spurs freakshow Victor Wembanyama.

One man who is often at the center of these debates is none other than FS1's Nick Wright.

Wright has been a champion of LeBron's accomplishments for quite some time, declaring James the GOAT over Michael Jordan nearly a decade earlier, after the former's improbable Finals win over the Golden State Warriors.

While the argument has usually been a two-horse race between LeBron and MJ, some fans have opined that former Lakers legend Kobe Bryant deserves a seat at the table, a premise that Wright roundly rejected in a clip from his show, "What's Wright? with Nick Wright."

"From '99-2002, Shaquille O'Neal was the best player in the world. From 2003-2007, Tim Duncan... he was the best player," Wright claims.

He goes on to say that LeBron James became the best player the minute he dropped 48 points in his double overtime win against Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007, and stayed there until 2018, when Giannis Antetokounmpo rounded into form.

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The shocker was who he left off that list of players.

"Kobe's the eighth greatest player and he was never the best player in the world."

Listen, I like Nick Wright and I think he has had a ton of good takes in the past, but I have to push back a little on this narrative I see LeBron fans go with when discussing his GOAT status.

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No, Kobe isn't the GOAT, and I don't think anyone outside of the most hardcore Lakers fans would even make that claim.

He is, essentially, a watered-down version of Michael Jordan.

I don't want that to sound like a pejorative, and he's still one of the best players of all time, but everything he was great at, MJ did before him and better.

With all that being said, this idea that Kobe Bryant was NEVER the best basketball player in the league is dumb.

Even before Shaq was sent packing from Tinseltown, there was an argument that Kobe was starting to become the dominant alpha on the team.

That became even more evident when the Lakers' front office chose Kobe over Shaq in the duo's now infamous split.

Saying that Tim Duncan was the best player in the world from 2003-2007 is insanely clouded by hindsight bias.

Duncan is a legend and probably the best forward of his era (though an argument could easily be made for Kevin Garnett), but Kobe was the guy in the NBA for nearly a decade.

No one was saying Tim Duncan was the best player in the NBA during that time frame, and although he had plenty of accomplishments to his name, including the three championships and two MVPs that Wright mentioned, he didn't even come close to Kobe's impact, star power or individual talents.

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A lot of what Duncan accomplished can be tied to team success.

While the Spurs had a great supporting cast around Duncan, Kobe was left with scraps after Shaq was dealt to Miami.

And if LeBron became the GOAT in 2007 after his 48-point performance against the Pistons (a year in which the Spurs won the title again), why wasn't Kobe considered the best player in the league after winning back-to-back scoring titles in 2005 and 2006 and winning MVP in 2008?

Kobe had 81 points in a game against Toronto, surely that qualifies him for "best in the world" consideration, right?

Is it the personal accolades of LeBron in his early years in Cleveland or the team championship success of Duncan in the mid-2000s?

Because Kobe Bryant had both during the decade.

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I'm not picking on Wright either, because as I alluded to before, he's not the first person that has made this argument.

This weird erasure of Kobe Bryant's time as the best basketball player on the planet is kind of odd.

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Even if you go back and watch broadcasts of Kobe during the playoffs in the mid-to-late 2000s, you'll hear announcers talk about how Kobe is "the best in the game right now."

Players from that era almost unanimously agree, too.

Is Kobe a threat to LeBron or Jordan as the greatest basketball player who ever lived? No, I don't think so.

But saying he wasn't, at one point, the best player in the NBA just feels like revisionist history.

The feud between Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) star A.J. Francis and KC Navarro will come to a head on Thursday night as the two will compete in a SacTown Street Fight in Sacramento, California, at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium.

Navarro returned from an injury to help Nic Nemeth defeat Francis at Rebellion. And since then, the two had been at each other’s throats. Navarro pinned Francis three weeks ago in his first match since July 2025. Ahead of the two-day "Thursday night Impact" special on AMC, Francis spoke to Fox News Digital about his fight with Navarro and made a blunt prediction.

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"If it wasn’t for me, KC wouldn’t be in these opportunities," Francis said. "I saw him on his little interviews, KC came out and said that he took the hard bumps from me and he did all these things for me … The only thing KC did for me was be a shadow. KC learned a lot from me. KC is in this position because of me. KC was just another guy in the back they had nothing for until I needed somebody to stand next to me.

"I’m happy KC is finally getting an opportunity to show what he can bring to the table. But unfortunately for him, he’s doing it against me. And I’m going to beat him within an inch of his life. Anytime you give me an opportunity to prove that I’m exactly who I say I am in a big match I always show up. I always deliver. It’s going to be crazy. I’m going to put KC out of his misery. When I’m done with him, he might try to dye his hair green or orange or something else just to wash the stench of that pink off of him."

Navarro cut an impassioned promo last week on "Impact," saying Francis took advantage of him. He also said that he vowed to his "sick" uncle that he would return to the ring sooner than later after he suffered a torn ACL.

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But Francis was having none of that.

"You know what’s crazy? All these wrestlers come up with all these excuses for why people should feel sorry for them," Francis told Fox News Digital. "KC sits there and cries about his sick uncle and Mike Santana talks about his dad passing away. My mom passed away and nobody gave a s---. My grandmother passed away and nobody gave a s---. My grandfather passed away nobody gave a s---. My pop-pop passed away, nobody gave a s---. So, why do I care about the family troubles of all these losers?

"Nobody cares when it’s me going through something but I’m supposed to care because KC’s got a sick uncle. I hope his sick uncle has AMC in his hospital so he could watch me beat his nephew within an inch of his life."

Francis added there was no chance of making up with Navarro.

"Not at all. I wish KC nothing but the worst. I hope that going forward he learns a lesson after this a---whooping I put down on him on Thursday and that he realizes to never cross me again," he said. "He cost me an opportunity at one of the biggest wins of my career at Rebellion. He cost me an opportunity at one of the biggest wins of my career at Slammiversary last year when he got hurt and cost us the tag team titles. He cost us an opportunity at the NXT tag team titles because he got hurt when we were doing our crossover matches with them.

"He’s been nothing but a disappointment. He lost our only singles tag team title match in his debut match with First Class. He was the one who got pinned and lost it for us. He’s been nothing but a disappointment since the day that I met him and I’m very much glad to be done with him after Thursday."

Francis and Navarro’s match will take place on Thursday night. "Impact" airs each week at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

EXCLUSIVE: A former Navy SEAL and Marine veteran running for U.S. Senate in Minnesota sees an opening for a statewide GOP victory this election cycle, saying citizens are widely embarrassed by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s "stolen valor" handling of the massive fraud scandal in the state.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Adam Schwarze, one of about half a dozen running for the GOP’s Senate nomination in Minnesota, said that with the Democratic Party embracing socialist policies in the state and across the country, "the stakes cannot be higher." Without an incumbent to contend with, Schwarze said Republicans have a "20-year opportunity" to flip a seat that could determine which party controls the upper chamber.

He juxtaposed himself with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, the No. 2 leader in Minnesota and the current Democratic frontrunner for her party’s Senate nomination. Schwarze posited that Flanagan has been marred by her association with Walz and the still-unfolding fraud crisis that has rocked Minnesota.

"Everybody outside of Minneapolis is angered and embarrassed that Minnesota is internationally known [for] fraud. You can't even go outside the country and say your state anymore because people are like, ‘What is wrong with your crazy state?’" he said, adding, "That's going to really have a large effect in the voting in November."

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Though he has yet to receive the GOP nomination, Schwarze said that with 10 years as an infantry Marine and 11 years as a Navy SEAL officer, he would be a surefire candidate in a general election faceoff with Flanagan.

"Navy SEALs are seven for seven in general elections," he said. "We don't miss the target."

Meanwhile, he accused Flanagan of "openly running as a socialist."

Flanagan, who is running a progressive, anti-Trump campaign, has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. She recently appeared alongside Sanders at one of his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour stops in Rochester, Minnesota.

At the rally, Flanagan cast the current political moment as a "fight for who this country belongs to, billionaires and corporations or the rest of us." She used much of her time onstage to rip the President Donald Trump-backed "one, big, beautiful bill," U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the conflict in Iran and the proposed White House ballroom. 

Flanagan asserted, "They don’t give a damn about you," saying of the Trump administration, "This is just straight up corruption, period, full stop."

Schwarze said that Flanagan’s rhetoric encapsulates the state of the Democratic Party right now.

"What's the Democrat agenda nationally right now? It's anti-Trump, pro-socialism," he said. "Now, they're going to run an open socialist candidate for the U.S. Senate. And I don't think it's going to work in Minnesota."

He posited that "nobody outside Minneapolis is going to vote for socialism."

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But Schwarze said that while Minnesotans’ distaste for socialism will keep them from voting Democratic this year, he believes the fraud issue will drive voters to seek change at the ballot box.

"Fraud is everything. That's going to be the thing that takes back our state for people like me who are just patriotic people," he explained.

While on the campaign trail, Schwarze said he has seen as much as twice the normal number of people registering support for Republicans at local caucuses throughout Minnesota. He said he has also seen support in cities that are typically Democratic strongholds.

"Minnesotans are a really proud people. We're farmers. We're laborers. We have businesses," he said. "What is throughout and known is just the anger and the embarrassment of being a Minnesotan in this time."

Meanwhile, he ripped the Walz administration, saying, "They're still trying to cover it up, or try to press for a different narrative on the story, take credit, which is what Walz does, right? Stolen Valor Walz, he loves to take credit, but not actually do the work."

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Schwarze said that Flanagan, too, shares in the blame.

"We don't know how many billions it truly is. But there's still been zero people fired from the Walz administration," he said. "And at the same time that Walz is now finally getting pushed aside by the establishment Democrats, they're also trying to elevate Peggy Flanagan to the United States Senate."

He accused Flanagan of being "right there for the $9 to $19 billion in fraud," while adding, "Being a military guy my whole life, you don't fail a mission and then get promoted."

Fox News Digital reached out to Walz and Flanagan for comment.

Lane Kiffin continues to fan the flames surrounding his departure from Ole Miss for LSU.

This time, in an interview with Variety, the Tigers head coach is essentially saying the past racism within the Oxford community was a reason for the recruiting disadvantage during his time at Ole Miss, compared to what he is doing now at LSU.

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It should honestly come as no surprise that Kiffin would continue this kind of schtick, given that he's known for taking shots on social media at opposing schools. But, if folks thought the rhetoric would be toned down over the next 110 days before the season starts, you were sorely mistaken.

Just a few weeks after Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss did his own interview with Variety, it was time for Lane Kiffin to pose for glamorous shots inside Tiger Stadium. In recalling the final few days at Ole Miss, during which he consistently tried to persuade athletic director Keith Carter to let him coach the Rebels in the CFP, you can tell that his exit from Oxford still bothers him.

Things took a turn on Monday. In the interview, Lane discussed the recruiting difficulties he faced in Oxford and tied them to past problems of racism within the state.

"'Hey, coach, we really like you. But my grandparents aren’t letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi.’ That doesn’t come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana," Kiffin said to Vanity Fair. "Parents were sitting here this weekend saying the campus’s diversity feels so great: 'It feels like there’s no segregation. And we want that for our kid because that’s the real world.'"

Whew, ok, that's going to really add fuel to the already burning fire between the two schools, who will face off on Sept. 19 to start conference play in the SEC.

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It was as if Lane knew that this would not sit well with Ole Miss fans, or anybody that lives in the state, given that he came back to the reporter to mention that what he said were not meant to be shots at those that live in Mississippi.

"I just hope (comments) comes across respectful to Ole Miss ... There are some things that I'm saying that are factual, they're not shots," Kiffin told Vanity Fair.

Yea, I don't think folks are going to give him much wiggle room.

But, let's be honest, Kiffin knows exactly what he's doing. While he may have a point to discuss the past when it comes to Mississippi, acting as if this was one of the reasons he left Ole Miss for LSU is not going to sit well. And, I don't think you want to open up the can of worms pertaining to racism between residents of Louisiana compared to Mississippi. It's a no win situation when discussing the history of both.

One thing is certain: The showdown between Ole Miss and LSU already had enough juice. Now, Kiffin just took the can of gasoline and threw it right into the fire that still burns stemming from his departure for Baton Rouge.

SEC Spring meetings in Florida later this month should be fun, and entertaining.

There was some sketchy stuff happening in the betting market before Sean Brady and Joaquin Buckley met in the octagon for their welterweight bout at UFC 328 Saturday.

Buckley opened as a +150 underdog and was bet up to a -220 favorite, setting off alarms among bookmakers and the UFC itself. Dana White has recently pulled fights for "betting irregularities," so this is something the promotion monitors.

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Dave Mason from BetOnline, a popular offshore sportsbook, cited "abnormal betting patterns from highly motivated accounts" in a post on X and announced that props were closed and limits were low for Brady vs. Buckley. 

My initial thoughts when I saw this post were, "Uh oh. Another sports betting scandal. Great."

When a fighter goes from a clear underdog to a sizable favorite, either someone knows something, or the fighter is "taking a dive." 

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Typically, it’s the former. Meaning, a fighter got hurt during training camp, someone from his team leaked the information and wiseguys bet his opponent.

That’s where the UFC’s minds first went when it saw this crazy line movement.

According to ESPN’s David Payne Purdum, "Brady told (Sportsbet’s) Aaron Bronsteter that the UFC contacted him to see if he was hurt," which obviously, he wasn’t. Because, man, did Brady pummel Buckley. 

Brady won a unanimous decision and props to Buckley for even going the distance. Brady had all four takedowns in the fight and he outlanded Buckley 245-21 in total strikes and 77-4 in "significant" strikes. 

So, as it turned out, the money was wrong. This is a good reminder that steam is not always the truth. Sometimes sports are random and betting on this stuff is hard as hell. 

_____________________________

Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.

San Francisco State University recently hosted a "Genital Piercing Workshop" where it also gave away sex toys to students.

An advertisement on San Francisco State University’s website advertised a Tuesday "Genital Piercing Workshop" promoted by the Associated Students Education and Referral Organization for Sexuality (EROS). 

The event was described as an "informative workshop to learn the basics and safety of all types of genital piercings and safer sex tips."

'MENSTRUAL MUTUAL AID' WORKSHOP FOR 'NON-CIS MENSTRUATORS' HOSTED BY UC DAVIS LGBTQIA

Participants were encouraged to "join to enter a sex toy giveaway."

An Instagram post from the EROS account described the event as "an informative and educational workshop that will take a deep dive on the safety, aesthetics, and brief historical cultural background on body piercings," adding that "Associated Students welcomes persons with disabilities and can make reasonable accommodations upon request." 

The group’s Instagram page also advertised various other sexually themed events, including a BDSM workshop last month, which was described as an event where participants "learn how position training strengthens the D/s dynamic, and how to assert Dominance through calm authority and intentional communication."

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It also highlighted that participants are "invited to explore physical and psychological elements of position training during the demo portion. Participants will gain skills to develop mutual trust, respect, and mindfulness between Dominant and submissive."

According to San Francisco State University, the institution receives millions in state funding per year. 

Fox News Digital reached out to San Francisco State University for comment. 

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Happy Friday — and Happy Alien Files Release Day to all who celebrate! We made it. We're done with another week, and now we're barreling towards the second full weekend of May.

Where should we start? Aliens? The rat virus? Are we still in a war with Iran? I have no clue. I assume so. A LOT of action right now in the US of A. You can call us a lot of things, but boring ain't one of 'em! You always have to be on your toes in this country, especially during this age.

But, that's why this class exists. It's why we win (alleged) awards. We keep up with the news, so you don't have to.

Let's roll.

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Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where Milwaukee Bucks Heiress Mallory Edens hits the beach while ex-boyfriend Aaron Rodgers mulls another season in Pittsburgh. Are the two related? Nope. But, here we are.

What else? I've got the best of the rest from a loaded week of #content, Tyreek Hill is having a typical NFL offseason, and Jenn Sterger celebrated May the Fourth as Princess Leia. Lord knows it's better than going as that lunatic Mark Hamill.

OK, grab you a coconut creme pie for National Coconut Creme Pie Day and settle in for a Friday 'Cap!

For those Nightcaps veterans, you know where this is going. We do it every year. Frankly, we do it multiple times a year.

For those new to class, here's the correct Mount Rushmore of Pies to celebrate this great day:

Yep. Chicken pot pie always makes the list, no matter the time of year. Nothing hits better than a hot chicken pot pie on May 8th in Florida. Especially today, when it's supposed to reach 92. The best!

I will say, coconut creme pie is super underrated in the world of pies. It deserves far more respect than it gets. Not here, though. We respect the veterans in this class.

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OK, let's get it going. It's a Friday and I feel like cutting out early in case the aliens get pissed off enough that they decide to invade later on.

Bucks Heiress Mallory Edens turned 30 recently, and we somehow missed it. Today, we make amends.

Happy 30th, Mallory!

Been a while since we checked in with Mallory. Good to see she's doing well! I know she and Aaron Rodgers split up years ago, but man, what a great time that was.

Now, Aaron is married to some girl who we STILL somehow haven't identified and is apparently considering returning to the Steelers this season. How long is this dude gonna play? I realize the QB situation in Pittsburgh isn't great, but do Steelers fans still want Aaron Rodgers?

I would've bet big money that last year was his final season. Maybe it still will be? The guy changes his mind every other day. He'll be 43 later this year. Wild.

OK, let's get to the best #content from a big week filled with aliens and rats!

Another solid week. A weird one, admittedly, but a solid one. We have a lot of balls in the air right now, as I mentioned at the top. We're really living in a true "choose-your-own-adventure" game at the moment. What a time to be alive.

Couple thoughts ...

NICK BOSA'S MODEL GIRLFRIEND STARTS SUMMER IN A PINK BIKINI ON A TENNIS COURT, CRAZY MARK HAMILL & PLANDEMIC!

Speaking of ... let's go ahead and rapid-fire this Friday class into a big weekend. First up? Let's stick with aliens ... and the rat virus!

Whoaaaaaaaaaa Nellie! I'm not a conspiracy theorist, at all. My wife, on the other hand, often jokes about the birds in our yards being robots, and I'm never 100% sure she's joking.

But ... this isn't the best look for us. Surely this is just coincidence, right? Right?

... Right?!

I'm moving on, quickly ... to Tyreek Hill!

For those who missed it, Tyreek was in court this week to begin his battle against 6-1, 250-pound OnlyFans model, Sophie Hall.

Hall alleges that — and I hope you're sitting down for this — Hill invited her over a few summers ago to practice some football in the backyard. Seriously. He then had her do an offensive line drill, and she promptly knocked the 5-11 Hill to the ground. Hall then claims that Hill was so embarrassed by this, he fractured her leg.

Naturally, Hall claims, Hill then gave her a piggyback ride to the bedroom and they had a full night of sex. As one does, of course.

Hill claims Hall broke her leg because she tripped on a dog.

And there's your weekly NFL offseason update! Perfect. No notes. 10/10.

OK, that's it for today — and this week! Good work all around. Let's have a big weekend and keep the momentum rolling. We're two weeks away from Memorial Day. Keep fighting.

See you Monday.

OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column set to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. (roughly, we’re not robots).

Were you let down by the alien report? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.