Kobe Bryant is gearing up for retirement after playing 20 seasons in the NBA.  That’s an extremely long time and means he’s faced a wide array of players including vets near the end of their careers, such as Karl Malone and John Stockton; fellow stars who entered the league around his time, such as Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett; newer standouts such as Dwyane Wade and Stephen Curry.  None of those players however made it to his top 5 list of the toughest players he’s faced in his career.