Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa Bryant explains how Michael Jordan putting his ‘body on the line’ influenced the 5x champ

Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa Bryant explains how Michael Jordan putting his ‘body on the line’ influenced the 5x champ

Kobe Bryant shared a memorable connection with Michael Jordan, the man he was pegged to resemble the most, and the man who inspired his career.

Bryant turned in a legendary career. He was drafted to the league right out of highschool, and soon enough, he proved that he didn’t need those extra years in college.

Bryant was the perfect co-star to Shaquille O’Neal in the early 2000s, helping the legendary big man win three straight championships together.

Even though Shaq was winning Finals MVPs and MVPs, Kobe was every bit a star in those title runs. Shaq was in the prime of his career and deserved all the praise and accolades he was receiving, but he couldn’t have won without Kobe.

Then, when people had written off the Black Mamba, saying he could only win with Shaq, he proved them wrong. Kobe won back to back titles in 2009 and 2010, making him a five time NBA champion.

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Vanessa Bryant shared how special Michael Jordan was for Kobe Bryant

The Lakers legend tragically passed away in 2020 along with his daughter Gigi Bryant after a helicopter crash. It was an extremely sad moment for the NBA community, given how impactful Kobe was.

Of course, Kobe’s family was hit the hardest. His wife, Vanessa Bryant, not only had to deal with the loss of her husband but also her daughter.

Within the NBA world, players were hit hard, both past and present. Kobe was a presence in everyone’s heart, and the league mourned his loss.

Michael Jordan was devastated as well. Kobe had come into the league studying, learning from, and playing against Jordan. He was Kobe’s greatest inspiration.

Vanessa Bryant shared how special MJ was to Kobe, especially in the way he showed toughness on the court. It’s what inspired Kobe to never give up and always play with his body on the line.

Also Read: Billionaire Michael Jordan dipped $166,000 to acquire a rare Richard Mille piece

Post Edited By: Ashish Priyadarshi
Kobe Bryant Michael Jordan NBA Vanessa Bryant

About the author

Ashish Priyadarshi

Ashish Priyadarshi is The SportsRush's content manager and editor. Ashish freelanced for 1 year in the NFL division before taking on an editorial role in the company. He then tacked on managing content while adding on a writing role in the NBA division. Ashish has been closely following the NFL and NBA since the 2012 season when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl and Derrick Rose was at the height of his powers. Since then, Ashish has focused on honing his knowledge for both leagues in, even writing crossover pieces. In his free time, Ashish is an avid basketball player, he loves to watch movies and TV shows, immersing himself in the cinematic world. Ashish studies computer science and data science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and would love to mesh his love for sports with his technical skills.

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