“It was kind of shocking”: Showboat Kobe Bryant Asking Michael Jordan For Advice During Heated Bulls-Lakers Matchup Pissed Off All Teammates

Nithin Joseph | 25/05/2023
“It was kind of shocking,”: Showboat Kobe Bryant Asking Michael Jordan For Advice During Heated Bulls-Lakers Matchup Pissed Off All Teammates

Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players of all time. A player hailed as the second coming of Michael Jordan, the superstar he idolized. He loved watching Michael play and was starstruck every time they faced off. In fact, he was so obsessed with His Airness, that he would occasionally ask for advice mid-game. The Black Mamba loved to show off his skills. Stars like Shaquille O’Neal and Rick Fox even advocated his selfishness, knowing it was a glimpse of his greatness. However, there was one incident, as revealed in the Three-Ring Circus, that ticked off the entire Lakers roster, and it had to do with Bryant’s hero.

He knew he was destined for superstardom and as such would not let something simple like team play stop him. This earned him a reputation as a “selfish” and as a “showboat”. But, for the most part, his teammates didn’t mind.

Kobe Bryant once asked Michael Jordan for his advice mid-game shocking everyone including his Laker teammates

Kobe Bryant modeled his game after Michael Jordan and wanted to be just like him. So, he took every chance he got to ask the GOAT for advice. Whether it was about how to shoot the ball are how to spend his money. MJ was his go-to guy.

It was nice, almost like they had an elder brother-younger brother dynamic going on. However, there were times when it got out of hand. So much so, that it left his Lakers teammates more than a little peeved.

Back in the day, when the Lakers took on the Bulls, the Black Mamba faced off against his idol. Jordan was going at it and was having a particularly wordy battle with Eddie Jones. But, this didn’t stop Kobe from being amazed, and despite all that was going on, he took the time to stop and ask Michael for his advice on how to post up. A question that shocked the six-time NBA Champion and angered the Lakers.

“At one point late in the game, Bryant turned to Jordan and asked his advice on posting up. Asked. His. Advice. ‘It was kind of shocking,’ Jordan said—and not just for him. The legend had spent his evening pelting Jones with a blizzard of nonstop trash talk, and now Bryant (who finished with 33 points) was treating him like a long-lost uncle? It rubbed everyone wearing a Los Angeles uniform wrong.”

The Lakers’ frustration was understandable, and who can blame them? After all, at the time they had no idea they were witnessing perhaps the greatest Laker of all time in action.

Kobe’s obsession with Jordan helped him win five rings and seal his place as a Laker legend

They may not have known it at the time, but the Lakers were watching Jordan-lite in action every time Kobe Bryant took to the court. In the following years, The Black Mamba would establish himself as one of the greatest Lakers of all time. Helping the franchise to five NBA Championships and establish its legacy as one of the greatest teams in basketball and sports history.

It truly is one of the best stories in the history of sports. Kobe was a legend and his contributions to the game of basketball and the Lakers franchise will always be remembered and appreciated.

Post Edited By: Utathya Ghosh
Kobe Bryant Michael Jordan

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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