Kobe Bryant’s untimely passing may have left a gaping void in the hearts of the NBA fandom, but the Mamba’s legacy still lives on. Part of his enduring legacy is his close relationships with younger players who looked up to him, like his fellow shooting guard Dwyane Wade. The two shared a strong bond and had great respect for each other. But that doesn’t mean that they didn’t butt heads on occasion. Back in 2012, the two clashed in the All-Star Game which saw Kobe break his nose. Now, 11 years after the incident, D-Wade showed some love for Kobe and his family on Instagram, repping some Mambacita merchandise.
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The 2012 All-Star game was one of the most intense ones in NBA history. It featured some of the biggest stars in the league, including the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and of course, D-Wade and Kobe. It was an intense matchup, quite uncharacteristically for an All-Star Game. The game was so competitive that Wade ended up breaking Kobe’s nose. Something that Bryant weirdly loved.
Dwyane Wade shares post repping Mambacita Sports merch
Dwyane Wade recently took to Instagram to show some love to Vanessa Bryant and family. Donning a Mambacita Sports sweatshirt, D-Wade shared a picture of his stylish self on his story, tagging Vanessa Bryant and Mambacita Sports. A nice little shout-out to The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, as they look to make a positive impact on underserved athletes in communities.
It was a great show of love and support from the Flash, who was extremely close to Kobe. The two developed their friendship during their time with the 2008 USA Olympic Team. Better known as the Redeem Team, both Wade and Bryant were integral part of the squad’s success. And it was there that the two gained respect for one another.
Unfortunately, Kobe would pass away 12 years after he and Wade bonded at the Olympics. Upon hearing of his passing, D-Wade was devastated and took a while to comprehend the grave loss. He couldn’t hold back his tears, describing the incident as a nightmare in one video, showing just how special their friendship really was.
Although he had a reputation as a bad teammate, Kobe Bean Bryant was a gem of a human being. He touched the hearts and minds of all those around him, as he did with D-Wade. To this day, Kobe’s influence is still felt across the league.
Shaquille O’Neal once claimed that Kobe was tougher than D-Wade
Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade were two of the greatest two-guards in the NBA at one point in time. One superstar, who had the pleasure of working with them both was Shaquille O’Neal. The Big Diesel played with Kobe on the Lakers and was second-in-command to D-Wade on the Miami Heat.
In one interview, Shaq was asked about the approach he took to dealing with both men. He revealed that when he got to Miami he knew he needed to take a different approach, as the Flash wasn’t as tough as Kobe and would not fight back or challenge him.
To be fair to Shaq, he isn’t wrong. Kobe had a personality of his own and hated being under someone else’s thumb. As a result, their relationship started to strain toward the end of Shaq’s tenure in LA. On the other hand, Shaq worked well with D-Wade as he took a back seat and let the latter run the show. That being said, at the end of the day, both players were incredible talents in their own right.
