Jason Richardson was one of the NBA’s most explosive guards throughout the 2000s, but even he knows Kobe Bryant was a step above the rest. While discussing some of the great defensive matchups he was tasked with in the past, J-Rich recalled just how difficult it was to contain the Mamba in his prime. Boasting unmatched creativity in his scoring prowess, Kobe would pull out new moves every time they faced off, according to the 44-year-old.
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Richardson was an electrifying scorer throughout his 14-year career, which often overshadows his underrated defense. But the Michigan State product was a pesky perimeter defender who wanted to figure out the weakness in all of his opponents, including Bryant. The problem was that the Lakers legend was always adjusting his game.
A rookie during the 2001-02 season, J-Rich had already seen Kobe’s accomplishments. Once he was able to witness the Hall of Famer’s offensive wizardry up close, though, he realized why so many failed to slow Bryant down. The former guard then explained what set Kobe apart from the likes of Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter.
“[Kobe] just had a competitive nature in him,” Richardson told Paul George on Podcast P. “Every year this guy just came back with something different in his game … I think one year he came back, he was the first guy to rip through … He came back another year, every time he post up, he shot the ball left-handed.”
If Bryant spotted a flaw in his game, he wouldn’t live with it, Richardson shared. “Every year, he’d try to find something different or a weakness in his game, and he came back and used it.” Considering how much time the five-time champion invested in his game, this hardly comes as a surprise.
A young Kobe once explained to Byron Scott how he would manage to get a leg up on the competition, which included several unforgiving practice sessions a day. “[Kobe’s] method was scientific because he was like, ‘B, if I work out three times a day, and all these other guys who are so-called great players work out just for practice … over a five-year-period, they can’t catch me,’” Scott shared.
Once Richardson truly knew what Bryant was capable of, he understood the work it would take to throw him off of his game. “After my third or fourth year, I realized, I say, ‘Okay, I’m going into the offseason to prepare for Kobe,'” J-Rich continued.
“This is how hard I’m working. I’m preparing for one guy in the whole league that I know that if [I’m ready] and I can play against him, I can play against anybody.” Richardson certainly had a game plan to contain the 18-time All-Star, but ultimately, Kobe’s unmatchable work ethic proved too much, even for someone as laser-focused as J-Rich.
The pair matched up a total of 39 times throughout their careers, with Kobe’s Lakers walking away the winner in 25 of them. Richardson’s best chance to get one on Bryant came during the 2010 Western Conference Finals.
J-Rich and the Phoenix Suns nearly forced LA to the brink, but Kobe was simply too locked in during his quest to repeat. In the end, Richardson is one of the many who did everything in their power to take Kobe down but never could.
