Los Angeles Lakers greatest shooting guard Kobe Bryant revealed Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan were his inspiration
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Kobe Bryant sits atop the basketball world. Even after his tragic passing, Bryant has remained one of the most talked about players.
His fans and the basketball community are unable to forget his greatness. After all, he was nothing short of our magic. A sorcerer with the ball.
What made Bryant so lethal was the work he put into finessing his craft. He spent countless hours mastering a shot from a particular spot. The tenuous hard work worked wonders on the court.
He was an unstoppable offensive force. Launching difficult shots from anywhere, beating even the best defenders. He was the epitome of ruthlessness.
On the defensive end, Kobe was a pest. Never leaving the attacker alone. Pressuring them into making mistakes or taking tough shots.
In fact, Bryant was so competitive that he learned French just so that he could trash talk Spurs legend Tony Parker. Although whether the trash walking worked only Parker can tell but Kobe beat the Spurs 12-7 in the playoffs.
But to reach such heights, there must have been something that pushed him and motivated him constantly. Bryant revealed in an interview how he improved his game to this level.
Kobe Bryant watched Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan for motivation
Before Black Mamba, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan were the greats. Johnson, who played for the Lakers just as Bryant, is to this date considered as one of the greatest point guards.
While Michael, on the other hand, is arguably the greatest player. He won 6 championships with the legendary Chicago Bulls and changed the game of basketball. Made the NBA a global league, watched and loved by people all over the world.
So it is only natural that Kobe followed these two greats to help improve his game. In an interview, he revealed how he watched the two greats in order to work on his game.
Bryant: “The love of the game, the challenge. I would watch Magic (Johnson) play. I’d watch, Michael (Jordan) play… and I’d say you know, can I get to that level? I don’t know but let’s find out. That curiosity to see where I could push this thing led me down that path.”
It’s a well-known fact that 6’6″ Bean molded his game around Jordan’s. He was so intrigued by the Bulls’ game and swagger that incorporated all of it into his game.
But the question remains, would Bryant have been as influential if he hadn’t followed MJ’s style of play?
Also Read: Shaquille O’Neal rejected Michael Jordan’s $150 million a year path to create his own identity
