“7 Years Before Kobe Bryant Acknowledged Me”: Jamal Crawford Recalls How Long It Took to Earn Mamba’s Respect

The late, great Kobe Bryant was notorious for not believing in making friends on the court. While he had the utmost respect for his toughest competitors, it took something special from others to get to that point. For Jamal Crawford, it took seven years for him to get there. The former NBA star recalled when he earned Kobe’s respect on Run It Back.

Crawford was asked what was it like to guard the late legend since he played 28 games against him and did he ever get the best of him in one of those matchups. J-Crossover revealed that Kobe didn’t even acknowledge him at first.

He said, “I was literally seven years in the league before he even acknowledged me on the court.” He remembered seeing Kobe at an event in New York and being in awe of his superstar presence. Crawford had a game to play against Kobe the following day. At halftime, Crawford had one point, but he switched it up in the second half with 30 points and made it a one-point game.

“I remember on the court, the first thing he said, ‘You was hot as a pistol, huh? Okay, here I come.’ And he came and guarded me,” Crawford said. Despite being guarded by Kobe, Crawford managed to get in a few more points and assists. Kobe was impressed. “He came and gave me a dap, said, ‘Good game, my brother.’ Then he grabbed my head and said something,” Crawford recalled.

“I was in the league 7 years before he acknowledged me or even knew that I existed. Yeah, seven years,” he added. Even though Crawford was not on Kobe’s radar, that did not stop him from appreciating Mamba’s greatness.

Jamal Crawford called Kobe Bryant the best player he played against

The 44-year-old said that guarding Kobe was a unique experience. In his opinion, the Black Mamba was the best played he faced. He said, “Guarding him…it was like no other. He was literally the best player I ever played against.”

Crawford said that Kobe had no fear on the court, even when he went on a rough scoring patch. “He could go 1/15 and think he was hot.”

Crawford admitted that knowing the next game was going to be against Kobe gave him sleepless nights. It was difficult to guard the five-time NBA Champion because he had an endless offensive bag and wasn’t afraid to fail in the process.

Despite having a late start to their bond, Kobe and Crawford ended up becoming good friends.