Dwyane Wade shared an interview of Kobe Bryant lavishing praise on him for being a vicious competitor on the Lakers legend’s death anniversary.
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Kobe Bryant meant a lot to a lot of people around the globe. Whether you were a basketball player or a daily wager, the Mamba mentality is something everyone drew inspiration from. His death brought out tears from millions of basketball fans. People even went so far as to say they felt like they’d lost their own family member.
Perhaps this is because we all knew that the Black Mamba always attempted to present his very best version to us. This was a guy who personified basketball – pure basketball – more than anyone we’ve ever seen.
Yes, Michael Jordan was the most graceful, watchable player in the history of the game. Shaquille O’Neal dominated the sport like no one else. LeBron James has made 8 straight Finals. But in terms of ‘squeezing every last drop from the orange’ – as Kobe described his hard work – no one will ever emulate the Mamba.
Dwyane Wade posts video of Kobe Bryant praising his competitive spirit
Dwyane Wade met Kobe Bryant for the final time in an NBA setting in the 2015-16 season. Following the game, which the Lakers won despite Kobe only playing 9 minutes, he gave an amazing presser. He truly gave all the praise D-Wade would have loved to hear from the Mamba:
“I love him, man, cuz he was a vicious competitor. He’s vicious, you know, he’s mean. We could have those types of battles and afterwards, hang out and have a conversation, and lace ’em up, go right back at it. I enjoyed competing against him.”
“The hardest player I’ve ever had to guard in the screen-and-roll. He’d come off a screen and just disappear.”
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D-Wade is by no means the only one posting messages in memory of the Lakers legend on this tragic day. We’ll all solemnly but happily cherish the memories of a man who was a true representation of a sporting legend.
