Kobe Bryant made no secret about modeling his entire playstyle around Michael Jordan. The Los Angeles Lakers icon observed and learned every move that the Chicago Bulls legend pulled off on the court. While he wasn’t the only player his age emulating Jordan, nobody did it as well as him. Bryant’s technique and gait were so similar to the six-time NBA champion, that Mike Bibby couldn’t tell them apart.
The former Sacramento Kings star reminisced about watching Bryant play for the first time, during the 1996 McDonald’s All-American game, in his recent appearance on the OGs podcast. The future Lakers star had a good outing, scoring 13 points and providing three assists in a 120-105 win for his team. However, it was his resemblance to Jordan when he was on the court that stood out for Bibby. He recalled,
“It was like seeing MJ out there. Exactly what it looked like, the way he stood, the way he walked, the way he ran, everything was MJ, man.”
Big Shot Bibby noted that, like MJ, Bryant maintained extreme focus from start to finish and did not engage in messing around like some of the other players did. He claimed that the 17-year-old was ‘all business,’ and that’s when he knew that he’d have a dazzling career in the NBA.
The 46-year-old’s intuition was spot on, as ‘The Black Mamba’ went on to embark on a Hall of Fame career and, like his idol, retired as one of the greatest and most influential players in the sport’s history. The Lakers icon has never shied away from giving Jordan credit for his success and even revealed that the Bulls superstar took him under his wing to help him hone his craft.
Kobe Bryant considered Michael Jordan his elder brother
In the Netflix documentary, The Last Dance, ‘Ocho’ shed light on MJ’s willingness to help him grow as a player when he first entered the league as an 18-year-old. He said,
“It was a rough couple of years for me coming into the league. Because, at the time, the league was so much older… Nobody was really thinking much of me. I was the kid who shot a bunch of air balls… At that point, Michael provided a lot of guidance for me. I had a question about shooting this turnaround shot, so I asked him about it. He gave me a great, detailed answer, but on top of that he said if you ever need anything, give me a call.”
Over the years, the duo formed a close bond, and even referred to each other as ‘brothers,’ indicating that their relationship was deeper than that of a mentor and mentee. MJ’s tutelage helped Bryant elevate his game and fill the void that the Bulls icon’s second retirement left.
