There are just a handful of people who got to work with the two legends of the game, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Tim Grover is one of them. As their trainer, he worked with both icons in their primes and was crucial in helping them add another dimension to their games. Analyzing his experience with the two greats, Grover revealed a major difference between them, when it came to handling media.
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One of Grover’s active clients is Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby, who was naturally curious about the trainer’s work with Jordan and Bryant. He asked them how they reacted to criticism from the media and fans. Crosby revealed,
“[Tim Grover told me] Kobe read everything. Every media, every outlet, everything. He used it as fuel every single game. Some people don’t like that s**t. He [then] said Jordan didn’t give a f**k. He said Jordan didn’t do nothing. He sat in his room, smoked his cigars, and lived in his own world.”
Grover’s revelation is intriguing and pretty similar to what Stephen A. Smith said about Jordan and Bryant’s reaction to receiving criticism from analysts. He claimed that the Chicago Bulls icon usually didn’t pay heed to media chatter about his game but would call him if he vehemently disagreed about a take.
But on the flip side, the Los Angeles Lakers legend would curse Smith out if he criticized him and leave obscenity-laced voicemails if he didn’t take his call. Jordan was no stranger to taking criticism and trash-talking from opponents ‘personally’ as motivation to play better, but not as frequently as Bryant, who seemingly hunted it to use it as fuel. Even MJ once tried to pester a young Bryant but it did not go well for him.
When Michael Jordan regretted trash-talking Kobe Bryant
Michael Jordan trash-talked with impunity, knowing few could outplay him on the court and none would want to indulge in mind games with him. However, he learned firsthand that Kobe Bryant was among the handful, who, like him, are best left alone.
After leading the Washington Wizards to a narrow one-point win over the Lakers, Jordan told Bryant, who was wearing Air Jordan 7s, “You can wear the shoes but never fill them.”
In an interview with DJ Vlad, Gilbert Arenas claimed Luke Walton told him that Bryant went silent after Jordan’s jibe and did not speak to his teammates until the Lakers’ next matchup against Jordan and the Wizards. In that game, the guard scored 42 points in the first half and finished with 55, a fitting reply to the six-time NBA champion.
While the loss undoubtedly stung Jordan, he would’ve been impressed with Bryant as the Lakers star responded exactly as he would have, if a player talked trash to him. Stories like these explain why Phil Jackson, who coached both superstars, felt Bryant was the only player comparable to Jordan.
