By the time he decided to call it a day in 2016, Kobe Bryant had established himself as one of the NBA’s greatest players and its biggest superstar of the 21st century. The Lakers legend, to this date, has a massive following across the globe. When it was time for him to retire after a highly successful 20-year career, fans felt his void will always be there as there was nobody who could replace the Black Mamba. However, Kobe himself had a prophecy about a certain young guard who had the potential to do so. And a recent Instagram story by LeBron James where rapper Killer Mike talks about his moment with Bryant during his retirement, reveals who would be the next big thing.
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Bryant might have given Stephen Curry his ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment, but he was also the one who believed that the Warriors point guard would be the next great superstar of the league.
When Kobe Bryant suggested his super fan, Killer Mike follow Stephen Curry
Lakers star LeBron James wasn’t available for the season finale of Uninterrupted’s talk show ‘The Shop’. Apparently, the Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul and rapper Killer Mike were the guests. But James did share the story of it where Mike was reminiscing the moment when he got his chance to meet his favorite basketball player, Kobe Bryant, for the first time. You can take a look at the screenshot of the same in the tweet by Stephen B. Smith below.
LeBron James shares Kobe declaring “skinny kid” Stephen Curry being the future of the NBAhttps://t.co/8txqNP7Dg2 pic.twitter.com/KKYQ36b8uv
— Stephen B. Smith (@TMWSTW30X) June 16, 2023
However, it was when Bryant was retiring. So, Mike asked Kobe whom he should follow in the league now. That’s when the 18-time All-Star directed him toward the Dubs guard.
“‘It’s this kid if he could stay healthy because he’s skinny. He’s this kid named Stephen Curry,’” Killer Mike remembered Bryant seeing the future of the NBA in Curry.
Watch it in the following post by Uninterrupted’s IG.
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The fact that Kobe Bryant was able to accurately predict the trajectory is beyond incredible. Still, even when he saw all the potential in the world in him, the Black Mamba was never going to let Curry win in a one-on-one against him.
Kobe once shut down Stephen Curry one-on-one
Not many players in the NBA could stop The Chef, even on any particular day in their careers. Even when the 6ft 3’ sensation isn’t cooking, he’ll always get about 20–25 points which will be enough to get the win for his team.
However, Kobe found the secret to stopping him in a game between the Lakers and the Warriors, where Lou Williams was in the purple and gold.
“He [Kobe Bryant] just kept saying, ‘I fu**ing found it!’. He like, ‘He don’t like people standing on the side of him! He can shoot with you in front of him! He can shoot with you behind him! But on his side? He don’t like that!’, and we shut him down again!” Williams once said in an interview.
Whether he is the GOAT or not, will always be up for debate, but Kobe was the greatest student of the game, who never stopped learning.
