While the late mid-90s saw Michael Jordan establishing himself as one of the greatest at the game, it also witnessed an upcoming sensation, Kobe Bryant, who was ready to fill in the shoes. Jordan was from the generation preceding Kobe Bryant and looked forward to facing the young Mamba during his playing days.
Advertisement
Similarly, Bryant looked up to Jordan as his idol and considered it an honor to compete against His Airness. Kobe proved his worth as a rookie by registering his name as an All-Star for the 1997 All-Star Game. Months ahead of this, Michael Jordan was immensely pleased seeing the youngster’s potential and looked forward to their matchup at Madison Square Garden.
Kobe Bryant was always inspired by the best in the league to base his role model for basketball. During the early days of his career, Kobe would imitate most of Jordan’s mannerisms and style of play. We might even say Kobe picked up his competitive and relentless mentality, only being inspired by Air Jordan.
Ahead of the 1997 All-Star Game, Michael Jordan praised rookie Kobe Bryant
Michael Jordan believed in Kobe Bryant way before others realized his star potential. As a rookie in the league, Kobe was touted for wonders at the Los Angeles Lakers. He had a modest average of 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 71 games of his rookie season. However, Kobe’s performances as a rookie earned him a place as an All-Star for the 1997 feature game. Speaking about Kobe months ahead of the All-Star matchup, Jordan said:
“Kobe is a star of the future. It’s no different from when I had to play against Dr. J or Walter Davis, and some of the other great players. I think that’s the highlight of the game. But I think the game is a little bit more deeper than just two individuals. But, I’m pretty sure there’s gonna be enough excitement, just expectations of the excitement in the course of the game is gonna keep everybody to the edge of their seats.”
Jordan & Kobe on matchup (1997)
Lakers vs Bulls pic.twitter.com/6BZnrgTrsm— 90s NBA (@NBA90s) August 15, 2023
As much as MJ was excited, Kobe also had high expectations and excitement for facing his basketball idol. Being an All-Star as a rookie laid high expectations on then-18-year-old Kobe. Speaking about the same, Kobe expressed:
“Oh yeah! That’s fine. That’s what the game is all about. Two great teams playing against one another. The challenge is out there, the excitement is there. Now, it’s time to go out there and play and let it all hang out.”
Comparing MJ and Kobe’s head-to-head stats, they have faced each other in 8 regular season games. As per Bleacher Report, five of these games were won by Kobe Bryant and three by Michael Jordan. MJ, however, edges Kobe in points average, having 24.5, compared to Bryant’s 22.8.
Kobe Bryant’s 1998 performance in the All-Star game had left Kevin Garnett flabbergasted
Kobe’s 1998 performance in the All-Star game stunned his All-Star teammate Kevin Garnett. The then-Minnesota Timberwolves star was awed by Bryant’s two-handed alley-oop at the Madison Square Garden. However, the anticipated matchup between Kobe and Michael Jordan stuck most audiences in their seats.
While Kobe was shining compared to his contemporaries, MJ was a complete mismatch for Kobe on the defensive end. His Airness destroyed the Western Conference, hitting young Bryant with easy spin moves and pump fakes to score easy buckets. Jordan led the East to a comfortable 135-114 victory and was named MVP after scoring 23 points. Indeed, Kobe had learned much from Jordan’s greatness to emulate the same in the future.
