Golden State Warriors MVP Stephen Curry recalls how Lakers legend Kobe Bryant gave him his ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment. The Black Mamba gave Chef Curry a disrespectful look on an iso play.
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Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest players to have played in the league. His sheer competitive spirit and the crazy passion for being the best version of himself at any given time was what set him apart from his opponents. Bean dedicated uncountable hours in the gym to perfect his craft, helping him reach the pinnacle of the game. Because of this, Bryant is one of the most accomplished players of all time.
For over two long decades, the Black Mamba kept preaching his famous Mamba Mentality, while instilling the same mentality in all of his fans from around the world. For anyone who followed Kobe’s career would instantly get inspired by the various little things he would do, in order to be the best.
Being one of the hardest working guys, a lot of today’s NBA stars used to look up to Bean as their role model. The impact and influence the Mamba has on the sporting community are quite surreal.
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Night in and night out, for 20 whole years as a professional in the NBA, Kobe managed to play the game at the highest level giving it his all. The result? The 6-foot-6 shooting guard retired as an 18-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 5-time NBA champ, 2-time Finals MVP, MVP and even got enshrined into the esteemed Hall-Of-Fame.
Stephen Curry’s ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment
Stephen Curry was one of the several professional athletes to have Kobe as a role model growing up. Even when Curry set foot in the league, he often spoke about Bryant and how much he would idolise him.
Coincidentally, it was the Black Mamba himself, who handed The Baby Faced Assassin’s ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment. Back in 2009, during a preseason game, Bean decided not to spare a young 21-year-old Stephen of his antics. The Warriors sharpshooter hilariously reveals how his first encounter with Kobe went about:
“One of my first preseason games down at the Forum my rookie year, we played against him, and I got switched onto him in an ISO situation, I’m scrawny, 170-pound rookie coming in, and the look he gave me was so damn disrespectful — it was crazy. That was kind of my welcome to the league moment.
A few years later, the 2-time MVP did manage to get his revenge on the Mamba by drilling an incredible three-ball on his face, earning Kobe’s respect.
“And from there, to the shot in preseason probably three or four years later, he gave me a little pat on the a** after I hit him with a 30-footer. But he’s definitely inspiring in terms of his legacy.”
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