“Kobe Bryant reminded me of Michael Jordan in those days”: Scottie Pippen gives more flowers to the Lakers legend, comparing his mentality in the early-00s to the GOAT

Kobe Bryant spent an entire practice session showing Kanye West how Scottie Pippen moved on defense. The respect between them is mutual.

There isn’t really much to say about the legend of the Black Mamba that hasn’t already been said. This was a man who represented basketball as well as any hooper in the history of the game.

He wrote his legend into the game by working hard on his craft, burning the midnight oil. The legend of Kobe Bryant has its share of tears, and blood, but it’s the perspiration and single-mindedness he had that sets him apart.

There are countless tales about the work ethic of Kobe floating around. But those who knew him best were the ones who lined up against him in his truest form. When Kobe had his Lakers jersey on, it seemed he’d move Mount Vesuvius itself in pursuit of victory.

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This was something common between him and MJ. And there’s no one better-placed than Scottie Pippen to remind us of the eerie similarities between the duo.

Scottie Pippen makes the oft-quoted Michael Jordan-Kobe Bryant comparison in Sirius XM interview

The Bulls legend recently went on a promotional tour for the release of his autobiography called Unguarded. This book has definitely raised quite a few eyebrows with how he’s taken shots at his teammate Michael Jordan.

However, that’s hardly all there is to the book. Scottie Pippen did not hesitate to praise young Kobe in there, and he definitely praised him a lot in this particular interview too:

“I have watched Kobe from his early years, I think he came in in 1996? About the time I had moved on and started playing on the West Coast, he was in his fifth or sixth season in the league.” (Kobe was actually a 4th-year player when the Lakers beat the Blazers in the 2000 WCF.)

“He was very much, definitely prime Kobe – very tough to guard. (He) reminded me a lot of competing against Michael Jordan day in and day out. But I was older and he was younger, so it was a lot different. But he’s definitely one of the toughest players I’ve ever guarded.”

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