Two of the best basketball players of the past generation, Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant had a lot of mutual respect for each other. Speaking on Shot Science Basketball, the Dallas Mavericks legend had reserved rich praise for Bryant. Nowitzki had called Kobe “unguardable,” and talked about a specific left-handed shot that stunned him and his teammates. The interview came almost 6 years after Dirk had politely refused Kobe’s recruitment attempt during his free agency back in 2014. It was recently shared by the goatout Instagram page.
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Nowitzki had admitted that it would have been a lot of fun to play alongside Kobe. However, he claimed that Bryant already knew what his answer would be. Dirk had been loyal to the Mavericks right from the start of his NBA career and didn’t want to leave the organization. Nonetheless, the mutual respect between these two basketball legends remains evident, highlighting the camaraderie that existed among them.
Kobe Bryant once stunned Dirk Nowitzki who was forced to call him unguardable
Nowitzki was asked about the greatest offensive threat that he had ever faced during his NBA career. The 2011 Finals MVP claimed that Bryant was “unguardable” and that he and the Mavericks tried everything to stop the Lakers phenom.
Nowitzki narrated one particular incident when he had managed to force Bryant to one corner. However, he ended up turning for a left-handed three that stunned the audience, his teammates, and also his opponents:
“Kobe, we tried everything, he was just – you couldn’t stop him. Kobe Bryant was unguardable. So one time we had him in the corner and the shot clock was going down and he was right in front of our bench. Somebody played him from the top side, so he couldn’t turn around over his left shoulder and shoot with the right so he’s kind of like stuck, then he sees the shot clock and he turns around, shoots it with the left, 3-pointer from the corner. We’re all like ‘what?’ His skill level was unbelievable, there was not one shot that he didn’t have in his repertoire, so to me, in my 20 years, he was probably the best offensive or the best player I’ve faced.”
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Kobe Bryant was renowned for his skills, and also for his determination. He had a knack for delivering for the Lakers when they needed him the most and is one of the biggest franchise legends of all time.
Dirk Nowitzki once revealed he takes motivation from his biggest rivals, including Kobe Bryant
Nowitzki was one of the fiercest competitors in the NBA himself. However, the likes of Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan continuously kept him on his toes.
When asked about what was his biggest sources of motivation, Nowitzki named the two fellow greats. He claimed that he was sure the likes of Duncan and Bryant were not sleeping in, and suggested that he wanted to continue grinding.
Nowitzki is even today regarded as the best foreign recruit the NBA has ever seen. A 14-time All-Star, he led the Mavericks to the 2011 NBA title, defeating LeBron James and Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat in the Finals.
