,When one thinks of the most competitive players the NBA has ever seen, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant always seem to find their names on the list. Both 6ft 6″ shooting guards with a ‘killer mentality’ every coach hopes to have in their players.
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Michael Jordan joined the league in 1984 and took it by storm. In an era where Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were the most prominent names, MJ found a way to carve his space. He showed us glimpses of greatness right from his rookie year. By the time he retired in 2003, Jordan was claimed to be the greatest of all time.
On the other hand, Kobe was drafted into the NBA in 1996. Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Bryant was always up for a challenge and wanted to be the greatest. The best way to do that? Take down the current Alpha.
Kobe Bryant recalled his first matchup with Michael Jordan
Ever since before he joined the NBA, Kobe had an obsession of being the greatest, and the best way to do that was to matchup against Michael Jordan. However, the first time that did happen, things didn’t go well for Kobe.
Describing the matchup, Kobe said,
“That was like the coolest thing, because I had seen that spin move so many times. I knew he was going to do it. But the timing on TV and in person are two completely different things. So he just spun right before I thought he was going to spin. I was like, ‘Man, that was pretty cool.'”
Kobe came off the bench in the 129-123 OT loss. He played 10 minutes and had five points. On the other hand, Jordan had 30 points and 10 rebounds. Since then, the two matched up seven more times. In those contests, Kobe held the upper hand with a winning record of 5-2.
Kobe’s biggest takeaway after getting ‘schooled’ by MJ
During the same ESPN interview, Bryant described how he was schooled by His Airness. Continuing further, he said the biggest lesson he got in his rookie year was after the game in Chicago. Talking about it, Kobe said,
“I think the biggest learning experience, though, was the first time we came out here[Chicago] and I think we had a [18]-point lead and then Scottie [Pippen] and Michael just said, ‘That’s enough.’
“I remember sitting there on the bench like, ‘Man, they’re covering so much ground I don’t even understand how this is possible. How Pippen can trap in the backcourt and then all of the sudden he’s at half court and then all of the sudden he’s getting a rebound at the rim. How is this physically possible?’ That was probably the biggest lesson I learned.”
Playing against one of the best duos in the NBA History was a big reason why Kobe was able to add his name to the list alongside Shaquille O’Neal.
