18-Year Old Kobe Said Jalen Rose Was His Favorite Player

2 Min Read

One of the defining moments of Kobe Bryant’s career was his infamous 81-point game. On January 22, 2006 he dropped 81 points on 28-of-46 shooting, including 7-of-13 from 3-point range, and 18-of-20 from the foul line.

His main opponent? Jalen Rose, who an 18-year-old Kobe once picked as his favorite player.

(via Philadelphia sports blog The 700 Level)

“Egan just cuts me off and turns to Kobe and goes, ‘Okay, let’s move on. Kobe. Kobe. Kobe. Who’s your favorite player?’

And Kobe just kinda sat there for a second thinking, hand on his chin (because this is a VERY serious question for a 16-year-old, your favorite basketball player says A LOT about you) and everyone’s sitting there waiting for a response, including Coach Egan, and Kobe eventually goes, ‘Hmmm, probably Jalen Rose.’ And Coach Egan was just like, ‘Jalen Rose? From Michigan?’ He wasn’t even angry, just kinda mega-super-bonkers confused. And Kobe was just like “yeah” and Coach Egan shook his head as if to say, ‘What the freak is wrong with teenagers’ and he seemed so defeated and so baffled …”

At the time, Rose was still plying his trade for the University of Michigan. And while most would say he had a successful NBA career, it certainly isn’t a name people would associate with being one of Kobe’s idols, especially back when Kobe was still a teenager.

But there’s no denying that fact now and the fact that he would eventually drop 81 points on him really makes it even better.

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Nico Martinez is a veteran staff writer for Fadeaway World from Brooklyn, New York. He joined Fadeaway World in 2016 and is currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina. Nico holds a degree in Sports Management from Columbia International University where he built a strong foundation in the inner workings of sports media and management. Nico's contributions have significantly enhanced the credibility and depth of Fadeaway World's content, earning him recognition across the sports journalism community. His work has been discussed in prestigious publications like Sports Illustrated. A dedicated follower of LeBron James, Nico often leads coverage on news related to the basketball star. With nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, Nico consistently provides comprehensive and timely basketball news, engaging a wide audience of basketball enthusiasts.Nico's most desired player to interview, past or present, is Kevin Durant. He is particularly keen on asking Durant if he has any regrets about his career, especially concerning his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and why he engages so much with fans on social media. 
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