Michael Jordan is considered by most to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He took the game to new heights both literally and figuratively and inspired countless legends that came after him.
Countless players wanted to be like him but only one actually dared to try, and he succeeded. Kobe Bryant molded his game to number 23’s and replicated every single one of his moves.
That’s why it didn’t take long before Jordan took notice of Kobe’s game. He knew that he was up and coming, as we saw during The Last Dance.
Some time ago, the late Lakers legend remembered his first encounter with Jordan, saying that he was surprised at how fast he was on the court:
Kobe talks about the first time he ever played against Michael Jordan. 😂❤️
(🎥: @darrenrovell)pic.twitter.com/4jnMeI0YL8
— theScore (@theScore) January 28, 2020
“That moterf***er spun so fast baseline, I had no idea what happened. He was dunking the ball before I knew what the hell happened. I was 18 and I was like ‘Oh sh*t, that was pretty f**king cool,” Bryant said.
“Then running back down the court, he [Jordan] was like ‘A lot faster in person, isn’t it?‘ I had to snap back to reality with a ‘Fu** you,” Bryant added.
That’s Michael Jordan 101 right there. He knew that Kobe idolized him, so he decided to give him the GOAT special. Bryant, far from being intimidated, took it personally to continue working on his craft and demonstrate that he was also poised for greatness.
Jordan and Kobe were more similar than people think. Not only for their game but also for their personality and their competitive approach. That’s why they always got along so well and why Jordan was so devastated to hear about his sudden passing.
These are the kind of stories that sadden us beyond words but at least we get comfort in knowing that we got to witness one of the greatest to ever do it write his name in basketball history.
