Michael Jordan was truly a phenomenal player, and to this date, he is considered the GOAT by most. Jordan achieved that legendary status thanks to his elite ability to play basketball, which he used to dominate the league during his playing days.
MJ’s playing style had a certain swagger in it, and not many thought that someone could have a similar playing style in the future. Well, the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant proved everyone wrong. Kobe studied Jordan’s game and based his playing style on it.
But Kobe’s obsession with Jordan didn’t end there. The Mamba wanted to be considered the GOAT, just like MJ. Evidently, it meant that Kobe wanted to match the number of titles that Jordan won as well.
While Mike had six NBA Championships to his name, Bryant managed to win one less ring than His Airness.
Matt Barnes Reveals Details Of A Phone Call With Kobe Bryant
Following Shaquille O’Neal’s departure from the Los Angeles Lakers, it took Kobe seven years to win the next ring of his career. He won the fourth and fifth NBA rings of his career in 2009 and 2010.
But as you’d expect from Bryant, he was still hungry for more. Former NBA player Matt Barnes shared details of a phone call that he got from Kobe in 2010 in a recent episode of the Lakers’ ongoing docuseries.
Matt Barnes on his phone call from @kobebryant in 2010:
“As a team they are in search for a 3-peat. Kobe wanted that 6th ring. He always told me I want to be able to sit at same table as MJ. Meaning he needed 1 more piece of hardware,” says @Matt_Barnes22.#LakeShow #LakersDoc pic.twitter.com/O6cuDzlMqi
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) October 3, 2022
“In 2010, my contract’s up in Orlando, and I get a call from a number I don’t know. And for some reason, I answered that call and he said, ‘What up?’ I was like, ‘Who’s this?’ He’s like, ‘It’s Kobe.'”
He added, “As a team they are in search for a 3-peat. Kobe wanted that 6th ring. He always told me I want to be able to sit at the same table as MJ. Meaning he needed 1 more piece of hardware.”
Kobe got Barnes to join the Lakers, but Kobe’s dream of winning the sixth NBA Championship was never fulfilled as he retired with five NBA titles to his name. Although Kobe failed to match MJ’s ring count, he still had a plethora of amazing achievements in his career, helping him become one of the best players to play in the history of the league.
