Kobe Bryant had to work hard to earn a spot in the NBA and prove his value even to his first coach in the league. His relentlessness and work ethic were crucial during his 20-year career, as well as the support he had from those who came before him.
Michael Jordan played a big role in Kobe’s career, as he became a mentor for the Black Mamba, but MJ wasn’t the only one who helped Bryant during those years. He had another MJ friend that was pretty famous around the world and made people crazy with his talents.
Michael Jackson developed a good friendship with a young Kobe Bryant that last until the former sadly passed away in 2009. During an episode of HBO’s Real Sports in 2016, KB24 would reveal he received a big call from Jackson in 1998, when he was still 18, and received a huge piece of advice from the King of Pop.
Via USA Today:
“I was starting to get flack for being an introvert and being so serious all the time about the game. And he wanted to call and give me encouragement and say, ‘Don’t change for them. You have to stay focused. If you wanna be one of the all-time greats you have to study the all-time greats. You have to be obsessive about what you do and how you do it.’”
These words resonated with Kobe, who stayed the same and didn’t change based on others’ opinions. The Black Mamba would become one of the greatest players of all time with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships, one MVP award, two Finals MVP, and many more prizes.
He was always trying to inspire people to be the best version of themselves without changing their essence, which is exactly what Jackson did when he made that phone call. Unfortunately, these two legends aren’t with us anymore, but the memories they left in their respective fields and with their friendship won’t be forgotten.
