Craig Hodges, a two-time NBA champion and former teammate of Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls, recently appeared on the All The Smoke podcast and gave a rare behind-the-scenes look at the distinct differences between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, two icons whose names are often tied together in greatness.
In the process, Hodges dropped an insane anecdote that further cements MJ’s legendary mystique: in four and a half seasons with the Bulls, Jordan never once lost a suicide drill.
While both Jordan and Bryant were known for their ruthless competitiveness and unmatched work ethic, Hodges was clear that their styles of dominance differed.
“Right hand. Well, Kobe would be going to the line to shoot two. MJ was going to shoot and-one. A lot of them knocks that Kobe had to shoot with two hands— when that knock would happen, MJ put that bad boy over here.”
“And then you have that engine. I’m telling you. I was with MJ four and a half seasons or whatever. Never lost a suicide. Never.”
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Then came the most jaw-dropping revelation of the segment, something not even widely known among hardcore Jordan fans. Hodges claimed that during his four and a half seasons with MJ in Chicago, Michael never lost a single suicide drill.
For those unfamiliar, suicide drills (now often referred to as line drills or conditioning sprints) are a brutal test of endurance and willpower in NBA practices. To win one repeatedly, let alone every time over four-plus years, speaks to a level of drive and conditioning that few in the sport’s history have matched.
That “engine” is what separated Jordan not just from his peers, but from nearly every elite player who came after him. Jordan’s competitive fire, Hodges suggested, wasn’t something he turned on in games; it was baked into his DNA. Every drill, every sprint, every possession meant something.
It’s no surprise that Kobe Bryant idolized Jordan, often mimicking his footwork, shot selection, and demeanor. But Hodges’ insight shows that while Kobe may have mirrored MJ’s moves, there was a natural explosiveness and instinct in Jordan that couldn’t be replicated.
Ultimately, Hodges’ comments aren’t about diminishing Kobe Bryant. They’re a testament to the freakish, untamed greatness of Michael Jordan, the man who never lost a suicide drill and never saw a shot through contact he didn’t think he could make.
