Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade are two of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history and they certainly didn’t mind some physicality. A video recently resurfaced online that showed Bryant and Wade quite literally battling it out on the court without complaining.
Most of today’s players would have dropped to the floor instantly after being hit the way Bryant and Wade were hitting each other. It shows the difference in their mentality, as they were always going to war on the court.
Bryant enjoyed their battles and he absolutely loved the physicality that Wade brought to the table. In a press conference during his final season in the NBA, Kobe spoke glowingly about Wade.
“I love him. He was a vicious competitor. He’s vicious, he’s mean. We could have those types of battles, then afterward hang out, have a conversation, lace ’em up, and go right back at it. I enjoyed competing against him. The hardest player I had to guard in screen and roll. He’d come off a screen and disappear.”
You’d wish more of today’s players had this kind of mindset. You can be friends with someone off the court but still compete viciously with them on it.
Bryant and Wade would end up playing against each other 20 times in their NBA careers. The Miami Heat icon just about managed to get the upper hand, with an 11-9 record.
Dwyane Wade On Breaking Kobe Bryant’s Nose During The All-Star Game
One of Bryant and Wade’s most notable battles actually came at the 2012 All-Star Game, as the latter accidentally broke the former’s nose during the contest. It was an unforgettable moment and Wade spoke about it on WY Network.
“Kobe set the tone for the All-Star Games,” Wade said. “Kobe will go out there and be ready to bust your a**. That all-star game, in particular, the one we talking about, Kobe was f***ing me up on the other end. He was hitting me, he was doing that little pinching right here (on the waist).
“He was hitting me and I’m like, ‘Kob?’ But he don’t care,” Wade stated. “… He locked in, he is a competitor. I’m like, ‘Oh, this is this what we doing?’ This where we at. So, on the opposite end, I’m like, ‘Get the ball, ’cause I’m f***ing you up.’ That’s all I’m, thinking. I’m about to foul you ’cause now you f***ing me up down there.
“The ref ain’t calling it, we’re in the All-Star Game,” Wade continued. “No one sees this except me and you and I told you three times, ‘Kob, stop doing that.’ So I’m a person who I’mma handle it. Now mind you, didn’t try to bust nobody nose … but I did try to foul the s*** outta him. Just to let him know.
“So, I let him go, he went and did his thing, and I (hit him),” Wade added. “And then I saw him grab his nose and start bleeding and I was like, ‘Uh oh.’ … When I called him after the All-Star break I was like, ‘Hey bro, we good? Are you cool?’ And he was like, ‘I love it.'”
You wouldn’t expect any other response from a man like Bryant. You can check out that infamous play below.
While Bryant didn’t take offense to that hit from Wade, he did make him pay for it afterward. He scored 33 points when he played against the Heat less than a week later to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 93-83 win.
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