While there are lots of reasons to love Michael Jordan, he has his haters too. Much of his hate comes from the fact that people dislike his attitude. However, a popular myth surrounding this issue was shattered by NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
Talking at a press conference, Kobe talked about how Jordan helped him as a player and a leader. Moreover, he stressed the fact that Jordan was ready to help him grow as a player.
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Kobe Bryant shatters popular myth surrounding Michael Jordan
Love him or hate him, Michael Jordan is one of the greatest players ever. Playing for the Chicago Bulls, he led them to 6 NBA titles. Furthermore, the team dominated the NBA for an entire decade to establish itself as one of the greatest teams ever.
However, there is a popular myth surrounding Jordan. Many consider him to be an upright leader and a no-nonsense player ready to do anything to win. Moreover, there are people who accuse him of being toxic in order to achieve greatness.
This myth was broken by a fellow NBA legend himself, Kobe Bryant. Talking about Jordan, Kobe cleared the air around his attitude.
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Interestingly enough, Bryant talked about the fact that Jordan was open to being Kobe’s mentor. Kobe said, “What I found is that he was extremely open to having a relationship, a mentor relationship, giving me a great amount of advice, amazing amount of detail, strategies, workout regimens, and things like that.”
He added, “So, seriously, I don’t think people really understand the amount of impact he’s had on me as a player and as a leader.“
Safe to say, Jordan has shaped a lot of Kobe’s game. Interestingly enough, the Chicago Bulls legend once taught Kobe how to contain bigger players on the court.
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Bryant reached out to Jordan aspiring to become an elite defender like the 6 time NBA champion. And Jordan was more than happy to help.
According to reports, MJ gave some tips to a then young Kobe Bryant on how to contain bigger players. Bryant was all praises for Jordan after the session.
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He said, “They were fundamental things. Obviously, things he had learned at Carolina under the great tutelage of Dean Smith. I never had that. Speaking to MJ was like getting my own college education at the highest level.”
Bryant ended up being one of the best players the game has ever seen. He won 5 NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and etched his name into basketball history.