Trae Young Backtracks on Michael Jordan Take, Includes Kobe Bryant in Top 5 List Without a Second Thought

The age-old debate about the greatest player in the NBA will remain relevant for years to come. Even players have had interesting opinions over the last few years, and it isn’t any different with Trae Young. The point guard has had his say in the debate on several occasions, and he has switched allegiances as well. LeBron James and Michael Jordan have been the most commonly mentioned names by Young, with Kobe Bryant coming in close at times.

Recently, featuring on DeepCut with VicBlends, Young was asked who he would choose to play with to win the NBA championship, and without wasting any time, the 25-year-old answered with Kobe Bryant’s name, indicating how big an admirer he is of ‘The Mamba’. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Shaquille O’Neal were the other names that Young mentioned later. The starting five that the Hawks player has chosen is certainly a world-class lineup. The likes of James, Bryant, Shaq, and KD would be a lethal combo if placed on the same team.

But the interesting fact is that Young completely left out the great Michael Jordan, a player who he mentioned could be his GOAT. Before the release of The Last Dance in 2020, the young player mentioned that the series could cement Jordan’s status as the GOAT on his list, ahead of James.

This came a month after he mentioned on X that he had James over Jordan in the GOAT debate, as well as Kobe at third and Steve Nash at fifth. That makes his current preference even more interesting considering how he left out ‘His Airness’ and opted to include Shaq. Meanwhile, moving ahead in the interview, Young shared another interesting story while speaking on DeepCut with VicBlends. 

Kobe Bryant’s wise advice that has stuck with Trae Young to this day

When asked about an unusual place from where he derives his motivation, Trae Young said, “I’ll never forget the story Kobe told all of us at one camp. He came in, flew in on his helicopter, landed, we all were sitting down, at half-court, and he walked in. The moral of the story was, ‘Us lions, we need sheep to hunt.” 

Young then explained that he tried to emulate the LA Lakers legend’s mentality every time he set foot on the court. It is no surprise that Bryant’s wise words have stuck with Young, as has been the case with millions of fans around the world. The ‘Black Mamba’ has inspired the younger generation since his early days as an NBA player, many of whom made it to the league eventually. Even after his tragic demise four years ago, Bryant’s words remain relevant to this day.

What’s your take on the famous ‘Mamba mentality’? Share your thoughts in the comments below.