“Another Thing Playing Against Him”: Kobe Bryant on How Michael Jordan Influenced His Game

Kobe Bryant like any other kid had an idol growing up watching basketball. His name was Michael Jordan. 

Bryant followed the footsteps of his idol and took the same road to achieve greatness.

Jordan and Bryant are very similar if you think about it. The only difference is that they played in different eras. But their motivation to play the game always remained on one factor. 

In an interview, Kobe had famously matched what Jordan put forth as his motivation to give his best at every game. It was for every young kid who was in the stands watching them for the first time. Both legends never wanted to disappoint a fan who came out to the stadium to watch their idol play. 

Kobe didn’t mind playing with a sore foot or a bruised ankle. But, he never wanted a dejected kid going back home after seeing his favorite player failing to perform.

He always felt that some kid out there would be watching him and gaining inspiration looking at his game. Bryant revealed he used to feel the same thing as a kid.

When Kobe Bryant faced off against his idol for the first time

An 18-year-old Kobe Bryant traveled to Chicago with his Lakers team to play the Bulls. Bryant often admitted how Michael Jordan “schooled” him in his first game against the legend. 

In their first meeting on the court, Kobe and the Lakers lost the game and Jordan put 30 points to his name. But Bryant never resented over the loss. “I learned a lot this game. A lot about how technically sound Michael was,” Bryant said. 

“It’s one thing watching him play and it is another thing when you’re playing against him.” Bryant always admired Jordan’s technique and called it “flawless.” He wanted to be as flawless as the Jumpman.

During their first meeting on the court, Bryant went up to Jordan and asked tips on how to guard against his jump shot. Jordan did give it to him out of the respect and admiration he had for the youngster.

The fuel for Bryant’s hard work

Bryant entered the league as a youngster with many ambitions. It was perfectly clear on his mind on what he wanted to achieve in his career. Since Day 1, the one goal on his mind was to “Win as many championships as possible.” That was it.

The reason for the fire and the passion goes back to the people he watched growing up. He said, “I watched Magic win five. Then I saw Michael win six.”

These two champions inspired Kobe and hence he set up a standard for himself in his path to achieving legendary status.

Kobe Bryant accomplished everything had in his mind. He won everything there was to win in the NBA. He was a wonderful player who had the same flair of Michael Jordan. Not to forget the grueling mentality they established against their opponents.