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(Boston, Mass. June 8th 2008) Lakers Kobe Bryant walks off the court at the end of the game as Celtic fans celebrate in Game 2 of the NBA Championship Sunday. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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(Boston, Mass. June 8th 2008) Lakers Kobe Bryant walks off the court at the end of the game as Celtic fans celebrate in Game 2 of the NBA Championship Sunday. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are easily the two greatest shooting guards in the history of basketball. Kobe grew up idolizing Jordan and the pair shared a few seasons in the league together. Jordan became a mentor and an older brother to the young Kobe. The two had similar playing styles and an instant connection.
Coach John Lucas II spoke to James Posey on ‘The Poseycast‘ and revealed a story about taking young Kobe to meet Michael Jordan for the first time. (35:08)
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“He saw Michael and you know Michael, he’s got them big old cigars in his mouth. Kobe said ‘how are you doing Mr. Jordan? It is an honor to meet you.’ So when MJ left, I talked to Kobe and told him ‘when you’ll be coming up next year, you can’t be calling him Mr. Jordan. And then, the guy who gave me the job in San Antonio was the general manager of the Charlotte Hornets. And I told him if you have Kobe Bryant there, you pick him. They picked him, but he ended up being traded for Vlade Divac and Jerry West was calling me every day about him. That’s how Kobe got to LA.”
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Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan
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During the National Anthem Lakers Kobe Bryant points to upward honoring Lakers owner Jerry Buss at the Staples Center Wednesday. Dr. Jerry Buss, died Monday of cancer at age 80. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan shared a bond not shared by many players. It was a true mentor and student relationship, even though Jordan and Kobe played against each other for seven seasons. While their meetings were usually just regular season games, it is rare to see Jordan have a relationship with any players like this.
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Kobe emulated his game on Jordan’s, with many saying that Kobe is as close to a Jordan like player in the NBA than anyone else. Kobe mastered the mid-range, was an elite defender, and had the same offensive aggression as Jordan. He took the bond he shared with Jordan and tried to replicate it with the generation that came after him.
Kobe has played the role of a mentor for even LeBron James, despite sharing the court for 13 consecutive seasons. Considering how Kobe’s first interaction with Jordan went, one can imagine a similarly nervous high-schooler when LeBron met Kobe.
