Kobe Bryant never undermined himself. He was always conscious of his exceptional talent and was one to never back down. His competitiveness on the court is, even today, an inspiring sight for every growing basketball player. After all, Kobe emulated Michael Jordan in his childhood and aspired to become like him.
Phil Jackson is a man who has trained both Kobe and MJ. He has won multiple three-peats, coaching both the Lakers and the Chicago Bulls. Jackson’s time at the Lakers saw him witness the rise of a young Kobe Bryant into a megastar.
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Kobe had always wanted to be like Jordan, a man who was his inspiration. He wanted to achieve the greatness that Jordan did. His mind was fueled with passion and aggression to mark himself as the best. Jackson once recalled a moment when Kobe met MJ during the initial stages of his Lakers career.
How Kobe Bryant initiated a conversation with Michael Jordan
Jackson, during a past interview with Fox Sports Live, shared an anecdote from the 1999-2000 NBA season. It was the beginning of Kobe Bryant’s stint in the league. On the other hand, Jordan retired a year ago and visited the Staples Center to watch the Lakers.
Jackson wanted MJ to offer some advice to a promising 20-year-old who was never in doubt of his talent. “Let’s meet in the chairman’s room after the game, I want you to talk to Kobe a little,” Jackson recalled asking Jordan. “I think if you convince him to just wait, just be patient allow the game to come to him … because the team kind of loses their offensive direction.”
After Jackson’s persuasion, ‘His Airness’ agreed to do it. They went into the chairman’s room at the arena and proceeded with their little meeting. Now, according to Jackson, the first thing Kobe Bryant told Jordan was, “I could kick your ass one-on-one.” Now, in a typical situation like this, you could imagine a young NBA player to be left star-struck upon meeting Michael Jordan. But Kobe showed none of it.
He had nothing to fear against the six-time champion. Mamba was oozing confidence. Though he grew up idolizing MJ, Kobe would not question his skills against him. This reflected his tremendous mindset to become the greatest basketball player ever.
