“I Said Kobe, What Are You Talking to Michael About?”: Cheryl Miller Reveals Rookie Kobe Bryant’s ‘Crazy Side’ During 1st Game vs Michael Jordan

Podcasts featuring basketball legends are a treat for the fans. University of South California former forward Cheryl Miller always comes up with interesting anecdotes that delight basketball fans. She recently made it to a podcast where she talked about her perspective on a variety of topics ranging from her childhood sibling rivalry to her gratefulness for the WNBA and what transpired between two NBA legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Her statement about the two legends caught the attention of fans.

For the unversed, Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant and Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan were legends in their playing days and were often compared for their playing styles. Hence, whenever athletes recollect anecdotes involving the two, it is bound to turn some heads. Let us have a look at what she had to say.

What did ‘rookie’ Kobe say to Michael Jordan

American former basketball player Cheryl Miller spoke at length about the two and recollected an incident from the rookie year of Kobe Bryant. She divulged an incident when Kobe and Mike met head-to-head while representing the Lakers and Bulls respectively. 

“I know you guys remember this because it was on television and watching Kobe’s rookie year and he’s laying and it’s in Chicago. And Michael has just done something sick… and Kobe’s looking at the freethrow line and he’s talking… I remember asking Kobe what are you talking to Michael about? I asked him how could I stop him. [sic] What did Mike say? He said you can never work that hard,” revealed Miller.

Kobe was drafted during the 1996 draft by the Hornets and was later picked by the Lakers. For the record, Kobe and Jordan contested eight times against each other – four when Jordan was with the Bulls and another four when he was with the Washington Wizards.

The Lakers came atop in 5 of those contests with Kobe averaging 22.8 points whereas Mike scored 24.5 points per contest.

READ MORE: 23 Years Before Kobe Bryant’s Work Ethic Impressed Him, 3x All-Star Shares a Freaky Coincidence With ‘Black Mamba’

Overall Kobe averaged 25 points per game with 5.2 rebounds per contest and 4.7 assists per game whereas Mike scored a whopping 30 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per clash. When it comes to Miller, though, she too was a legend in her own right.

How was Miller’s career

Meanwhile, Miller too had an outstanding career in basketball. She is regarded as one of the greatest women’s basketball players to have graced the game. Apart from leading her university USC to two NCAA championship titles, Miller propelled the US women’s national team to its first Olympic Gold Medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

She has a legacy of her own as she became the first player in USC- both men and women- to have her jersey number retired. Not only that she won All-American honors in each of her four college basketball seasons. In the later part of her career, she coached the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. She was also a coach for Langston University and California State University.

When she didn’t continue as a coach, she resumed her broadcasting career and was also inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.

Thus, Cheryl Miller opened up on an interesting anecdote between the two basketball legends and told the story from a first eyewitness. Was Cheryl the greatest women basketball player to ever play the game? Would she have defeated the latest WNBA players? Tell us in the comments below!

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