Featured Image Credit: ESPN/Getty
Topics: Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, NBA, Basketball
Marcus Banks
Kobe Bryant made no secret that he idolised basketball legend Michael Jordan during his illustrious career.
The Los Angeles Lakers icon is widely recognised as one of the greatest basketball players of all-time and was a huge fan of Jordan during the early years of his career.
Bryant entered the NBA in the 1996 draft as the 13th overall pick and started his career in the middle of the Jordan era.
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He went on to have one of the most successful careers in history before his tragic death and his former teammate has revealed just how supremely confident he was as a rookie.
Bryant’s ‘Mamba Mentality’ is regularly referenced and it appears his confidence was there from minute one with former NBA superstar Tracy McGrady revealing how as a youngster he acted like a veteran.
With his supreme confidence, McGrady claims Bryant used to walk around stating he was better than the legendary Jordan.
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"He didn't give a s*** what they thought," McGrady said in the first episode of Kobe: The Making of a Legend.
"He didn't care. He's about this basketball, about his craft, like he's real serious about this.
“And all the time, I used to hear, 'I am better than Michael Jordan. Like he used to say that, faithfully, 'I'm better than Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan ain't got nothing on me.' I was like, this dude is insane."
Bryant ended his career with five NBA titles, two finals MVPs during his 20-year career with the Lakers.
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Jordan and Bryant only faced off eight times during the crossover of their careers, with the latter winning on five occasions.
The pair remained close friends after Jordan retired from the sport and the Nike star mourned alongside the entire world when Bryant tragically passed away in a helicopter accident in 2020 alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.
Jordan revealed he couldn’t bring himself to delete the final text exchange between the pair before the horrific incident.
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"This tequila is awesome," Kobe texted, per ESPN's Jackie MacMullan.
"Thank you, my brother," Jordan responded.
"Yes, sir. Family good?" Kobe replied.
"All good. Yours?"
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"All good."
"Happy holidays," Jordan texted back, "and hope to catch up soon. Coach Kobe??!"
"I added that little crying/laughing emoji," Jordan chuckles.
"Ah, back at you, man," Kobe wrote. "Hey, coach, I'm sitting on the bench right now, and we're blowing this team out. 45-8."