"Man, it’s a sense of respect": 19-year-old Kobe Bryant used to 'irritate' retired Michael Jordan with 2-3 a.m. phone calls
In his pursuit of basketball greatness, the late Kobe Bryant was not one to shy away from asking for assistance from icons who helped pave the way for players like him. Foremost among them was Michael Jordan, who the LA Lakers legend had very high regard for.
In an episode of The Ringer’s Icons Club podcast last year, which zeroed in on the relationship between Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, the connection of Bryant with Jordan was also highlighted.
In the late 1990s, when Jordan was in his second retirement, a 19-year-old Bryant would constantly communicate with the six-time NBA champion, even at two or three o’clock in the morning, to get inputs.
Jordan was both annoyed and amused as the prologue of the podcast said:
“At first, he (Kobe) was an irritant, but then, secondly, it became, ‘Man, it’s a sense of respect,’ and I respect him for that and, from that point on, it was I’m going to do whatever I can to help him out.”
The Chicago Bulls great shared, among other things, details about having a wide stance to create spacing in his moves. Jordan also shared pointers on how to be a great leader, including being vocal and pushing teammates to give their best.
The mentoring Bryant got from "His Airness" obviously did wonders for Kobe Bryant’s game, as he went on to become a legend in his own right.
Thanks to his fierce competitiveness, Bryant won five NBA titles, with the Lakers, two finals MVP awards, one league MVP award, 18 NBA All-Star selections and an induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame, like his hero Jordan.
At the memorial for Bryant following his tragic death in 2020, Jordan was one of the speakers as he recollected the special bond he had with the "Black Mamba."
“I knew he had greatness in him since Day 1 of watching him” - Former LA Lakers coach's initial thoughts on a young Kobe Bryant
Former LA Lakers player and coach Byron Scott knew at the outset that greatness was on the cards for Kobe Bryant, who skipped college and went straight to the NBA at the age of 18.
In an episode of the 10-part docuseries on the Lakers last year, which touched on Bryant, Scott recalled his initial thoughts on the Hall-of-Famer:
"I knew he had greatness in him from Day 1 of watching him in practice, and then we have Shaq, and if they could gel, I was like man sky is the limit for them."
Scott played his last year in the NBA with rookie Bryant in the 1996-97 season. He then coached Kobe Bryant in his final two years in the league from 2014-16.