"All he did was watch these tapes, whether it's karate flicks, Michael Jordan, home and grown movies" - Tracy McGrady recalls what it was like spending time with Kobe Bryant when they were teenagers
Before Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady became Hall of Famers, they were a pair of teenagers who were about to change the game. Bryant and McGrady were very close during their teen years, and they even went on vacation to Europe together with Bryant's family.
In an appearance on "The Alex Kennedy Show," McGrady recalled the time they went to Paris. The former Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets superstar revealed that one of Bryant's hobbies during vacation is watching tapes of Michael Jordan and karate movies.
"I stayed with him and his parents back when I was 18 years old," McGrady said. "All he did was watch these tapes, whether it’s karate flicks, Michael Jordan, home and grown movies like 'Come Play With Me,' 'Come Fly With Me,' 'Playground.' He loved Karate flicks. Just to be around that and go through his career and what he became, just an icon and such an inspiration to a generation of people."
Back when they were teenagers, Tracy McGrady stayed with Kobe Bryant and his parents in Paris.
@Tmac_213: "I stayed with him and his parents back when I was 18 years old. All he did was watch these [Michael Jordan] tapes and karate flicks!"
FULL EPISODE: youtu.be/EWH4CMWVKHE https://t.co/vC0Km8jEMQ
Bryant was a huge fan of MJ growing up, and he ultimately patterned his game with the Chicago Bulls legend. As for karate or any other martial arts, Bryant practiced Jeet Kun Do and was a huge Bruce Lee fan.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post in 2017, the LA Lakers legend revealed how studying Lee was helpful to his basketball career. Bryant noted that there were a lot of similarities between martial arts and basketball.
"It's about having the fundamental skills available so you can react in any situation," Bryant said. "It seems Bruce Lee has nothing to do with basketball. To me it has everything to do with basketball. There are a lot of similarities."
"By doing so, no one knows what you are going to do next, therefore, they don't know how to fight back. I've been working hard to infuse his principles of utility, agility, speed and efficiency to my own training."
Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady reconnected after retiring from the NBA
Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady drifted apart when they both became NBA superstars for the LA Lakers and Orlando Magic, respectively. Bryant became one of the best players of his generation and a five-time champ, while McGrady evolved into a legendary scorer.
When both players retired from the league, they reconnected and became good friends again. One of the main reasons for their reconnection is family. In an interview with ESPN, McGrady remembered Kobe and his daughter Gigi days after their unfortunate deaths.
"Our relationship kinda got lost because of his mindset and what he was trying to accomplish," McGrady said. "I was over here and we go and play our careers. Here we are, we have kids and we're reunited through AAU basketball because of our kids. We're coaching out kids and that connection, just reconnecting with him bringing back those old memories."
"She was special. She was built like Kobe. Just to watch her play was like watching a young Kobe."
An emotional Tracy McGrady remembers Gigi, and reconnecting with Kobe through their kids. https://t.co/7a1RVJxlwa