"Coach, I promise you, I'll destroy him": Mike Krzyzewski once revealed reigning MVP Kobe Bryant's unusual request to guard Manu Ginóbili
Kobe Bryant was one of the most impactful two-way players in the league. Various anecdotes are associated with his drive to succeed on both ends of the floor and prove himself to all doubters.
On Old Man and the Three with J. J. Redick and Tommy Alter in 2020, legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, or Coach K as popularly known, shared a story that lays bare Bryant's mentality to common lore.
On the podcast, the former coach of Team USA described an incident involving the late Bryant and a famous foe — Manu Ginobili. The Argentine had knocked out Team USA in the 2004 Olympic semi-finals, springing one of the biggest upsets of all time on the world stage.
As a result, he became one to be wary of, and his subsequent NBA exploits only added to Manu's notoriety in Team USA. Kobe Bryant was having none of that and wanted to guard Ginobili when Team USA was set to match up with Argentina again in 2008.
"Coach, I promise you. I'll destroy him," said Kobe Bryant, approaching the prospect of guarding Manu Ginobili according to Coach K.
"He and Jordan had the same eyes. They killed you," said Coach K, comparing Kobe with Michael Jordan
Coach K was an assistant coach for the 1992 "Dream Team" and had been in close proximity with His Airness. Later, Mike Krzyzewski went on to coach Kobe Bryant, who was considered the "Next Michael Jordan" at that time.
The duo had been compared over time, and if Coach K is to believe, there's good reason for it.
"His eyes. He and Jordan had the same eyes. They killed you with the eyes," spoke Coach K, comparing the two stars.
The competitor in Jordan would also have wanted to take responsibility for guarding the opposition's best player, especially when there was a score to settle. That same mentality, popularised as the "Mamba Mentality" by Bryant, was on full display in the late Lakers' demand to guard the best Argentine player as part of the Redeem Team in 2008.