Tyronn Lue reflects on Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant’s work ethic: “Doug Collins tried to kick him off the floor”
Stories of Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant have served as mediums to keep their unmatched legacies alive.
Michael Jordan, a six-time NBA champion and by most accounts, the greatest basketball player to have ever played, and Kobe Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, had a lot more in common than just their game.
Both Bryant and Jordan's work ethic are highly regarded in the league and are often deemed key predecessors to their success in the NBA.
Several memorable practice stories have surfaced since their retirement, and one such story came from former NBA player and LA Clippers coach, Tyronn Lue.
On JJ Redick's "The Old Man and the Three" podcast, Lue spoke about Jordan and Kobe's work ethic:
"Just seeing Kobe and the work he put in every single day, he was 19-20 years old when I was on the team, having a routine and coming in at 7:00 o'clock in the morning before everybody got there.
"Get his lift in, get his workout in and then come in and be full speed in practice like a lot of guys think ohh, I can't practice. I gotta play."
Lue added:
"Like, no, like Michael Jordan at 40 practice every single day. Doug Collins tried to kick him off the floor. He wouldn't leave."
"The same thing with Kobe. Like, OK, you put the work in individually but also covering the practice and then playing 40 minutes in every game like that's a lot. Thats what the greats do."
How would have Michael Jordan vs Kobe Bryant's matchup fared?
Kobe Bryant is touted to be the closest player to Michael Jordan, and nobody, at least according to Shaquille O'Neal, comes close to Bryant.
However, because Kobe came into the league on the backend of Jordan's career, Bryant and Jordan hardly ever matched up, and nothing much could be gleaned from those match-ups, seeing as Jordan was in late 30s entering his 40s, and Bryant was spry in his early 20s.
The hypothetical of Bryant and Kobe going at it is too good not to speculate on. For starters, they both play the same position at shooting-guard, both are listed at 6-foot-6, and both are incredible two-way players with unmatched offensive capabilities.
We can only look at the stats, but another hurdle in such an assessment is what to look at. Kobe and Michael both had extended primes, and were great for a very large part of their careers. There is a very strong argument for both of these players primed to have lasted for a decade or so.
For instance, looking at stats between 1986-87 and 1997-98, Michael Jordan had an offensive rating of 121 and a defensive rating of 102, and Bryant, between 2001-02 and 2009-10 had an offensive rating of 113 and and a defensive rating of 105.
Jordan cleared Bryant in both offense and defense. Of the eight games the two matched up against, Bryant had more wins (he also had a prime Shaquille O'Neal). However, even nearing the age of 40, Jordan averaged 24.5/4.3/3/6 against Kobe.
Kobe averaged 22.5 points in those eight games, however, those numbers are a bit inflated when you consider that in his final game against Michael, Bryant scored a staggering 55 points, which meant Kobe was averaging around 18 points per game in the seven games prior.
So, while Kobe did come close, Michael Jordan will forever remain a one-of-one.