Watch: Kyrie Irving picks Kobe Bryant over 2 1990s NBA legends in "This or That" trend
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving chose his former mentor Kobe Bryant over other Hall of Famers in a "This or That" video hosted by an eight-time Emmy Award-winning sports reporter Pedro Silva.
Irving has consistently expressed how much the “Black Mamba” influenced him, and his admiration was evident when he selected Bryant over legendary players such as Larry Bird and Michael Jordan in a video with Pedro Silva.
Irving was first asked to pick between Tim Duncan and Charles Barkley, and he opted for Duncan. When asked to choose between Bryant and Duncan, he went with Bryant.
Irving continued to pick Bryant even when he was up against fellow LA Lakers icon Shaquille O’Neal and era-defining players in Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and Boston Celtics great Larry Bird.
It was only until Bryant was pitted against Wilt Chamberlain that he did not pick his mentor and went with Wilt the Stilt.
Before the NBA Finals last season, Irving opened up about the impact of losing Bryant as a mentor.
“I don’t know if anyone here has ever lost a mentor or someone older who meant something to them," Kyrie Irving said. "Even if you didn’t talk every day, there was still that connection that they would always be there for you.”
“It wasn’t just him; it was his family as well. They supported me unconditionally, and I miss him every single day, just like the rest of the world and all the Kobe supporters."
Kyrie Irving calls Kobe Bryant the 'fiercest' person he has ever met
In 2020, while still a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving described Kobe Bryant as the “fiercest” individual he had ever encountered.
“[Y]ou sit down and talk to him and it’s just like this dude is the fiercest, warrior-looking person that I’ve ever been around. But as a person, he’s the same way,” Kyrie Irving said (per Forbes).
However, what deepened Irving’s respect for Bryant was his commitment to being a family man off the court.
“And I could respect somebody like that, that also a the root of it, at the foundation, was how he took care of his family. All kidding aside, when I was a kid and growing up into a man, what I appreciated more is how he took care of his family and then how he went about his business.”
Bryant and his daughter Gigi tragically died in a helicopter crash en route to Gianna’s basketball game at his Mamba Sports Academy, when the helicopter crashed into a hillside due to fog, killing everyone on board.
Bryant, who won five NBA championships in his 20-year career with the Lakers, had an extensive basketball resume. He was an 18-time NBA All-Star, winning four All-Star MVP awards and claiming the league MVP title in 2008.