Who gave Kobe Bryant the most problems? Lesser known details about the Black Mamba's nemesis
In the illustrious career of Kobe Bryant, he faced off against the greatest defenders the NBA has ever seen. However, one name stands out as the "Kobe Stopper," and that is Tony Allen. Known for his tenacity and ability to read offensive players' movements, Allen can guard even the most elite players in the league.
Being the defensive juggernaut that he is, Allen's ability to make life hard for the best players in the league has been acknowledged even by the Black Mamba.
"I know what to do and he knows how to guard me. It's just a matter of who can get the better of who consistently. There will be possessions where he does a phenomenal job. There will be possessions where I abuse him. It's a fun battle to see," said Bryant to Sportskeeda's Mark Medina, who was with the LA Daily News back in 2015.
Allen played for 14 seasons in the NBA and even won a championship with Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce with the Boston Celtics back in 2008. His career averages were 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game.
Despite lacking the skills to be a huge threat in offense, Bryant knows his real work is on the defensive end. Allen even got the recognition by the league and was part of an All-NBA defensive team six times from 2011-2017.
"He's fundamentally sound defensively and he plays harder than everybody else defensively. He has a competitive desire to compete individually. That's very uncommon. Most defensive players I face want help all the time. I've never heard him ask for help. He likes taking the challenge," Bryant added.
WATCH: Tony Allen recalls his battles with Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant sees Tracy McGrady as the player who gave him the most problems when he played defense
While Tony Allen was the best defender to challenge Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady gets the nod from the five-time NBA champion as the player with whom he had the most problems while on defense.
"There's a lot of guys but the guy that always gave me the most problems, actually was Tracy McGrady. He had all the skills and all the athleticism, but he was 6-foot-9 and he was really tough to figure out," said Bryant in a report by Fadeaway World.
In his NBA career, Tracy McGrady was a seven-time NBA All-Star and a two-time scoring champion. In the 2002-03 season, he had his highest scoring average with 32.1 points while also doing 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
WATCH: Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant talks about going against each other