Watch: Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant go head-to-head at the 1998 All-Star game, 24 years ago today
Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, two of the biggest names in NBA history, were beyond competitive. Their drive to win and to excel distinguished them from others right from the start of their careers. The magnitude of their success is no secret, nor is their impact on the league and the sport.
But what started as Kobe Bryant's admiration for his idol, Michael Jordan, turned into a full-blown rivalry once the Black Mamba joined the league. On this day in 1998, the two clashed during the All-Star game for the entire world to see.
A video of their battle can be seen below:
Kobe vs. MJ 🐐
24 years ago today, the two went head-to-head in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game 🔥 https://t.co/tIvoAIhJ1i
On February 8th, 1998, the Eastern Conference stars clashed with the Western Conference stars. The game saw an aging Jordan, the face of the NBA's past, battle Bryant, the future NBA icon.
For the entirety of the game, Bryant guarded Jordan like a bloodhound, never leaving his side on defense. However, Jordan was too much for the young Laker.
Michael Jordan led the East to victory (135-114) and scored a game-high 23 points. He also registered 8 assists and 6 rebounds. Other stars on his team included reggie-miller" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Reggie Miller, Shawn Kemp, Penny Hardaway, and Dikembe Mutombo.
Meanwhile, the West team featured players such as Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, and Jason Kidd.
19-year-old Kobe Bryant, appearing in his first All-Star game, led his conference in scoring by registering 18 points. He was also the game's second highest scorer. However, Jordan took home the MVP award that night.
Kobe Bryant famously patterned his game around Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant came into the league and quickly established himself as a talent to look out for. His raw athleticism and unbound confidence made him lethal, as well as exciting to watch. But as his career progressed, Kobe began to showcase a jordanesque style of play.
24 years ago today, KOBE BRYANT vs MICHAEL JORDAN at the 1998 #NBAAllStar Game!
19-year-old Kobe was the youngest All-Star starter in NBA history & this was MJ's last All-Star game before his 2nd retirement. https://t.co/TjRBjuNtMR
His footwork, his post-up game, and his fadeaway jumper all looked uncannily similar to Michael Jordan's. But the truth is that even though the Black Mamba patterned his game after Jordan's, he imbued skills from many greats.
There were also hints of Elgin Baylor in his interior game and he learned footwork from Hakeem Olajuwon.
Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller's story about Kobe Bryant nicknaming himself the Caramel Cat perfectly captures how the late legend felt about Michael Jordan. While mourning Kobe's death on NBA on TNT, Reggie shared the story.
“Well, our conversation turned to text messages and phone calls every day because he was gathering information. We all know he wanted to be bigger than life and at that time the person was bigger than life and still is Michael Jordan. MJ and I were still in the middle of our heated moments. I didn’t have strong a relationship with MJ, but Kobe wanted to know what the intricate talking, trash-talking, and moves going on between MJ and I."
“I always referred to Michael as the black cat and I am saying the black cat is doing this and I am talking to Kobe. He was so quiet on the phone. I am like ‘Kobe?’ He’s was like ‘You know what you’re going to refer to me as the caramel cat'”