"Goat" - Boris Becker reacts to NBA legend Michael Jordan breaking down in tears talking about the late Kobe Bryant
Boris Becker recently reacted to NBA legend Michael Jordan breaking down in tears while talking about Kobe Bryant after his untimely death in a helicopter crash in California in 2020.
Bryant, who patterned parts of his game after Jordan, faced him eight times during his career. In one of their most memorable games, Bryant scored 33 points and Jordan had 36 in December 1997.
Bryant scored 55 points against Jordan in their last meeting in 2003. The basketball legend announced his retirement for the third and final time at the end of the season.
Jordan attended a memorial service in 2020 after Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna Bryant, died and spoke about their sibling-like relationship. He claimed that Bryant would contact him at odd hours to discuss post-up moves and footwork.
"He used to call me, text me, 11:30, 2:30, 3 o'clock in the morning, talking about post-up moves, footwork, and sometimes, the triangle," Jordan said.
"This kid had passion like you would never know. It's an amazing thing about passion. If you love something, if you have a strong passion for something, you would go to the extreme to try to understand or try to get it," he added.
The 60-year-old also stated that as he became more acquainted with Bryant, he wished to be his "best big brother."
"What Kobe Bryant was to me was the inspiration that someone truly cared about the way either I played the game or the way that he wanted to play the game. He wanted to be the best basketball player that he could be. And as I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be," he said.
Becker reacted to Jordan's heartfelt words about Bryant on his Instagram story, writing:
"The Goat MJ."
A documentary based on Boris Becker's life and career is set to release in April 2023
An Apple TV+ documentary about Boris Becker's life and career will be released in April 2023. The documentary "Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker" will explore the life of the German tennis legend who became a tennis sensation when he won the first of his six majors at the age of 17. Becker went on to have a glittering career that included 49 career titles and an Olympic gold medal.
Becker expressed his excitement about the announcement of the worldwide release date of the documentary, writing:
"Game, Set and Action. I'm looking forward to the Apple TV+ Documentary 'Boom! Boom! The world vs. Boris Becker' launching on Friday 7th April @appletvplus."