Kobe Bryant had a competitive nature that propelled him to unmatched greatness in the NBA cosmos. The Black Mamba was obsessed with Michael Jordan videos from a young age and wanted to learn more from the NBA legend in order to surpass him. His dedication came to fruition when he faced off against Jordan in the NBA in the 1996 Bulls vs Lakers game.
Despite being thoroughly outclassed by a peak MJ, Kobe stayed on track with his relentless pursuit of perfection and when he thought he had reached that point, he declared it boastfully. His former Lakers teammate, who had a front-row viewing of this gloating, reveals what Kobe actually said.
Lamar Odom reveals Kobe Bryant once declared his superiority over MJ
Talking about the inerasable moment of Kobe during the 2009-10 season recently on the LADE Podcast, Lamar Odom said, “We were on the bus one night, I think this was after he hit his ninth game-winner, against Milwaukee. [Kobe] came on the bus and in front of me and Phil, he was just like ‘Yo, I’m better than Mike.’ I said ‘What?!’ He said ‘Yo, I’m better than Mike.’ I was like ‘Bean, you’re going a long way with that.’ I was like ‘What, you’re better than Mike? That’s how you’re feeling?’ If he really said that, you know he felt it. He hit nine walk-offs that season.”
The 44-year-old emphasized Kobe’s incredible game-winning record, which made him come closer to fulfilling his dream of exceeding the Bulls greatness. The late legend had performed remarkably in the aforementioned season, which earned him the fifth championship ring along with the Finals MVP. Lamar Odom was his partner in crime and was there alongside Kobe during the Lakers repeat championship wins in 2009 and 2010.
Phil Jackson recalled Jordan approved of his comparison with Kobe Bryant
If there is one person who has seen Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant closely, then that is the legendary coach, Phil Jackson under whom both players excelled. The 11-time championship title-winning coach finally revealed what Michael Jordan said when Kobe was being compared to him.
In his book “From Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success,” Jackson described that both MJ and Jackson felt that Kobe was the only player who could be compared with the 6-time NBA Championship winner.
Being the best judge to answer the question of whether or not Kobe can be compared with Jordan, Jackson spilled that MJ had an eye on Kobe’s performance and that “Even Jordan has said that Kobe is the only player who can be compared to him, and I have to agree.”
That’s not it, Jordan further said that Kobe was capable of beating the 5-time NBA MVP if they went one-on-one, as the Mamba knew all his moves from constantly watching his videos and could easily anticipate. When His Airness approves of the comparison, there should not be any more questions about Kobe Bryant’s greatness and legendary legacy.
