Kobe Bryant spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships, earning 18 All-Star Game selections and setting numerous records along the way.
Bryant was known for his fierce competitiveness and desire to win at all costs, inspiring an endless amount of athletes across multiple sports.
He famously made two clutch free throws after tearing his Achilles tendon in the Lakers’ 118-116 win over the Golden State Warriors on April 12, 2013, that pushed them into the playoffs.
NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins recalled talking to Bryant after his final game in Atlanta and told him that he is the closest player to Michael Jordan, via the “All The Smoke” podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson:
“I love Kobe. Kobe’s an old-school throwback with a new-school twist. I remember when he was leaving his last game in Atlanta, and I went in the locker room afterward. I said, ‘Man, I loved the way you played the game, you never made excuses, you played hurt. You’re the last of our kind. When you leave, the last of our kind leaves with it.’ And he looked at me, he said, ‘Man, that really means a lot coming from you because a lot of the legends have told me that.’ I said, ‘It’s true, man. I mean, you played really on a bad Achilles, which, nobody’s gonna do that.’ He’s the closest, to me, as a Michael-like player ever.”
Wilkins played 12 of his 15 NBA seasons with the Atlanta Hawks and was part of the same era as Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to six championships during the 1990s.
Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest player in NBA history, so for Wilkins to compare Bryant to him speaks volumes. Some have even gone as far as deeming Bryant the GOAT, while others believe current Lakers star LeBron James deserves the title.
Either way, it is clear that Bryant separated himself as one of the most impressive players to ever step foot on a basketball court, both for his accomplishments and commitment to always get better.
Bears rookie Caleb Williams uses Kobe Bryant as inspiration
As the 2024 NFL season kicks off this week, Chicago Bears rookie quarterback and former USC star Caleb Williams recently said that he took inspiration from Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s ‘Muse’ documentary to improve his game.
Bryant continues to have a big impact on athletes today, not just in the basketball world.
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