LeBron James becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer has further sparked the debate of the greatest NBA player ever between him and Michael Jordan. But while those two are very different players, it is Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant who was so similar to Jordan.
It is no secret that Kobe idolized Jordan and implemented a lot of his moves into his game. The two were also built similarly from a physical standpoint and the skill level of each was truly at a different level and NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins isn’t sure everyone truly realizes just how great they really were.
Wilkins appeared on the Knuckleheads Podcast with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles and re-iterated the belief of many that Bryant is the closest thing to Jordan and that those who played against them really know, both from a skill standpoint as well as mentally:
“I think the closest thing to him was Kobe… People who played against Kobe, they know. If you haven’t played against either one of those guys, you don’t realize how good they really were. When you play against guys like that, and you know first-hand what they bring to the table, both of em was lethal. They were tryin’ to cut your throat. Man I ain’t tryin to play with you, I’m tryin to bust your ass.”
It is very rare in any sport that players have both an unparalleled skill set along with the mindset to destroy everyone on every single night, but that was the case with both Bryant and Jordan. And as Wilkins spoke about, it is one thing to witness it from a fan’s perspective just watching, but you get an entirely different experience when you are facing off with it firsthand.
The desire to be the best, and win over and over again is what drove Kobe and Jordan to their respective success and both will forever go down as two of the greatest to ever step foot on an NBA court. And thanks to players regularly telling these stories and reflecting on their greatness, that fact will never be forgotten.
Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb gets massive tattoo featuring Lakers legend Kobe Bryant
Even after his tragic passing, Bryant continues to inspire many people around the world and Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb recently paid his respect by featuring the Lakers legend as part of a huge tattoo across his back.
As part of the piece, a famous picture of Kobe biting his jersey is featured on Lamb’s right shoulder next to a picture of a black mamba. Lamb wanted images that symbolized the fight it takes to go from childhood to the NFL and Kobe Bryant and the mamba mentality undoubtedly signify that.
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