If we often prefer to forget his period with the Wizards, Michael Jordan had not lost his tongue in the capital. In any case, he showed a lot of creativity to tackle Kobe Bryant. This is the friend Gilbert Arenas who tells what MJ slipped in the ear of his fan, who apparently did not appreciate much. And in general, it’s best not to piss off the Black Mamba.
In 2003, you didn’t have to be a great observer to see that Kobe Bryant was very inspired by Michael Jordan in his game. An assumed inspiration since Kobe always said that the number 23 was his idol. As a result, each confrontation between the two backs was highly anticipated. A little background before going into detail with a quick look at the summer of 2002.
Kobe paid 8 million dollars to get out of his contract with Adidas. But before being able to sign elsewhere, the Mamba had to wait one year. Free in the choice of his sneakers, Vino has worn a lot of Jordan 8 in 2002-03. And as a result, when the Lakers found the Wizards for the first time this season, Mike did not hesitate to let Kobe know that he did not appreciate seeing him in his sneakers. In his podcast No Chill, Gilbert Arenas reveals the phrase Jordan dropped on his fan.
« Jordan spanked him and said, ‘You can wear my shoes, but they’ll never fit you.' »
Basically a way of saying that Kobe can try to imitate him all he wants, he will never reach his level. That’s a real ego killer. According to Agent Zero, Kobe was so disgusted that he didn’t talk to his teammates for two weeks after the game. Touchy, the snake? Yes, very, but it’s rarely a good idea to get him too hot. Proof of this is that Kobe has the phrase in mind when he meets the Wizards and Jordan for the second time this season.
“Kobe Bryant was a f**king psycho”
Gilbert Arenas tells us the story of what led to @KobeBryant scoring 55 against MJ and the Wizards that night 😳 Mamba was a sicko. More stories 👇🏽
(FULL EPISODE): https://t.co/2E42bQnNVh https://t.co/RnvfN5NCwt pic.twitter.com/mF4FybxueB
— Ball Don’t Stop (@balldontstop) September 2, 2019
Apparently, in the Lakers locker room, everyone knew that number 8 was going to get back at them pretty bad. No trashtalking this time, but a demonstration under the nose of his idol. Result? 55 points on MJ’s mouth, for the last confrontation between the two legends, with a victory for the Lakers. Without any more grudge, Kobe takes his revenge, and he will later reaffirm all the admiration he has for the number 23, while the latter will also show all the respect he has for him. Big trashtalking, a huge performance and a ton of respect, in short, everything we love in basketball.
Kobe Bean Bryant effortlessly dropping 55 on the Goat’s head
In the words of Stephen A Smith…he’s a BAAAAAAAAAAD MAN! pic.twitter.com/9Wv8LeHysA
— Black Mamba 🐍🐐 (@KobeTakes) September 1, 2019
To be tackled badly by his idol of always, we know a lot of guys who would not have recovered from it. But Kobe is not part of this class, and when Michael Jordan wants to offend him, the Black Mamba replies on the court. Not enough to put him above the Bulls’ legend, but a nice way to show that Kobe is worth more than a failed copy of MJ.
