Kobe Bryant was different. In addition to Michael Jordan, NBA players have never gained more respect from their competitors.
Bryant’s best position Previous players It can be argued, but no one can argue about the legacy he left behind.
Young people around the world can take inspiration from the “mamba mentality” and make themselves better in court.
Former NBA player Cuttino Mobley recently shared a story about Kobe, which fully encapsulates Kobe’s competitiveness.
Mobley grew up in Pennsylvania at the same time, but the pair often work together as they aimed to create the NBA.
However, the former Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers guard shared that Bryant abandoned him to train alone.
“At this time we were working out in the gym there, so we were at St. Joseph’s University,” Cattino said.
“After a while he didn’t exercise with us, he went to the other part where there was a small gym.
“There was a small window and he tapes the window and locks the door, so I didn’t know what he was doing.
Cattino then explained how Bryant treats him differently before each other’s games after he reaches the NBA.
“Then when I get to the pros, he always encourages me,” he added. “He would always tell me, ‘kill me and be aggressive.’
“Then I started to get better and better, and you’ll notice when I was about to play him, as we stopped talking that week.
“We didn’t talk that week, and after we finished playing, we got back to the conversation.”
These stories summarise the Kobe mentality into a tee. He didn’t want to give up on the competitors, even if they were close friends.
Kobe’s former teammate, Shaquille O’Neal, recently shared some of the best players in NBA history. Here is the complete list:
- Michael Jordan
- Kobe Bryant
- LeBron James
- Magic Johnson
- Bill Russell
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Rally Bird
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- Tim Duncan
- Julius’s Dr. J’erving
Shaq ranked Jordan number one, as most people do, and chose Kobe as second to LeBron James.
James definitely has a better statistical resume, but many players are leaning towards Kobe because of the way they threatened them as teammates and opponents.
The most notable exclusion from Shaq’s list was Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry and himself. Hakeem Olajuwon is not often ranked above O’Neal.