Micheal Jordan is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time. MJ won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. He led the Bulls to decade-long domination in the NBA, making them one of the greatest teams ever in history. However, the Ghost of Chicago has been questioned throughout his career for his attitude. Many people consider him a fierce leader who would do anything to win. And haters have accused him of being toxic in order to achieve greatness. However, NBA legend Kobe Bryant condemned the myths surrounding Micheal Jordan’s self-centered personality.
Back in 2004, Kobe Bryant selected the Lakers over the Clippers after joining the franchise in 1996 at the age of 18. During a press conference at the Lakers training facility, Bryant shared how Micheal Jordan mentored him to be a better player and a leader. The Lakers legend revealed how MJ offered his guidance to Kobe during the early days of his career.
The five-time NBA champ found Jordan extremely open about having a mentor relationship. Micheal gave Kobe a great amount of insight into detail, strategies, workout regimes, and more important things. Bryant added, “So, seriously, I don’t think people really understand the amount of impact he’s had on me as a player and as a leader.”
Micheal Jordan Helped Kobe Become A Better Defender
His Airness did help Kobe with his game by teaching him to contain bigger players on the basketball court. As per several reports, Bryant reached out to MJ about tips to become a strong defender like Jordan. The 14-time All-Star was happy to help and gave a young Kobe some tips on containing bigger players from scoring. Bryant opened up about Micheal Jordan’s contribution after the season. The five-time NBA champ told that Jordan helped him with fundamental things. Kobe explained that MJ had learned some crucial things under the guidance of Dean Smith in Carolina, which Bryant never had. The late Lakers player told in 2004, “Speaking To MJ was like getting my own college education at the highest level.”
Kobe remained with the Los Angeles Lakers his whole career from 1996 to 2016. Unfortunately, in January 2020, the Hall of Famer died with his daughter Gianna during a helicopter crash in California.
Thus, it does not matter what people think about the legend Micheal Jordan. MJ’s contribution to basketball, the league, and the world of sport cannot be forgotten. He has helped Kobe Bryant and a lot of aspiring players to become better performers, and he continues to be a massive part of the NBA world.