Along with Michael Jordan, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is considered by many as one of the greatest of all time. While Kobe idolized MJ growing up, it was actually another NBA legend that Bryant wanted to emulate in his own game.

Jan. 26, 2021 marks the first anniversary of Kobe's untimely passing, and for former teammate Robert Horry, it was an opportunity to honor the fallen legend. In a recent appearance on ESPN's The Jump, Horry revealed how the only thing Bryant was interested in when they first spoke was none other than the great Hakeem Olajuwon:

According to Horry, Kobe was completely fixated on Olajuwon's unbridled footwork:

“The first thing out of his mouth was ‘tell me about Dream’s (Olajuwon’s) footwork,’” Horry said (h/t Omar Josef Guerrero of sportskeeda). “I’m like, ‘I’m doing all right. Thanks for asking,’ you know, but it was just that. He wanted to get better. He wanted to learn from the guy that had the best footwork in the game and that’s just who he was.”

Prior to joining the Lakers, Horry spent four years with the Houston Rockets. It was during this time that he had the privilege to play alongside and learn from one of the all-time greats in Olajuwon. As it turns out, Kobe considered this to be one of Horry's biggest assets.

This may be the first time we've heard about Bryant's incessant obsession with Olajuwon's game, but this no longer comes as a surprise. As Horry expressed above, Kobe had a work ethic like no other and his desire to be great was second to none.

Rest in peace, Mamba.