During Kobe Bryant's public memorial at Staples Center earlier this year, Michael Jordan gave a moving eulogy about his “little brother.”
By now, most basketball fans know that Jordan and Bryant had a very close relationship. Kobe basically copied everything that Jordan did on the court and tried to emulate his game as much as he could.
Once during a game at the United Center, Bryant asked Jordan how to shoot his patented fadeaway jumper. Now normally, Jordan wouldn't talk to his opponents during games unless it was some sort of trash talk. However, “His Airness” could sense that Kobe had a thirst for wanting to get better and learning, something MJ could appreciate since that's what he was like as a youngster in the NBA.
Not only did Jordan give Bryant advice on the fadeaway jumper, but the six-time champion also told a young Mamba to give him a call whenever he needed advice. Jordan was Bryant's “big brother” and their relationship took off after that game when Bryant asked for MJ's help.
Bryant was a magnet around Jordan. He wanted to do everything like his childhood idol and MJ had no problem mentoring him because he could see the passion and drive the kid had.
When Jordan gave Bryant his phone number, Tim Grover — Jordan's legendary trainer — knew that really meant something.
“You had to earn the right to have that conversation,” Grover said, via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “So with Kobe, Michael would have not taken the next call if he didn't see something in him.”
A case can be made that Jordan and Bryant are two of the most competitive individuals you'll ever find. During his Kobe eulogy, Jordan talked about the time he was visiting Phil Jackson and Bryant came over and asked MJ if he “brought his shoes.” Kobe was always trying to measure himself up to Jordan and that's something that made MJ happy. He was proud that someone was inspired by the way he played and wanted to play hard just like him.
During Jordan's “The Last Dance” docuseries, Bryant said he wouldn't have won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers without Jordan's guidance. Kobe also said he hated when fans would say he could beat MJ in his prime. The Black Mamba said, “What you get from me is from him.”
Jordan couldn't stop crying during his speech at Bryant's eulogy because he felt like he had lost a family member. In classic MJ fashion, though, the Chicago Bulls legend was able to get some laughs out of people when he spoke about Bryant's late-night texts.
“He used to call me, text me 11:30, 2:30, 3 in the morning,” Jordan said. “At first, it was an aggravation, but then it turned into a certain passion. This kid had passion like you would never know.”
Jordan finished his powerful speech by saying Bryant actually inspired him to be a better father and husband.
After he retired from basketball, Kobe put all his time and effort into his daughters, something MJ said really moved him.
“I can't wait to get home to become a girl dad and to hug them and to see the love and the smiles that they bring to us as parents. He taught me that just by looking at this tonight, looking at how he responded and reacted with the people that he actually loved. These are the things that we will continue to learn from Kobe Bryant.”
Jordan and Bryant will forever be linked. They are the best shooting guards in NBA history and their competitive drive may never be matched again.
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