Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant had one of the best turn-around jumpers in NBA history, and he got it from his “big brother,” Michael Jordan.
Bryant played a prominent role in Episode 5 of ESPN's docu-series, “The Last Dance,” on Sunday night. The episode dove into Kobe's relationship with Jordan, who became a mentor to Bryant.
The Lakers great spoke about one moment in particular, when he asked MJ about the turn-around jumper and, in exchange, received a big brother figure:
“I had a question about [MJ’s] turn-around shot so I asked him about it,” Bryant said. “He gave me a great detailed answer and on top of that he said if you need anything give me a call. It’s like my big brother.”
Bryant took plenty of notes when it came to Jordan's scoring abilities, incorporating many of those methods into his own game on his way to superstardom.
In fact, Bryant told Howard Beck of Bleacher Report he copied Jordan's fadeaway after watching then-Toronto Raptors star DeMar DeRozan hit a game-winner against the New York Knicks.
“It was a carbon copy of my stop-pivot-turn-fade, which I learned from Michael,” Bryant tells B/R Mag. “I mean, it was just amazing to see that.”
The truth can now be told: Yes, Kobe Bryant says, he did copy Jordan—”Damn near 100 percent of the technique,” he says. “Damn near 100 percent”—and Bryant in turn became the living example for his young peers, a conduit from the NBA's greatest of all time to a new generation of stars.
Of course, Jordan was more than happy Bryant took up his mantle.
Jordan has gushed about Bryant, the basketball player, over the years, but basketball fans learned a little more about their relationship in the wake of Bryant's tragic death in January.
Jordan eulogized Kobe at his memorial service in February, calling him a “little brother,” and speaking about Kobe the father.
Both players valued each other as basketball savants, but Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant also had a deeper connection that transcended basketball.
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