Kobe Bryant admitted having felt Michael Jordan when he saw him for the first time play: “I don’t like this kid because the magic was my guy”
In the summer of 1984, a young boy who would be six years old in August of the same year was captivated by a television program. The screen featured the newly formed American team playing a series of exhibition matches against professional opponents as part of their preparation for the Olympic Home Games.
Roland Lazenby, author of the acclaimed biography “Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant”, explains that these games were simply designed as warm -ups for the American team against professional players. However, for the young spectator who looks, this event has become a decisive moment.
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It was during these shows that the boy, who would one day become the legend of basketball Kobe Bryant, first noted Michael Jordan, a moment that would deeply influence his future on hardwood.
Kobe basketball passion
At that time, many things happened in the life of Young Bryant. Shortly before these memorable melee, his parents had decided to move from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Europe.
Eager to start a new chapter, the family sought to settle in Rieti, a calm city of the center of Italy. There, Kobe’s father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, wanted to continue his professional basketball career after eight seasons in the NBA.
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However, Kobe did not want to fail to look at the melee of Team USA. The greatest reason was Magic Johnson, a star of this team who had just finished third in the MVP voting a few months earlier.
Lazenby’s book in 2016 repeatedly mentions how much the young Kobe admired the legend of the Los Angeles Lakers growing up.
For example, Bryant Sr., who died in July 2024 after undergoing a major stroke, explained how he took his son to the Lakers matches and presented him to the players. These experiences were crucial to shape Kobe’s admiration for magic – the player that his father also respected.
Lazenby wrote that Johnson, often considered the biggest playmaker in the history of the NBA, ultimately became the “undisputed star” In the cleaning of Bryant during these years.
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The “Black Mamba” himself remembered how much he admired the Lakers leader at the time.
“I wanted to see magic. Just the enthusiasm he had to play the game. He loved playing, you could say it. Besides, his passes before driving me crazy,” noted the most useful 2008 player.
Related: “You have seen how he broke down emotionally” – BJ Armstrong admits that Michael Jordan sometimes felt that his own style of leadership was too intense
Mike amazed a young Kobe
While Bryant was originally concentrated on the legend of the Lakers during this television scrum, an unexpected newcomer stole the show – Jordan, freshly released from his third and last season in North Carolina and soon the number one choice of the 1944 NBA draft.
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The “Black Mamba” remembered when his goal moved. During a game, MJ ran on the field during a quick break, exceeded the magic and soaked forcefully on him. This decision was so impressive that she left the young spectator amazed.
“This guy dribbles on the fast break and took off – I think it was on magic – and has doned and exceeded magic. It is not supposed to happen. Who was this child?” Kobe recalled his reaction.
At the start, Bean experienced a whirlwind of emotions. Looking at his extra idol triggered a complex mixture of frustration and a touch of envy in the young athlete who would ultimately become a champion of the NBA.
“I don’t like this kid because magic was my guy,” Admitted the “Black Mamba”, adding that he believed that it was the first time that he had seen “his Airness” play.
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Despite the initial bitterness, Bryant’s aversion to Jordan has masked a hidden form of respect.
In this case, Kobe’s feelings probably reflected a tacit admiration for the extraordinary talent and composure of Michael, in particular since the 1982 NCAA champion with the Tar Heels – more precisely, dominant – against well -known stars of the NBA like Johnson.
The “Black Mamba” against “his Airness”
While Team USA, featuring the future temple of renown Jordan and Johnson, won Olympic gold shortly after at the Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games, a young Bryant quietly perforated his skills abroad in Europe – and with impressive success.
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Despite his youth, Kobe, who also played football, quickly stood out as a talented basketball player. He often competed against older and more experienced opponents and always made a strong impression.
Quick advance until December 17, 1996 – about twelve years after Bryant saw Jordan playing for the first time, and the two clashed in an NBA court for the first time.
In an exciting victory in overtime for the Chicago Bulls, Jordan scored 30 points and made great performance. Meanwhile, the Kobe recruit, still finding its place with the Lakers after being chosen 13th in the general classification by the Charlotte Hornets, only scored five points in its 10 minutes of the bench.
During the following seasons, the two clashed several times in regular season matches but never in the playoffs. Their last meeting occurred during the 2002-03 campaign. In the end, Bryant finished with an 8-3 face to face record against Jordan.
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It is important to note that during several of these confrontations, Kobe entered his peak just, while Mike had already exceeded the top of his legendary career, which included six NBA championships, six MVP finals, five regular season MVPs, 14 entirely star appearances and 10 record titles.
Related: Kobe Bryant gathered his first screening gang at nine: “I had to wait for the bands. I was waiting for the mail guy to drop them off”
