It’s no secret that Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan have great respect and adoration for each other. Bryant is 128 pts shy of passing Jordan for third on the all time scorers list, but Jordan himself always gives Kobe high praise. Kobe’s closeness to MJ has grown into something more than just sports. Kobe says it’s more like family at this point.
“We hit it off very well. He was really like a big brother, and whether it’s because we see things in a similar way in terms of our competitive spirit or fire or whatever the case may be, there’s an understanding that we have—a connection that we have.
“I don’t know if he opened up with me more than he did with other players, I’m not sure. I don’t know if other players had the balls even to ask. But we have a really, really good relationship.”
When Jordan was asked about who he would like to play against in everyone’s prime, he mentioned a few standout names, such as LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Carmelo Anthony and, of course, Kobe. However, the only one he stopped to say he could possibly lose to was Kobe.
[h/t Bleacher Report]