Greatness will recognize greatness. Kobe Bryant is undoubtedly one of the great ones. Kyrie Irving is showing that he has the potential to be one of the great ones. Kyrie revealed that he facetimed Kobe Bryant after he helped the Cavs win the NBA Finals, according to Jeffrey Eisenband from ThePostGame.
I actually FaceTimed Kobe after the game as soon as I got in the locker room. Other than seeing my dad and my sister right after we won,FaceTiming him was just a great thing, knowing how he has won five and I just won my first. Then realizing how hard it is just to win one, my respect for him is already high, but it went to another level knowing that he’s got five of them. I’m trying to get a second one.
Kyrie’s game 7 winning 3-pointer was very reminiscent of a Kobe game winner, so it’s natural that the two share a bond. Even though LeBron James is on the same team as Kyrie, there were often whispers in the past that the two didn’t share a good relationship. Maybe Bryant was the voice Kyrie needed through all the speculation. Either way, Bryant’s words to Kyrie throughout the season definitely seemed to be a great help to Finals star.
[Bryant] was telling me congrats. I had been speaking to him throughout the entire playoffs and during the season. During the Finals, we didn’t really talk as much, because for me, I wanted to experience it full on, and if I needed his help, I would reach out to him. He would send me some texts here and there, but mainly he kind of let me be, and let me grow into my own space.
Who would’ve ever thought that grumpy Kobe would one day be a mentor. Some of the younger guys on the Lakers squad might’ve benefited from this side of the Mamba had they considered embracing him the way Irving clearly has.