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Kobe Bryant debunks the narrative that he became an awesome player just by studying Michael Jordan: "That's just not true"

Kobe set the record straight.

Stephen Beslic

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The late great Kobe Bryant was a student of the game, voraciously studying the moves and techniques of his predecessors, including His Airness, Michael Jordan. Although “The Black Mamba” was widely recognized as the closest thing to Jordan himself on the court, Bryant has always been quick to point out that he didn't just copy Jordan’s style and become an instant superstar.

Insane work ethic

Known for his legendary work ethic and dedication to this craft, Kobe often drew comparisons to Jordan during his career. However, he credits much more than just studying film of the Chicago Bulls star for his own greatness.

"The thing that I always bristled at was the notion that I learned everything that I know from Michael. That's just not true,” Kobe said in an interview with Bleacher Report back in 2014.

“Hakeem Olajuwon deserves a lot of credit; Jerry West deserves a lot of credit. Oscar Robertson deserves a lot of credit. I really was a student of the game and watched everybody."

Bryant added that as much as he loved MJ’s game, it was his relentless aggression that stood out.

"Aggression. It's not one game or one play, in particular; it's just his aggressiveness. It takes a lot of work, a lot of conditioning, skill and thought to be that aggressive and that assertive. He was relentless, man. He just kept coming after you,” Kobe shared.

Respected the greats

Kobe entered the NBA during a time when the league still had some of the all-time greats: Jordan, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, John Stockton, etc. Kobe said he respected all of the greats that paved the way for him. At the same time, he wanted to learn from them and challenge them.

“At the time I came into the league, all the golden greats were still there—Clyde Drexler, [Hakeem] Olajuwon, [Charles] Barkley, [Gary] Payton, Anfernee Hardaway, John Stockton. These guys were still doing their thing. It was a huge honor for me to match up with all of these guys, see them up close,” Kobe remarked.

“I'm not scared of anybody. It's more curiosity and such a respect that I want to learn. I want to learn. I'm so curious to learn—still to this day. Just a constant learner. I'm not afraid to ask questions about things that I don't know. I'm not afraid to admit what I don't know. I'll ask questions and try to learn as much as I can.”

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Stephen Beslic
STEPHEN BESLIC

Stephen Beslic is a writer on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Stephen played basketball from the age of 10 and graduated from Faculty of Economic and Business in Zagreb, Croatia, majoring in Marketing.

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