Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant created a deep bond since the Black Mamba arrived in the NBA back in 1996. He was ready to make a statement in the league and even though he struggled in his first seasons, His Airness saw something in him.
As soon as he had the chance, the then young 5x NBA champion started balling, becoming a big figure on the Los Angeles Lakers roster. In the process, he became MJ’s protegee, developing a great relationship until the day Kobe left this world.
Michael Wilbon, a legendary reporter and Jordan’s good friend, recently talked about the relationship between the pair, explaining that the late Lakers legend was always trying to taunt his “big brother” whenever he had the chance.
Michael Wilbon details the goofy relationship between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan
During a recent appearance on ESPN’s Get Up!, Wilbon talked about the good relationship these two had. Contrary to what they often did on the court, the reporter said that Kobe really cared about the GOAT.
“People just didn’t understand the kind of relationship they had. I got a glimpse of that as some of that played out here in Washington when Michael was with the Wizards as both an executive and a player,” said Wilbon.
“Kobe would often just drift over when he saw me and I’d get an elbow in the ribs and he would lean over when nobody else could hear and just say, ‘How would the old man have done tonight? How would your boy have done tonight?’… It was so funny it would happen periodically.”
They were really close, as Jordan revealed during Kobe’s memorial service last year. He called him his little brother in a very touching homage for the 2x Finals MVP. You could see that Kobe earned his respect from a very young age and they were exactly that, a pair of brothers.
