Michael Jordan was a highly skilled basketball player. But perhaps his best trait was his competitive resolve. No matter what challenge he faced, Jordan seemingly always rose to the challenge.
Jordan, proud of his own legacy, is also slow to directly and deeply compliment other players.
But for Kobe Bryant, Jordan makes an exception.
Jordan, via Jackie MacMullan of ESPN:
“He was a mentally tough kid, maybe even tougher than I was,” Jordan says. “Remember, the people who followed me, my fans, didn’t like that he was trying to copy what I had done.”
Bryant was incredibly mentally tough. But to hear Jordan put it like that is really something. As a fellow all-time great and Bryant’s idol, Jordan has a unique perspective on his late friend.
I’m now even more eager to watch Jordan present Bryant at the Hall of Fame enshrinement.
