Kobe Bryant Hated When Fans Would Say He Would Beat Michael Jordan 1-On-1: ‘What You Get From Me Is From Him’

The late great Kobe Bryant had a very close relationship with Michael Jordan. The two NBA legends were “brothers,” which is why Jordan was devastated when Bryant tragically passed away in 2020. 

Jordan and Bryant are universally recognized as the two best shooting guards in NBA history. When Bryant was alive, Los Angeles Lakers fans routinely told him that he would beat Jordan one-on-one, a statement Bryant didn’t like hearing. 

“I truly hate having discussions about who would win one-on-one,” Bryant said in Episode 5 of The Last Dance docuseries. “And fans saying, ‘Kobe, you’d beat Michael one-on-one.’ And I feel like, ‘Yo, what you get from me is from him.’ I don’t get five championships here without him ’cause he guided me so much and he gave me so much great advice.”

Jordan and Bryant are two of the greatest players and scorers in NBA history. Jordan was in tears while speaking at Bryant’s public memorial in Los Angeles in 2020. He said he lost his little brother. 

Jordan and Bryant combined to win 11 championships, eight Finals MVPs, six MVPs and 12 scoring titles. Bryant is fourth in NBA history in points, while Jordan is fifth. 

Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks in 1,346 games with the Lakers, while Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks with the Bulls and Washington Wizards.

Kobe was an 18-time All-Star, a five-time champion, a four-time All-Star Game MVP, a two-time Finals MVP, a two-time scoring champion, a 15-time All-NBA Team member, a 12-time All-Defensive Team member and the 2007-08 MVP.

Meanwhile, Jordan won five MVPs, 10 scoring titles, six championships and six Finals MVPs with the Bulls. He made 14 All-Star teams, 11 All-NBA teams and nine All-NBA Defensive teams. MJ also won three All-Star Game MVPs. 

The basketball world will never be the same again with Bryant gone. However, his legacy lives on forever.