Reflecting on the statements of the 4x MVP, Williams unhesitantly agreed with the Akron-born. While sharing his perspective, the 37-year-old put the Black Mamba’s 2016 retirement tour under the limelight, pointing out how occasions of such gravity often impact the team and the NBA.

“You never know when it’s gonna end and I learned that from Kobe Bryant, right? ..We went from a team that was developing young talent in Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell, and those guys to, ‘Hey, this year is about Kobe. This is a farewell tour. Let’s just go out and play as best we can,'” the sports analyst mentioned.

Following this, the Tennessee-born discussed the frame of mind of the 20x All-Star, stating,

“So Bron, I think he is still in the mindset of thinking, ‘I don’t know when it’s gonna be over. I’m gonna compete at a high level as long as I can and once that day comes, I’ll cross that bridge, when I get there'”.

Is it impossible to predict when LeBron James will retire when he’s still playing at such a high level? pic.twitter.com/q1EfqAwJDf

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 20, 2024

Despite the retirement remaining inevitable, the Lakers star seemingly has plenty left in the tank. Therefore, his adopted stoic approach of living in the present and controlling the controllable stays a justified one. Upon viewing the entire scenario through that lens, the parallels between his and Bryant’s twilight days paint a nearly similar picture.

Should LeBron James retire soon?

Despite nearing the age of 40, the 2003 draft pick continues to operate at a high level. Last season, he averaged 28.9 points per game while registering 8.3 rebounds per game, and 6.8 assists per game. His endeavours resulted in the franchise qualifying for the Western Conference playoffs.

This season has been a repeat of it as James regained his status as a facilitator. Averaging a remarkable 34.9 minutes per game, he is recording a stat line of 24.8 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, and 7.8 assists per game. On top of it, even in his 21st season in the league, the 2008 scoring champion remains one of the fastest players while covering the court in a straight line.

All these put into perspective the athletic qualities of the 2020 assists leader. His prowess as a competitor has maintained his status as a leading figure in the NBA. Simultaneously, his on and off-court actions serve as benchmarks for the aspirants to this day. Thus, all aspects considered, his departure from the league seems far away.

The post “I Learned That From Kobe Bryant”: Former Clippers Star Predicts When LeBron James Will Retire appeared first on The SportsRush.

Only a handful of players have had the luxury of getting a farewell tour. In November 2015, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant announced 15 games into the season that he’d retire at the end of the 2015-16 campaign. The Lakers’ roster was equipped to earn a playoff spot, making the rest of the season all about celebrating the five-time NBA champion’s career. Bryant was felicitated with gifts and tribute videos at every arena in the NBA, including the Lakers’ arch-nemesis Boston Celtics‘ TD Garden.

While Bryant received adulation at every arena, not every icon’s final season was met with the same fanfare. In September 2016, Paul Pierce announced that the 2016-17 season would be his last in the NBA. His farewell tour paled in comparison to Bryant’s, and Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green even used it to mock the former Finals MVP.

In February 2017, Pierce’s Los Angeles Clippers visited the Warriors’ Oracle Arena. Less than a minute into the game, Green got into a verbal spat with the forward, who was on the bench, and said,

“Chasing that farewell tour, they don’t love you like that. You can’t get no farewell tour, they don’t love you like that. You ain’t got that type of love. You thought you was Kobe.”

A farewell tour is a distinction only a few players in NBA history have earned. Bryant is the most recent recipient, and it’ll be a while before we see another player get showered with love like he was in his final season.

LeBron James contemplating a farewell tour

The next player to retire from the NBA with a resume comparable to Kobe Bryant’s will likely be LeBron James. The four-time NBA champion turned 39 in December 2023 and recently was asked about his potential retirement date during the All-Star weekend in Indiana. He revealed he doesn’t know when he’ll leave the sport but knows he doesn’t have too many years left.

The Lakers superstar was asked if he would announce his retirement a year in advance and embark on a farewell tour. He claimed he’s 50/50 on announcing it beforehand and retiring out of the blue like San Antonio Spurs icon Tim Duncan. He said,

“There’s times when I feel like I guess I owe it to my fans that have been along this journey with me for two decades plus, to be able to give them that moment where it’s every city and whatever the case may be and they give you your flowers or whatever the case may be… But the other side of I’ve never been that great with accepting like praise. It’s a weird feeling for me. I never really talked about it much, but it’s just a weird feeling for me.” 

Given his accomplishments, it’s a no-brainer that James should embark on a farewell tour. However, unlike Bryant in his final few seasons, he’s still playing at an All-NBA level. Announcing his retirement beforehand while still producing at an elite level might not be wise. It’s unclear what the best path for James is, but he deserves to be celebrated in every arena like Bryant was in his final year.

The post What Is a Farewell Tour in the NBA? Looking Back at Draymond Green’s Diss on Paul Pierce About Kobe Bryant’s Farewell Tour appeared first on The SportsRush.

Kobe Bryant was known for his competitiveness. Even in the All-Star Game, with not much to win, Bryant would put in all his efforts and make sure that the spectators had a great time. Apart from being excellent on the offense, the Los Angeles Lakers legend was one of the very few superstars who actually played defense. His total of 38 steals (highest on the list) across 18 All-Star Games is proof for the same.

Kobe performed at the highest level, even when others considered it to be a break from the regular season. On numerous occasions across his career, the 6ft 6” shooting guard urged his fellow All-Stars to fulfil their responsibility to their fans and compete. Bryant reiterated himself during the 2009, 2011, and 2016 All-Star Games.

2009: “I think that’s what the fans really want to see. Want to see us get after it a little bit.”

2011: “I feel like we all have a sense of responsibility and we’re voted in for what we do during the season. Which is play hard.”

2016: “I want them to come out and compete. You wanna do something for me? Let’s go out there and compete and have a good competitive game. And then let’s win the game.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kobe Bryant Stories & Motivation (@kobehighlight_)

After witnessing an underwhelming performance in the 2024 All-Star Game, Shaq reshared this clip on his Instagram Stories. By doing so, O’Neal can only hope that the players can make the exhibition game much more competitive and entertaining from the next time onwards.

Shaq uses Kobe’s words to remind players of their responsibility as All-Stars pic.twitter.com/jhsJsc0Gp4

— What are NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) February 21, 2024

Unlike Bryant, as seen in the clips above, the players didn’t even break a sweat this year. Apart from uncontested three-point shots, players even took unnecessary full-court heaves. Clearly, ticket prices of the contest being so high was not justified and no spectator got their money’s worth.

Joining Shaquille O’Neal are numerous livid fans

Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t the only personality from the basketball world to be gutted by the All-Star Game. Stephen A. Smith also expressed his concerns regarding the All-Star Weekend, calling the highly-anticipated event a “travesty”.

The ESPN analyst was so frustrated at the production that he urged Commissioner Adam Silver to eliminate the Skills Challenge, Slam Dunk Competition, and the All-Star Game going forward.

“What transpired last night was an absolute travesty. Nearly 400 points on defence, no effort whatsoever,” Smith said.

.@stephenasmith thinks the NBA should get rid of the Skills Competition, Slam Dunk Competition and the All-Star Game:

“What transpired last night was an absolute travesty.” pic.twitter.com/TXLUB8RvPm

— First Take (@FirstTake) February 19, 2024

JJ Redick also took to his podcast and revealed his disappointment in the event. After lauding Kevin Durant for his efforts, Redick called out all participants for their performance.

“This is not playing defence! This was 23 guys, I’d say 23 and a half guys just not trying. And we have seen it year after year after year. At no point, did anyone outside of Kevin Durant try on defense,” Redick said.

While all analysts and enthusiasts have been urging the league to make the All-Star Game much more entertaining, Anthony Edwards just explained why the contest could never be fixed. Edwards, who previously stated that he would only shoot from his left hand, expressed his honest opinions about the exhibition game. According to the Minnesota Timberwolves guard, the All-Star Game was merely for fun and he wouldn’t ever try being competitive.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by theScore (@thescore)

Unless the players don’t take the first step and try making the contest more fun, there isn’t a lot that Adam Silver can do. All that the fans can do is hope that the league comes up with an idea to make the weekend more fun by bringing in some modifications.

The post “Go Out There and Compete”: Shaquille O’Neal Echoes Kobe Bryant’s Words While Reminding All-Stars Their ‘Responsibility’ Towards Fans appeared first on The SportsRush.

Lazenby is an eminent Sportswriter and has penned over 60 nonfiction books in his career, all revolving around basketball and American football. As a hoops writer, he has covered the decorated careers of both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in his brilliant books. The 72-year-old’s 1996 work Bull Run! The Story of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls earned him the Sports Book of the Year Award in 1997. His 2014 book Michael Jordan: The Life also earned the Sports Book of the Year Award in 2015 and is often regarded as his most notable work.

During the interview, Adit brought up Luka Doncic’s past comments on how it is easier to score in the NBA compared to that in Europe had prompted some backlash from fans. He asked Lazenby if Doncic’s impact would have been similar in the bygone eras when defensive assignments were taken more seriously. In response, Lazenby said that Lakers legend Jerry West once told him that “truly great players” from across eras always “find a way” to play “under any rules”. According to West, the top-class talent from any period can adjust and thrive no matter the physicality of contemporary players. 

“You can look at Luka [Doncic], LeBron [James], Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Michael [Jordan], Larry [Bird], Magic [Johnson], you can go on down the list, probably Dennis Rodman. All these different figures who found their own way to greatness in that 94-foot space. They would find it just as LeBron does today,” said Lazenby.

Then the veteran basketball author touched upon the subject of old-school hoops fans disregarding modern players. Lazenby admitted that the physicality in the league has been watered down and part of what makes Michael Jordan great was the relentless contact in the game of his time, especially when he went up against the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons. He credited the blows dealt by the team as a way for MJ to figure out how to be even greater than he already was.

However, despite the disparity in physicality between the two eras, Lazenby remarked that Stephen Curry would still find a way to dazzle physically stronger defenders. To shed more light on this perspective, he alluded to Phil Jackson’s stance on Curry, which was that the guard would be like LSU and Denver Nuggets’ mid-range maestro Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (known as Chris Jackson earlier). Abdul-Rauf never hit the 20 points per game mark during the season and was a borderline All-Star player. Therefore, Jackson believed that Curry would be at best like him. 

However, Lazenby disagrees with the former Chicago Bulls head coach and thinks that the ball-handling wizard would have been as great during the physically demanding eras as he is today. In fact, for the renowned author, Curry’s impact would have been way greater back in the day.

“I think Steph Curry would have still found a way to change the game. He is revolutionary as a shooter. He changed the parameters of the court. In a lot of ways doing what he has done would have been even more powerful considering the old rules. Now it would have been tougher on him with the hand-checking, probably so. They would have come out and defended him on the perimeter and gotten into him. But you know, he is a brilliant ball-handler, and they can set screens anywhere on the floor,” Lazenby told The SportsRush.

For Lazenby, if the NBA goes back to the old rules and allows more contact, it’d be intriguing to watch a shooter like Curry work. His enthusiasm when talking about Curry displayed his respect for the old-school greats and new-school greats alike. His perspective helps balance the polarization that has engulfed the NBA world for a long time. The author believes that no matter how the game is played, top-flight players figure out a way to prominence. 

The post EXCLUSIVE: “They Would Find it Just as LeBron Does Today” – Great Players Like Luka Doncic and Wilt Chamberlain Can Dominate in Any Era, Says Roland Lazenby appeared first on The SportsRush.

Lazenby’s 2014 book Michael Jordan: The Life is probably the most riveting account of the Chicago Bulls legend’s eventful NBA career. The 72-year-old author revealed during the course of the interview how he had fostered close relationships with some of the biggest names in NBA history, which made him privy to the untold stories in their lives. On the other hand, Lazenby has also been an eye-witness to the rapid changes that the NBA has underwent since 2000, that has fueled its commercial growth.

Had the pleasure of interviewing Roland Lazenby for @TheSportsRushUS @lazenby pic.twitter.com/B3Tqey1jaD

— Adit Pujari (@pujariadit7) February 16, 2024

However, the rapid financial growth in the NBA has come at the expense of the traditional brand of basketball that made so many of us fall in love with the game. “…Before the NBA got rid of defense, a lot of the old style defense. They allowed the rules to be changed in 2001 and those changes were gradual but they totally re-made the game. The gameplay today is nothing like the gameplay just 30 years ago-the game that Magic [Johnson] and Larry [Bird] and Michael [Jordan] and Kobe [Bryant] and Shaq [O’Neal] played,” Lazenby told Adit.

The veteran Sportswriter credited these ‘dramatic’ changes to the rapid globalization of the league. While Lazenby lauded the growth of basketball in America as a commercial product, he warned that the financial rewards have come at the cost of the sanctity of basketball. The modern NBA has made the game more scorer-friendly to make their product more appealing to a wider spectrum of fans. But Lazenby believes that that is not a very wise decision.

He provided the example of the game of soccer to illustrate his point. The celebrated biographer explained that soccer fans are always at the edge of their seats despite the average soccer game producing only a few goals. However, if the guys in ‘suits’ behind the scenes decide to eliminate goalkeepers from the game to make the sport more entertaining for fans, the move will definitely backfire.

While scoring and scorers are celebrated in every sport, the act of scoring has to be made difficult for it to be fun. Only then will the audience appreciate its value. If scoring is made more accessible, then it would actually lose its value. The appeal of a good scorer is that he overcomes the resistance of the opposition’s defense to reach his goal, like Michael Jordan overcame ‘The Jordan Rules’ of the ‘Bad Boy’ Detroit Pistons in 1991. Now if there is no resistance from the opposition, then a scorer’s efforts also mean nothing.

Lazenby wanted to reiterate the common adage that every hero needs a competent villain to display his true greatness. However, the hero has no way to stand out if there is no villain to defeat and hence, he is no longer respected by the masses. That’s exactly what has been the fate of NBA All-Star games for the past few years.

The post EXCLUSIVE: Michael Jordan’s Biographer Roland Lazenby Explains What Ended MJ and Kobe Bryant’s Brand of Basketball appeared first on The SportsRush.

The Lakers acquired shooting guard Isiah ‘JR’ Rider during the summer of 2000-01, who played with the team for almost a full season. The Lakers used to have intense practice sessions and scrimmages during that time, with Mamba always leading the show. Shaw described how JR Rider once dared to trash-talk him during practice, which urged the Mamba to challenge him to a 1v1 faceoff.

JR Rider once scored on Kobe during practice and dared to talk smack to the young Lakers star right after. This irked Kobe to challenge Rider to face him one-on-one after the practice. Seeing intense tension build-up, head coach Phil Jackson stopped the practice and let Kobe and JR Rider resolve the matter in a 1-v-1 contest. While all the players sat on the sidelines watching the two play, Kobe dominated Rider, who was considered a decent hooper in his playing days.

Describing that intense moment, Shaw told Paul George,

“JR Rider could hoop his a** up, and Kobe ate his a** up. He chewed him up!” 

Shaw also recalled how the rest of the Lakers bench was in complete awe, with Horace Grant trying to level up the tensions by warning Rider to be careful before messing with Kobe. Rider was left embarrassed after this intense showdown as he walked to the sidelines and was challenged to beat the rest of the Lakers roster in his fit of frustration.

It is interesting how Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant recruited the eight-year veteran JR Rider to join them in LA. According to Rider, Bryant would often ask head coach Phil Jackson to allow Rider to guard him to test himself and improve his own game. Rider played his part well enough for the 2000-01 Lakers team, leading the bench by averaging 7.6 points per game in his 67 games.

Shaq once offered JR Rider $10,000 to get into a fight with Kobe Bryant

JR Rider had long realized the potential of young Kobe Bryant even before he arrived at the Lakers. He had faced an 18-year-old Kobe in the league and felt lucky to play alongside an emerging legend who was guaranteed greatness in the future.

However, at that time, the feud between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant was brewing hot. Rider recalled in a 2020 appearance on All The Smoke podcast how Shaq had even offered him $10,000 to fight Kobe Bryant during one of their practices. Shaq made this offer three days after Rider joined the Lakers in the summer of 2000. Recalling this incident, Rider said,

“When I first get to the Lakers, Shaq tells me, if you and Kobe get into it, it’s 10 G’s in the locker. This is three days into practice… I’m like, ‘Man, come on, you playing, man.'”

Reasonably enough, Rider turned down Shaq’s offer to not draw heat and tensions for himself. He had quite a decent run with the Lakers, helping the franchise win a championship during their three-peat run between 1999 and 2002.

The post “Kobe Bryant Ate His A** Up”: Brian Shaw Details The Lakers Youngster’s 1v1 Against JR Rider appeared first on The SportsRush.

During his post-game interview, the guard said,

“For me, it’s an All-Star Game, so I don’t think I will ever look at it like being super competitive. It’s always fun. But I don’t know what they can do to make it more competitive. It’s a break. I don’t think nobody wants to come here and compete.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by theScore (@thescore)

Edwards had already foreshadowed that the All-Star game would be horrendous by outlining his intention before the game. He said,

“I’m just trying to use my left hand the whole game. I’m going to shoot it left-handed the entire game. It’s the All-Star Game. Ain’t nobody care about field goal percentage.”

The 2024 All-Star was only the second of Edwards’ career. His attitude towards it is a sign of how young players view the event. While they view earning All-Star nods as critical for leverage during contract negotiations, the players’ attitude and effort during the game will continue to remain lethargic.

Edwards’ admission should alarm bells in the NBA’s headquarters. One of the league’s future faces has admitted that the players have no interest in competing in the All-Star game. It’s time to make significant changes to the event to make it at least watchable for the fans.

Kobe Bryant once demanded changes to the All-Star format

Late Kobe Bryant is one of the most decorated performers in NBA All-Star game history. He earned 18 All-Star nods, which ranks third all-time, and scored 290 points, trailing only LeBron James on the scoring list. Bryant won four All-Star game MVPs and took it seriously. However, he had noticed that players had stopped caring about the event and warned the NBA that the format needed a facelift. In a Player’s Tribune interview in 2019, he said,

“I think the All-Star game in general needs a little revamping because it used to be competitive. Fans want to see the best pick-up game in the world. They want to see what happens when you put the best collection of basketball players on the planet. They play and go head up against each other. I mean, you guys play harder at a pickup game at UCLA, and it ain’t billion of people watching.” 

However, the NBA did not pay heed to Bryant’s warning. They are now facing the consequences, as fans and analysts are incensed by the players’ performance in the 2024 All-Star game. Given the outrage, the NBA will likely have no option but to make sweeping changes to the All-Star weekend. However, they should have heeded Bryant’s advice five years ago.

The post “Don’t Think I’ll Ever Look At Being Super Competitive”: Anthony Edwards Blatantly Admits To Not Knowing How To Fix The All Star Game appeared first on The SportsRush.

LeBron James made history when he got selected for his 20th straight All-Star Game appearance, surpassing the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in yet another category. But before the game, James took a moment to sit down with the guys from the NBA on TNT crew to discuss his All-Star game MVPs.

While talking to the Inside the NBA guys, Ernie Johnson pointed out how LeBron James is tied with Shaquille O’Neal, Oscar Robertson, and Michael Jordan for having three All-Star Game MVPs under their belt. Ernie ended up asking James about potentially winning the All-Star Game MVP for the fourth time, joining Kobe Bryant and Bob Petit in that category. And a humble King did not seem that motivated to chase that accomplishment.

“You are tied with this guy (Shaquille O’Neal) and with MJ(Michael Jordan) and Oscar(Robertson)—three MVPs at the All-Star Game. Kobe(Bryant), Bob Petit have four. How much would you like to be an MVP for the fourth time?”

“Listen, I could stay at three. If I get four, cool. But at the end of the day, I’m in great company no matter where I’m at. So it doesn’t even matter.”

James asked Shaquille O’Neal about his three All-Star Game MVPs. This automatically gave The Big Aristotle something to rub in the faces of his co-hosts, Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith and Charles Barkley when he said, “Anybody else at this table got three?”

As Charles Barkley tried to make his case for the one All-Star MVP he won in 1991, O’Neal did not hesitate in trolling him on national television, calling him a ‘bum.’ Whereas, all this while, Kenny Smith could only bring up winning three MVPs during his high school days.

But the Los Angeles Lakers legend wasn’t done gloating as he capped it off by saying, “Hey kids, I got the same MVPs as Bron Bron.”

Ernie: “You [Shaq] have 3, he’s [LeBron] got 3, Oscar’s got 3, MJ’s got 3.”

Shaq: “Anybody else at this table got 3?”

Chuck: “I only got 1.”

Kenny: “I got 3 high school MVPs!”

Shaq was hype to let Chuck & Kenny know they didn’t have as many #NBAllStar MVPs as him &… pic.twitter.com/hh6rXHBqXL

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 19, 2024

It would be an interesting turn of events if LeBron James ends up winning his fourth NBA All-Star Game MVP, surpassing Shaquille O’Neal only hours after his statement. However, given how far behind the West is at the time of writing, and with not a single player showing any interest in even wanting to be in the same room as a basketball at the moment, that does seem beyond unlikely.

Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James’s All-Star Game MVPs

Let’s dive into the years both Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James were crowned with the MVP honors after their All-Star Game performances. Shaquille O’Neal’s first All-Star Game MVP came in 2000 but he was crowned the MVP as a joint winner for the third time in NBA history.

Shaq had to share his first All-Star Game MVP with San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan as joint winners. His second MVP came in 2004 and the last one was another joint win alongside Kobe Bryant in 2009. Shaq became the first player in All-Star Game history to win two joint MVPs and also the first player to win the award with multiple teams.

As for LeBron James, the King won his first All-Star Game MVP back in 2006. He followed up on his ASG MVP award again in 2008. It seemed like LBJ took a decade-long snooze as his third MVP award came 10 years later in 2018. So, let’s see if LeBron James does end up making history tonight again by winning his fourth All-Star Game MVP award.

The post “Hey Kids I Got The Same MVPs As Bron Bron!”: Shaquille O’Neal Rejoices Over Him And LeBron James Sharing The Same Number Of All-Star Game MVPs appeared first on The SportsRush.

Michael Jordan is widely considered the greatest player of all time, and the only other name that comes up in the same conversation is LeBron James. Even though these two legends never got a chance to play against each other in the league, there seems to be a competition within them. Jordan, arguably the most competitive person, studied LeBron’s game despite knowing he would never face off against him.

According to the six-time NBA champion, James prefers his right hand when trying to drive to the basket. With James’ height, body, and athletic ability, Jordan knows it would be an impossible matchup. Hence, if he were to defend the four-time NBA champion, he would prefer to force him to his left and settle for a jump shot or pass the ball. The NBA Hall of Famer broke down his defensive strategy on LeBron,

“I study him. When LeBron goes right, he usually drives; when he goes left, he usually shoots a jumper. It has to do with his mechanics and how he loads the ball for release. So, if I have to guard him, I’m gonna push him left 9 out 10 times. If he goes right he’s going to the hole and I can’t stop him. So, I ain’t letting him go right.”

February 17, 2013: In an interview prior to the 2013 All-Star game, the “Mentor” -Michael Jordan – offered his blueprint for defending Lebron James:

“I study him. When LeBron goes right, he usually drives; when he goes left, he usually shoots a jumper. It has to do with his… pic.twitter.com/42MukfJlKQ

— The NBA Realist (@nbarealist23) February 17, 2024

Jordan revealed his strategy in an interview before the 2013 All-Star game featuring LeBron James. It also featured the late-great Kobe Bryant, who was diligently taking notes from his mentor. As expected, the Los Angeles Lakers legend decided to implement his big brother’s advice on the court and played lockdown defense during the All-Star game.

Kobe Bryant’s defense against LBJ in the All-Star game

If there is one person who took the competition as seriously as Michael Jordan, it was Kobe Bryant. His ‘Mamba Mentality’ saw no bounds and applied to the All-Star game as well. After taking Jordan’s advice on guarding LeBron, the five-time NBA champion restricted the player to 19 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds on 38.9% shooting from the field, along with 4 turnovers.

The 2013 All-Star game was not the only time Bryant challenged LeBron. In 2012, the two players faced each other in the All-Star games’ East versus West matchup, and the game came down to the wire.

With 15.3 seconds left on the clock, the East were down by two points and had possession of the ball. Bryant was guarding James as if it were the NBA Finals, and LeBron had two chances to take the shot over Kobe but instead decided to pass the ball.

After the buzzer sounded off, Bryant was unhappy with James’ approach and called him out for passing the ball twice. It just goes to show how dedicated Bryant was toward the game and never let his guard down, irrespective of the moment.

The post “When LeBron James Goes Right, He Usually Drives”: Michael Jordan Breaking Down How to Defend LBJ Before 2013 All-Star Game Resurfaces appeared first on The SportsRush.

“Obviously in the NBA, there are so many great players, but they are very few who when they walk onto the floor, as an opponent, you go ‘ Holy Sh*t, how we going to beat this guy.’ Michael was one of those people.”

Kerr added his thoughts about the Mamba and his experience of guarding the GOAT and stated how it was not an easy task for him as well,

“To me, Kobe is as close to Michael Jordan as anyone has ever been…I never had to guard him[Kobe Bryant], I had no chance, I switched onto him a couple of times, and that didn’t go well.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Legends Of Sport (@legendsofsport)

Kobe had even validated much of what Kerr said. Bryant had a beautiful jumper, mechanically similar to Michael and the turn-around jumper, the baseline fade-away shot, and most of Kobe’s footwork came from Jordan. Though Kobe took a lot from Michael, he was sure to add a little ‘mamba’ to everything. But the biggest similarity between Kobe and Jordan was in their mindset and mentality towards the game.

Surprisingly enough, Kerr even mentioned the same during a 2017 interview. Talking about the two legendary shooting guards, the Warriors Coach said,

“Kobe is the closest thing to Michael. Kobe has the same mindset and mentality that MJ had. The assassin, the ‘I’m-going-to-rip-your-throat-out-with-my-scoring.’ The low-post dominant fade-away jumper. “

Surprisingly enough, Kobe’s influence on the younger generation of players remains ‘strong’. Players such as Max Christie and Jayson Tatum even openly admitted to copying Kobe’s playstyle and being inspired by Mamba’s personality.

Steve Kerr on Kobe’s death

Even though Bryant and Steve Kerr didn’t directly compete against each other much, Bryant was sure to leave a lasting impression on the Warriors HC. Kerr would be among the few players who had the honor of both, playing, as well as, coaching against Bryant. But after Bryant’s untimely death in 2020, Kerr was taken aback.

He was even interviewed a few days after Bryant’s death. During the interview, Kerr was asked to share his feelings on the incident. Talking to the media, Kerr said,

“I think mostly, everyone is in a state of shock. We heard about the news during practice, two days ago. Practice abruptly came to a halt, and we all went home, and we didn’t know what to do. It’s not something you can just process and put behind you, it’s there and it will always be there.”

As Kerr rightly pointed out, the scars from Kobe’s death are something that basketball and the NBA can never fully recover from. Bryant is a part of basketball culture, like no one before him. His influence in China, single-handedly, sparked a basketball revolution in the country, something no player can ever have claimed to do.

The post “I Switched Onto Him a Couple Times and It Didn’t Go Well”: Steve Kerr Reflected on Guarding Kobe Bryant and His Similarities to Michael Jordan appeared first on The SportsRush.