Getty Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan talk during a free-throw attempt.
Much has been made about the comparisons between Chicago Bulls legend, Michael Jordan and late Los Angeles Lakers icon, Kobe Bryant.
Both were great at their craft and both loved the game of basketball to the fullest.
Appearing on a recent episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast, I checked in with Jamal Crawford.
Crawford has played against both. He gave insight on the differences and similarities between the two.
Check out a snippet from our conversation below:
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: I really want to take a step back and you’re of more liberty to speak on this because you played against Michael. You played against Kobe. This is not an either or question. And honestly talking to different players, a lot of people have said to me that they feel like Kobe was the Michael replacement in the sense of that feeling when you watch Michael when Michael was no longer playing. You played against both. You knew both. I guess my question for you is do you see it that way? Where does Kobe fit in the lexicon of basketball when you’re talking about the greatest?
GettyJamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford: Go back and look this up Scoop. This is no lie. This is 2012-13. Kobe came to my Pro-Am. I introduced him – go back to 2013. I introduced him to the crowd; I stated that this is this generation’s Michael Jordan. And at the time, people are like, this is a BIG publication – Jamal do you agree with this? Is he crazy or what? I’ve always viewed him as this generation’s Michael Jordan. I feel like there’s one Michael, but I feel like that there’s only one Kobe. You know, Michael to me is the BEST player ever. Appropriately the best that I ever seen. And I have seen people younger than me grew up watching Kobe I understand when they say Kobe is the best player ever. I understand that. They weren’t old enough to see Michael and they see what they’re seeing. I get it. And he [Kobe] was just out-of-this world good. He was out-of-this world competitive, he was brilliant, and he was – everything. And he had such a giving heart. It wasn’t to the point where me and him talked every single day or anything like that, we did text and it was always respectful and always helpful. I’m just glad that people saw that part. He was always giving and that was him. Like when he came to my Pro-Am, I asked him when are you leaving and people were trying to shoo him off and rush him off and he said I’m going to watch Jamal play. He had his plane, he brought his family with him. He could’ve had any reason or any excuse to leave, but he didn’t. He came. And that’s some of the things that people don’t see. His inspiration will last FOREVER. Like literally past lifetimes.