We know how Michael Jordan felt about Kobe Bryant, it came out with Kobe’s tragic passing and at his memorial service.
“Words can’t describe the pain I’m feeling,” Jordan said in a statement after Bryant’s passing. “I loved Kobe — he was like a little brother to me. We used to talk often, and I will those conversations very much. He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force. Kobe was also an amazing dad who loved his family deeply and took great pride in his daughter’s love for the game of basketball.”
In Episode 5 of The Last Dance documentary Sunday night, we heard about how Kobe felt about Jordan.
“I don’t get five championships here without him, because he guided me so much, gave me so much good advice,” Kobe said.
The start of Episode 5 focused on the 1998 All-Star Game — Kobe’s first game and Jordan’s final one with the Bulls. It was a game where Kobe wanted to match up with Jordan and, in a very Kobe way, tried to measure himself against Jordan. Kobe had 18 points.
“That little Laker boy’s gonna take everybody 1-on-1,” Jordan said on the bench in that game.
Jordan had 23 points and was the All-Star Game MVP. He was still the King.