Kobe Bryant, the iconic player for the Los Angeles Lakers, was known for his intense competitiveness, as revealed by his former teammate Brian Shaw.
Shaw recounted Bryant"s approach during early-season practices, where he always aimed to establish dominance over new teammates.
Bryant would request to be placed on the opposing scrimmage team as soon as practices began, making it clear that he wanted to assert his leadership and skills.
Paul George: "Did [Phil Jackson] ever like well Michael [Jordan] would do this, did he ever hold that over [Kobe Bryant]?"
Brian Shaw: "He did say later on that [Mike] had the edge over Kobe only because [he] had bigger hands." 😅
(via @PodcastPShow)pic.twitter.com/4nLQ2Bikwl
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 21, 2024
One notable incident occurred during the 2000-01 season when newly acquired free agent Isaiah “J.R." Rider trash-talked with Bryant.
This led to Bryant halting the practice and challenging Rider to a one-on-one matchup to assert his dominance.
According to Shaw, they all sat on the sidelines and watched as Bryant completely dominated Rider in their one-on-one game.
Following Bryant"s decisive victory, veteran Horace Grant teased Rider, which infuriated him.
Rider came over to the sideline with his fists clenched, claiming he could beat everyone there, as he was embarrassed by his defeat.
In a recent episode of Paul George"s Podcast P show, Shaw, who is currently an assistant coach for the L.A. Clippers, compared the 72-win Chicago Bulls, three-peat Lakers, and 73-win Golden State Warriors teams.
Shaw, who played against the Bulls and was a part of the Lakers" championship teams, stated that the Warriors would rank third among those teams because they did not win a championship.
He emphasized that winning a championship is the ultimate culmination of a successful season, something the Bulls and Lakers achieved.
Shaw also noted that the Warriors lacked an elite defender to stop Michael Jordan and the personnel to handle Shaquille O"Neal in his prime.
He highlighted O"Neal"s dominance against smaller defenders, who would often foul out while trying to guard him. Despite having big bodies to throw at O"Neal, Shaw claimed they would run out of fouls due to his prowess.
“The Warriors had nobody that could deal with Jordan and they had nobody that could deal with Shaq. But the game is played differently. I think that teams now get away with shooting as many threes and stuff as they have now because there"s nobody in the league like Shaq."
counted Shaw.
During a recent podcast episode, Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Brian Shaw discussed the comparison between the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Shaw stated that it was difficult to choose between the two teams as they were evenly matched. He suggested that Shaq could have been the determining factor in a matchup between MJ and Kobe, as both players would have canceled each other out.
Shaw concluded that the Bulls would have struggled to stop Shaq, giving the Lakers a slight edge.
The podcast also touched on Michael Jordan"s return to basketball in 1995. Following his retirement in 1993 and a brief stint in baseball, Jordan decided to come back to the NBA.
However, he chose to wear the number #45 instead of his iconic #23. During a playoff series against the Orlando Magic, Orlando"s Nick Anderson taunted Jordan about his poor form with number #45, prompting Jordan to switch back to number #23 for the next game.
Although Jordan had a strong performance in that game, the Bulls ultimately lost the series to the Magic, with Shaq"s brilliance playing a significant role.
It was also revealed that Jordan was fined $100,000 for changing his jersey number without notifying the league during the playoffs.
Jordan"s decision to wear #23 was significant, as it was the number his father had last seen him wear before his passing. Despite the success he had wearing #45, Jordan felt more comfortable and connected to the #23 jersey.
In the end, the Bulls went on to win championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998 with Jordan representing the number #23.
Bryant"s fierce competitiveness, memorable one-on-one matchups, and Shaw"s perspective on the comparison between legendary teams provide insight into the intensity and talent of these NBA icons.
