12 September 2022
Michael Jordan and Kobe have been well-known sports giants in basketball. Fans of basketball fancy digging into the events of the sport and the lives of prominent athletes.
Table of Contents
One of the most common questions among the fans of football is if Michael Jordan and Kobe played together on the same team.
Did Michael Jordan and Kobe play together on the same team?
The answer is no; Michael Jordan and Kobe did not play together. The ever they became close was their rookie years when they were almost signed by the Philadelphia 76ers. The two men have almost the same height and have almost the same style of play. Both were so good in basketball on their respective teams that the goal of the opponents was reduced to limiting them and not stopping them.
Did they play against each other?
Yes, Michael Jordan faced each other a record eight times on the following dates:
Dec 17 1996, Feb 15 1997, Dec 17 1997, Feb 1 1998, Feb 12 2002, April 2 2002, Nov 8 2002, and March 28, 2003. In the 8 times that they played against each other, Los Angeles Lakers won in five of them, giving Kobe bragging rights. Kobe and Jordan did not face each other in an NBA final.
What teams were they playing for respectively?
In 1996, Kobe Bryant signed for the Los Angeles Lakers amidst two main challenges.
First, he was a young player, straight out of high school, and some doubted whether he would make a good value for the money. Second, Vlade Divac who had to give draft rights for the signing of Kobe Bryant was ill at ease with the signing of Kobe.
He did not make things any easy for Kobe to an extent that he threatened that he would resign. He would later back down on this threat, just before the deadline of the signing window. He would remain with the Los Angeles Lakers for an impressive 20 years.
Michael Jordan colonized the field of basketball for a whopping 15 years and his exploit could as well pass as a work of sports genius. He was signed by Chicago Bulls in 1984. Here, he was known for his high IQ in basketball, positive work ethic, and natural talents. One unique thing about Michael Jordan was his ability to translate individual talent to the success of the team. He would later play for the Washington Wizards majorly as a way of giving back to the community.
Were Michael Jordan and Kobe friends?
Kobe idolized Michael Jordan since he was a young person and tried to imitate him. He would later become close friends with Jordan. As a matter of fact, they were not mere friends but referred to themselves as brothers. It could be said that Jordan gave Kobe a template for the basketball game.
The two did not get along from the start. Michael Jordan had the feeling that Kobe was pestering him. However, they would later overcome these challenges. When Michael Jordan died, Kobe would give him an emotional tribute.
