Kobe Bryant has drawn many parallels to Michael Jordan throughout his career and has been open about idolizing him. The five-time NBA champion also revealed that he contemplated leaving the Los Angeles Lakers to join MJ as part of the Washington Wizards over a decade ago.
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Over 10 years ago when Jordan was winding down his career with the Wizards, Bryant said he contemplated leaving the Lakers to join him.
"That's true," Bryant told The Washington Post about wanting to play with Jordan. "A long time ago? Yeah. "I've always been very big on having mentors, on having muses, and I've been really, really big on that, being around guys who have done it before and done it at a high level and always tried to pick their brains and always tried to absorb knowledge. Obviously, being in that situation [with the Wizards], it would've helped having to be around him every day and so on."
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While Bryant was hopeful to possibly play alongside Jordan, the dream fell apart when then-Wizards owner Abe Pollin decided to part ways with Jordan in 2003, a year before Bryant hit the free agent market.
Now, all Bryant can do is think about what could have been.
"We would've put together a great team and we would've won championships," he told the publication.
Bryant has won two rings since 2003, but he said his feud with Shaquille O'Neal almost drove him out of Los Angeles.
"The challenge had been thrown down upon me, of not being able to win without Shaq," Bryant said. "A public challenge never really bothered me too much, but he made a couple of comments as well. I think he called me Penny Hardaway Part 2 or something like that. So that's what [ticked] me off.
He continued: "Then it was like, 'Listen, you know the step back that I took to help us win championships. Let's not get [expletive] confused. I can dominate on my own. I decided to stay here and win championships and sacrifice MVPs and scoring titles and all that stuff.' So once that was said, it was like a line in the sand now."
Bryant now faces his own mortality as rumors have emerged that he may retire now that his season is likely over as he is set to undergo shoulder surgery on Wednesday. Bryant was held to just six games last season due to myriad injuries.
Bryant is under contract through next season, so it remains a possibility that he opts to return to the court.
The Lakers are 12-33 this season and in last place in the Pacific Division.
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