Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was such an important figure for so many of the greatest basketball players the NBA has ever seen. It seems like everyone has a story of some sort of interaction with Kobe, or him inspiring them in some way, shape or form. Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is no different.
Curry is without a doubt one of the greatest players in basketball history and unquestionably the greatest shooter this sport has ever seen. But back when he first came into the league, there were a lot of questions about whether he could hold up physically. And his first meeting with Bryant made him realize some changes needed to be made.
In an interview with Matthew Roberson of GQ, Curry recalled trying to defend Kobe as a rookie and the Lakers star completely controlling his movement with one hand, causing Steph to realize that he needed to get stronger:
At that point of his career, Kobe had mastered so many tricks and Curry just had no clue what to do against them, as did many when facing off with the Lakers legend. But this did motivate Curry to add some strength, which made him basically impossible to stop as he was then able to attack the paint and handle contact better overall.
Curry is now a legend in his own right and surely would have figured some things out at some point as the greats always do. But all it took was one meeting with Bryant, who is always looking to test his opponents, to bring about a realization for Curry that changed everything for his career.
The relationship between Kobe Bryant and current Lakers superstar LeBron James was also one that didn’t get much attention, but LeBron recently opened up about how it evolved over the years.
James noted that the two didn’t really have much of a relationship until they teamed up on Team USA for the Olympics in 2008 and 2012, but even then it was more competitive than anything else. However, after Kobe retired and LeBron joined the Lakers, things blossomed between the two.
Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.
