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"Was A Little Bit Better": Kobe Bryant 'Mastered' Michael Jordan's Game, Says Former NBA Star

Michael Jordan created a mold for future NBA superstars to follow, and nobody fit into it better than the late Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba took more than a few pages out of His Airness' book, and according to Will Barton, perfected them to a level that even Jordan couldn't.

Barton was on 'Ball Don't Stop's podcast when he spoke about the NBA's greatest shooting guards. "He [Bryant] took the previous GOAT, you know, who I believe is the best ever, took his [Jordan's] game and not only mastered it, but I think, he was a little bit better at it."

The CBA guard admitted that Jordan's athleticism was always a league above Bryant's, but he believed that Kobe more than made up for it with his mastery of the fundamentals. He lauded the Lakers legend for his footwork and how it translated to his scoring, both in the paint and in the mid-range.

"You look at the jabs, the post work, the middy work, the finishing around the rim. Making and taking tough shots. And to do it that often and be that polished…And they're not rolling around the rim, going in, I mean these are swishes," Barton explained.

As a shooting guard himself, the 33-year-old values putting the ball in the basket above all else. The way in which the ball goes into the basket however, is a discussion that revolves around the 'art' of basketball. The minutiae of Kobe's game was much more meticulously thought out than Jordan. Every step, pivot, and shrug had a purpose.

This isn't to say that MJ was a 'slouch' when it came to this. Watching clips of Jordan backing down defenders in the mid-post with decisive movements and turning around and fading away on them is a sight to behold for all basketball enthusiasts. However, Bryant took what MJ presented to him and elevated it.

Barton certainly feels this way. He took it a step further when he claimed that Bryant may just be the greatest to ever do it on NBA hardwood.

Barton never faced the Black Mamba in his prime, but he got to play against his favorite player 7 times after the Portland Trail Blazers selected him 40th overall in 2012. Even during his final years though, Kobe had enough juice in the tank to drop two 40-point games on Barton during the 2012-13 NBA season. He averaged 27 points per game during those 7 matchups with the Memphis alum.

Those experiences just affirmed what Will Barton already knew – that the Black Mamba was a pure and unstoppable scorer. "Could you imagine guarding the most talented player ever, the best player ever, with a super green light? And he's always just trying to use that green light every time. You can't guard it," Barton said in an older interview.

He viewed Bryant as a '10' in all areas of the game – from the three-level scoring to the ball-handling and the playmaking. Interestingly, it was the latter that led Phil Jackson to giving Bryant the nod over MJ.

"I asked him [Jordan] to be a playmaker when he was doubled or tripled. But Kobe has to set up the offense, to advance the ball, to read the defense, to make other players happy, and he's doing a great job of that," the 11-championship-winning head coach said.

Though Mike did average more assists than Kobe during their careers, Jordan was rarely tasked with bringing the ball up the floor and creating advantages for his teammates. His gravity as a scorer enabled him to exploit defenses when they over-committed on him, but he was not given the same responsibilities as Bryant.

'He Went Beyond Michael In His Attitude Towards Training' - Phil Jackson Claims Kobe Bryant Was More Obsessive Than Michael Jordan

There's no doubt that Kobe Bryant was Michael Jordan's heir apparent. The Los Angeles Lakers icon imitated MJ's moves — the midrange mastery, the post-up maneuvers, and the signature fadeaway jump shot.

In his quest to match or surpass Mike, Kobe spent countless hours in the gym and pushed his teammates to the extreme to win as many titles as possible. And while he failed in this quest, legendary coach Phil Jackson claims that the Lakers guard had a more maniacal work ethic than Jordan.

Phil on the comparison

"No. No one can approach that," Jackson told the New York Post when asked if Carmelo Anthony could model his game after Bryant. "I don't expect anybody to be able to model their behavior after that, although Kobe modeled his behavior a lot about Michael Jordan, he went beyond Michael in his attitude towards training, and I know Mike would probably question me saying that, but he did."

While it's a bold statement, no one knows the two shooting guards like Jackson. He won six NBA Championships with Mike and five with Kobe. During those tense days in the trenches, Phil got up close and personal with the two titans.

Maybe Phil was caught in awe so many times, so he thought that Jordan was the gold standard for hard work. Little did he know that a young buck from Philly would surpass "His Airness," at least in terms of putting in long and hard hours of training.

Naps before practice

Jackson didn't necessarily stay and observed as Bryant perfected the fadeaway jump shot for hours on end. Though he wasn't always watching, the 1996 Coach of the Year knew that Bean was putting in extra hours in the gym.

"I often went to work at 8:30, and if we had a late-night, that's pretty early. I'd pull into my parking spot, and Kobe'd be there taking a nap in his car. He'd been there since 6:30 working out. He had a remarkable drive towards getting better. I've never seen another player attack his personal habits the way he did," he said.

Bryant's fans may say that it was unfortunate that he failed to match or surpass Jordan's ring count. "The Black Mamba" would often be part of those endless GOAT debates if he did. However, Jackson's revelation should be enough to propel Bryant's legend.

Many of Kobe's colleagues have said he wasn't necessarily the most gifted athlete ever. His greatest talent was his supreme love for the game, which powered him to become the best player he could be. 

Michael Jordan And Kobe Bryant Top Will Barton's GOAT List Over NBA Legend LeBron James

Image via Paul Rodriguez/The Orange County Register

LeBron James, often hailed as one of the greatest players in NBA history, found himself ranked outside the top two by former NBA player Will Barton. During a recent appearance on the Ball Don't Stop podcast, Barton shared his perspective on the greatest players of all time, placing Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant above the league's all-time leading scorer."I feel like it's Mike and Kobe, and then everyone else," Barton stated. "And I feel like Kobe is a little better than Mike." Despite acknowledging LeBron's greatness, Barton's preference reflects the ongoing debate about the greatest of all time (GOAT) in basketball.

Will Barton's unique perspective on the GOATs of NBA

Image via Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post

As a former NBA player with an 11-year career, Barton brings a unique viewpoint to the conversation. Drafted in 2012 by the Portland Trail Blazers, he went on to play for the Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, and Toronto Raptors before his last appearance in 2023. Throughout his career, Barton faced both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, giving him firsthand experience against two of the most dominant players in NBA history.Despite his respect for LeBron's all-around skills, Barton's admiration for Jordan and Bryant stems from their scoring-first mentality. "The biggest knock I see sometimes on Mike and Kobe when it comes to LeBron is LeBron is just a better overall basketball player," Barton said. "I tell people all the time, Kobe and Mike were gifted passers."

Scoring vs. Facilitation: Barton explains why Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are better than LeBron James LeBron James' passing ability at the forward position is often cited as a key argument in his favor. His career numbers underscore this, as he has averaged eight or more assists in seven different seasons, with a peak of 10.2 assists per game during his assist-title-winning 2020 season. By contrast, Michael Jordan's best season for assists was 1988-89, where he averaged 8.0 per game.While Barton recognizes LeBron's superior facilitation, he believes Jordan and Bryant's focus on scoring gives them the edge. "The most important thing in the game is the score, no matter how you slice it. And they understood that," Barton explained.Also read: Top 30 most valuable NBA teams of 2024

Subjectivity of the GOAT debate At its core, the GOAT debate remains subjective, driven by individual preferences and values. Whether one prioritizes scoring, passing, or overall skill set, players like Jordan, Bryant, and James represent unparalleled greatness in their unique ways.As Barton emphasized, "I feel like it's Mike and Kobe, and then everyone else." For fans and analysts, the rankings may differ, but the impact of these three legends on the game of basketball is undeniable.This latest perspective adds another chapter to the ongoing conversation, reminding fans that the GOAT debate is as much about personal values as it is about statistics and accolades.

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