Michael Jordan was and Kobe Bryant is driven by a huge inner force to play basketball and beat their opponents. But have you ever asked yourself where this force comes from and what the difference is between them?
In the case of Michael Jordan, he has a problem with his opponents. He needs to be challenged. In the case of Kobe Bryant the problem is himself, he needs to fight his own demons.
Later, Bryant created the Black Mamba to destroy everybody on the court while going through a personal crisis. In Muse, he also talks about his wife's miscarriage and says he felt it was his fault. He had pain and frustration that he had to let out. The way he thinks is that nobody is gonna stop him. It's the battle inside him that he brings to the court. It's not about anybody else; it's about him. It's about his anger, rage and sadness. He uses his dark emotions as a weapon.
I recommend two videos: one to see the most intimate Kobe Bryant (Kobe Bryant's Muse), and another one in a more relaxed way, to see how Kobe interacts with his teammates on a basketball court ("Kobe Doin' Work" by Spike Lee). The second moves away from Kobe Bryant the scorer to focus on other, less familiar facets of his game.
On the other hand, Michael Jordan once said at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony that he could play at the age of 50 if he set himself that goal. When the time arrived, I think that nobody challenged him enough and he didn't have to prove anything, so we missed the opportunity to see him playing at 50 years old.
In the case of Michael Jordan, he has a problem with his opponents. He needs to be challenged. In the case of Kobe Bryant the problem is himself, he needs to fight his own demons.
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| Kobe Bryant. Image from Gettyimages |
Kobe Bryant: it's about ME
Isolation: when he was growing up, his father was a basketball player in Italy and they always had to move home. Because of this, he didn't feel confident enough with new people and new friends, so he couldn't open up to them. Basketball was everything to Kobe, his best friend and psychiatrist.Later, Bryant created the Black Mamba to destroy everybody on the court while going through a personal crisis. In Muse, he also talks about his wife's miscarriage and says he felt it was his fault. He had pain and frustration that he had to let out. The way he thinks is that nobody is gonna stop him. It's the battle inside him that he brings to the court. It's not about anybody else; it's about him. It's about his anger, rage and sadness. He uses his dark emotions as a weapon.
I recommend two videos: one to see the most intimate Kobe Bryant (Kobe Bryant's Muse), and another one in a more relaxed way, to see how Kobe interacts with his teammates on a basketball court ("Kobe Doin' Work" by Spike Lee). The second moves away from Kobe Bryant the scorer to focus on other, less familiar facets of his game.
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| Michael Jordan and Dean Smith (University of North Carolina). Image from Gettyimages |
Michael Jordan: It's about YOU
Jordan needed to be challenged to motivate himself. If you said that he was too old to do something, he wanted to prove that you were wrong. When Mutombo, the shot-blocker, once said, for example, that Jordan would never dunk on him, Jordan soon dunked in his face. Mutombo was the man who waved his index finger to indicate that you couldn't score in front of him.On the other hand, Michael Jordan once said at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony that he could play at the age of 50 if he set himself that goal. When the time arrived, I think that nobody challenged him enough and he didn't have to prove anything, so we missed the opportunity to see him playing at 50 years old.
Shaq's account of his relationship with Kobe adds another perspective on how Kobe interacted with teammates. I discuss that relationship in my review of Shaq Uncut.
I return to Jordan's Hall of Fame speech and the possibility of a comeback in Michael Jordan “Playing at Fifty”: Never Say Never.
How do you motivate yourself to play a basketball game? Please comment below.
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De genio a geni@, ¿Qué me cuentas?
From genius to genius, what do you tell me?