During a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant was widely considered to be one of the greatest ever to play the game of basketball while becoming an NBA icon.
In the four years since Bryant passed away in a helicopter accident, all sorts of current and former NBA players have come forward with interesting and entertaining stories about playing against the Lakers legend.
Three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford is the latest to reflect on his time sharing the court with the five-time NBA champion, and he claims Bryant didn’t acknowledge him until he dropped 30 points on the Lakers in the second half of a game.
Crawford went on the “Run It Back” podcast and spoke with Michelle Beadle about his experience playing against Bryant, admitting that he was the best opponent he ever faced.
“I was literally seven years in the league before he even acknowledged me on the court. … He was literally the best player I ever played against,” Crawford said, via FanDuel TV.
“I was in the league 7 years before he acknowledged me… He was literally the best player I’ve ever played against.” 🐐@JCrossover shares a story on playing against the late, great Kobe Bryant 🙌@RunItBackFDTV | #NBA pic.twitter.com/x2X1IqmHP9
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) August 23, 2024
It seems as though Bryant left quite an impression on Crawford, which appears to be the case for most, if not all, of his opponents during his two-decade career, which included championship runs playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal at the beginning of his playing days before connecting with Pau Gasol later on.
If Bryant were still alive, he would’ve turned 46 years old this month, which has prompted many people to reflect on his NBA career and legacy.
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