Doc Rivers on what it was like coaching against Kobe Bryant - "Everything he did reminded you of Michael"
Whenever teams played against the Los Angeles Lakers, coaches had to strategize how to beat the great Kobe Bryant. He was a superb player who was relentless with his work on offense, but he was also a well-respected defender.
Doc Rivers was a coach who had to deal with playing against Kobe for most of his career. The current Milwaukee Bucks head coach had plenty of matchups against the Black Mamba, with the 2008 and 2010 NBA Finals chief among them.
"The best player on both teams, we called the 'Ace of Spades.' So every game you coached against the Lakers, they had Kobe, so we always said they have the ace of spades tonight, and so you would always try to affect him somehow by being physical. by trapping, by doing different things," Doc said on the Sloane Knows Podcast.
Kobe was a dominant force for the Lakers
In Kobe's first eight years in the league, he was considered Shaquille O'Neal's sidekick. Most of the opponents' game plan was to stop the big man, which meant Black Mamba was the second priority.
However, the young Bryant forced himself into the conversation by being undeniably excellent on offense. The 6'6" guard was unstoppable with his immense offensive skill set. He could drive into the paint and finish over the big men, but he could also pull up for high-difficulty jump shots.
As he grew older and embraced the cornerstone role, Kobe became a more measured and calculating offensive player. He would post up and hit fadeaway jumpers, using the excellent footwork he learned from Hakeem Olajuwon.
Doc saw Michael Jordan in Kobe's game
While Kobe was more reliant on his athleticism and pure talent in his early years, he continued to work on his game to become one of the league's best players. He incorporated that fadeaway jumper and became a better playmaker.
The mid-post-game, in particular, reminded Rivers and fellow basketball minds about another 6'6" guard named Michael Jordan.
"He was as close to Michael in my opinion as there ever been. That didn't mean guys can't be better but I'm just saying his makeup, everything he did reminded you of Michael," Doc continued. "Even later in his career, he went to the mid-post-game, just everything. What I loved about him most was his brain and I loved, the same thing as Michael, his intensity."
Many have compared the two shooting guards, which was not an accident. Kobe was meticulous with how he emulated Michael. He even sacrificed parties because he wanted to watch Jordan's highlights to learn the best moves to make.
It came to a point when Bryant called Jordan in the wee hours of the morning because the younger player wanted to learn what to do in a specific situation. Michael branded him his little brother, so the older superstar was heartbroken about Kobe's passing in 2020.
That approach to the game made Bryant the most challenging player to plan against during his prime years, just like his mentor. Even for a coach as successful as Rivers, he struggled against Kobe, possibly the highest praise any elite basketball mind could give.
