Kobe Bryant goes toe-to-toe with Michael Jordan, on this day in 1997: NBA Throwback

Former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant has established himself as the legend of the game while playing for the Lakers. There will be only few who would argue about Kobe Bryant’s legendary status. In fact, many would say that Kobe is the second greatest player behind legendary Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan. The battles between both these players were enticing during their playing days. The match-up between these two shooting guards will forever live in the minds of NBA fans.

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NBA: Kobe Bryant matches Michael Jordan toe-to-toe

On December 17, 1997, with Shaquille O’Neal out of the line-up and Bryant only in his second year, the guard showed glimpses of how great he’d become when he dropped 33 points after coming off of the bench. The game also witnessed him going toe-to-toe with Jordan, who scored 36 points to lead the Bulls to a 104-83 victory. Michael Jordan dominated the Lakers and Kobe Bryant making 12-of-22 shots and getting to the free-throw line 12 times, converting 11 of them. Bryant also showed promise while making a contribution in losing cause. He went 12-of-20 from the field and knocking down three of five 3-point attempts.

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NBA: Kobe Bryant decorated career

The former Lakers point guard is an 18-time All-Star, a five-time champion, a two-time scoring champion, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and a one-time regular-season MVP. He is also third on the all-time scoring list with 33,643 points, which puts him 1,351 points ahead of fourth-place Jordan. Both Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan almost had similar in style that it is difficult to say that which one is better than the other. Both the players were undisputed stars during their era and for their respective teams. Both Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan have won tons of team and individual awards. In the end, it can only be said that 'The Black Mamba' was the mirror image of 'His Airness'.

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