Their assembly within the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the place they each performed collectively for Group USA and shared management duties, epitomized their brotherhood in basketball. Regardless of their rivalry within the NBA, notably when Wade’s Miami Warmth bested Kobe’s Lakers within the 2004 Finals, the 2 would go on to type an enduring bond, with Wade usually talking of Bryant as a mentor and an inspiration. Their connection stays some of the enduring friendships in basketball, constructed on a shared love for the sport and a mutual respect for one another’s greatness. Payton played with both. He saw what made them tick. The similarities were clear: the will, the big shots, the killer instinct. But Kobe’s two-way dominance stood out.Still, Payton has nothing but respect for both. “They both had the dog in ‘em,” said Payton. “They had been each the identical.” -via ScoopB.com / Might 2, 2025
