I'm so glad Kobe Bryant responded to Michael Jordan's assessment that Kobe stole all of his moves. In the article is states:
Bryant joined Big Boy’s Neighborhood on Power 106 FM and was asked about Jordan’s comment about stealing moves:
“I’m a student of the game, you know, so I know the history; I know where Michael’s moves came from,” said Bryant about stealing moves. “I know they came from David Thompson. I know they came from Dr. J. I know they came from, in particular, Jerry West. So Michael didn’t invent the wheel. He stole a lot of moves from a lot of great players.
“I just so happened to steal some moves from him, and I just probably stole them better than anybody else has. You have to learn from the greats that came before you, that’s how it should be done.
As a student and historian of the game, I absolutely agree with Kobe. There was nothing Jordan really did in terms of innovation say for a few moves like his backwards lay-ups where he would draw contact and spin with his back towards the basket and clap his hands together while the ball went in and Jordan was the first guard to really develop most of the post moves from the block which exists today but he didn't invent post play from a guard. Other than that everything he did we saw before more or less. If you combined Dr.J with David Thompson and Jerry West you would have Michael Jordan. Jumping from the free-throw line, reverse lay-ups, scoop shots, the ability to sky-walk and the ability to change his shot in the air were moves that Dr.J was doing 20 years to 30 years before Jordan. Especially the ABA version of Dr.J when he was the undisputed best basketball player in the world, a multiple champion and MVP.But nobody scolds or demeans Jordan for walking in Dr.J's shadow especially earlier in his career the way people hate on Kobe for taking away from a player he idolizes and reveres.
The ABA version of Dr.J is where Jordan got his ability to change his shot and improvise in the air because they both had those huge hands that allowed them to have "hang time" but the "Doctor" is the originator of "hang time!"
David Thompson taught MJ how to truly "sky-walk" and Jordan "stole" David Thompson's triple-threat jab step move which Jordan used to "massacre" opposing defenders from 1984 to 1989(sic)!
And as you can see Jerry West was the first SG to be a lights out shooter and scorer as evidence by his career 27 ppg average. He had the ability to back his back down his defender and shoot the fade away jumper, or up-and-under shot, or spin jumper and he mastered the one/two dribble pull-up decades before Jordan! West masteredthe art of the mid-range game of which Jordan would eventually become known for as the greatest. West was also known as the premier defender at the SG position where he had the ability to shut down opposing guards and had an uncanny ability to dominate the passing lanes for steals and use his long arms to strip the ball from opposing ball handlers and block their shots from behind. West was so skillful and masterful that Jordan's silhouette is the Jumpman logo but West is the Logo of the NBA! He is the word made flesh! West also sported a reported 37 inch vertical had a 6'9 wingspan and was actually 6'4 1'2 so he was a very, very, good athlete.
Jordan is the greatest SG of all-time in terms of stats and his accomplishments but in terms of being a student of the game Kobe mastered Jordan's style and added to it. I don't think there has ever been a guard with as many moves as Kobe. When Kobe came into the NBA he had a developing post game by his second year in the NBA. It took Jordan almost 4 to 5 years to really develop his post game. Kobe definitely has a tighter handle than Jordan had and from 1997 to 2006 was one of the greatest acrobats the game has ever seen. So of course Kobe "stole" some of Jordan's moves but why not learn from the best? I hope today's SG's like Demar Derozan or James Harden "steal" some of Kobe's moves and learn the art of the mid-range game because love him or hate him, copy cat or not when Kobe is gone the NBA is going to miss him terribly. Kobe is the only NBA player that I can honestly say that any young kid coming up no matter what position they play whether they be a PG or C can learn something from watching Kobe's game. He is arguably the most skilled basketball player of all-time and that includes Magic, West, Jordan, Maravich, James, Bird and Olajuwon.
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