NBA veteran Paul George idolized the late Kobe Bryant as a child, very similar to the remainder of the league and the world for that matter, however PG took issues a step additional than most.
“I was the whole nine,” George said quickly after he broke out as an NBA star. “Anything you can think of. I had the Kobe jersey. I would do the Kobe walk. I would walk around the house doing the Kobe stare-down face. Anything you can name, I was idolizing him, trying to be like him.”
George clearly drew inspiration from Bryant all through his profession and he recalled a particular second he shared with Bryant through the 2016 All-Star recreation on the maiden episode of his podcast this week.
“Me and Kobe meet at the scorer’s table,” George said. “I’m geekin’. In my mind, it was like, ‘Damn. They could play all day. Fu*k we could chill right here, me and you. … I’m talking to him, I’m like, ‘Kob, I think I’m going for it.’ And we laughed about it. And he’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s how it starts.’ You make the first couple of baskets, and you know it’s your night. And he’s like, ‘Go get it. Go for it.’”
Loved with the ability to share this particular story and second with Kobe! MISS YOU massive bro 🙏🏾❤️ @podcastpshow pic.twitter.com/yfmd8wDzfd
— Paul George (@Yg_Trece) March 6, 2023
PG-13 did in actual fact, go for it.
He went off for 41 factors in that recreation and set an All-Star Game file with 9 three-pointers, along with his factors haul only one level shy of the file on the time, set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962.
“To meet Kobe halfcourt, share that moment — the dopest sh*t ever,” George stated.
