Greivis Vasquez: 'Kobe Bryant is even more significant than Michael Jordan in terms of lifestyle'

Who are your Top 5 all-time players? Greivis Vasquez: Well, obviously, the first man is Michael Jordan. I grew up watching him, although I was really young. The reason I like Jordan is that he did it both on and off the floor. But he’s a different breed. His mindset was different. He didn’t want to be like anyone else, not even his peers. If you really understand who MJ was as a player, you can see his competitiveness and how far ahead he was from the rest. There were good players, and there were great players, but at that moment, he was the super great player. The second man, my idol, my hero, and someone who means everything to me, is Kobe Bryant. Unfortunately, he’s no longer with us physically, but his spirit lives on. The Mamba Mentality is a lifestyle. Kobe’s approach, education, and willpower were extraordinary. He’s the definition of a winner. For me, Kobe is even more significant than Michael in terms of lifestyle. He was a different guy. He spoke three or four different languages and even spoke to me in Spanish a few times. Coming from Caracas, Venezuela, and playing against your hero – money can’t buy that. I don’t take that for granted.

Source: HoopsHype

More on this storyline

What was more important to you: winning or money? Greivis Vasquez: I’ve always valued winning. If I had to take a pay cut to win championships, I would do that because I know it will benefit me in the long run. People remember winners more than those who just had a big contract without winning. Look at Scottie Pippen. He was underpaid, but people still talk about him because he was a winner. -via HoopsHype / September 19, 2024

Greivis Vasquez: In the NBA, 90 percent of players are role players. There’s only one LeBron James, one Steph Curry, and a few other superstars. The rest fulfill specific roles. Young players coming into the league shouldn’t focus on being the star, but on what they can bring to the team that’s different from the stars. My career was about fulfilling a role. I never had the chance to play for a team like Golden State, where a role player like Shaun Livingston thrived. But we were similar players, able to run a team. If I had been in the same position as him, I believe I could have done the same thing. You have to understand that most players in the NBA are there to complement the stars, not be the stars themselves. -via HoopsHype / September 19, 2024

Greivis Vasquez: Montrose changed my life for the better. I graduated high school with Kevin Durant, one of my great friends. It was a top basketball program, led by Hall of Fame high school coach Stu Vetter. David Atkins, who coached there, went on to coach Maryland’s women’s team and made the jump to the NBA as a great player development coach. So, Montrose was pivotal in shaping my basketball career. -via HoopsHype / September 19, 2024

Shaquille O'Neal: "When I first got to Miami, I said to D-Wade, ‘You heard a lot of stuff about me, but that’s not going to happen here. This is your team. I’m here to help you get a championship.’ I didn’t want the same issues I had with Kobe. I told Wade, ‘I came here because of you, and I need your help to get one more ring.’ We never had a problem. When we went down 0-2 in the Finals, we jumped on him. We said, ‘No, don’t look for us. You go to work.’ And he did. He took over the next four games and led us to the championship. That’s the difference between Wade and others. He had it from the beginning, and I respected him for it." -via YouTube / September 17, 2024

Shaquille O'Neal: "When I was playing with Kobe, people called him ‘Showboat.’ He came in trying to take over from day one, and we tried to slow him down. But he was relentless. Eventually, I realized, ‘Okay, I can’t slow him down, so I’ll use him.’ He was like a puppy that shows you his teeth when you spank him. That’s the kind of player I needed. I used to say things to make him mad on purpose because I knew that’s when he’d play his best. I’d tell him things like, ‘You’re not Michael Jordan,’ or ‘They got this kid LeBron in Cleveland who’s better than you.’ It wasn’t about hating him; I was motivating him. And when we won that first championship, people thought we hated each other. But look at the footage—who’s the first person I’m jumping into the arms of? Kobe." -via YouTube / September 17, 2024

All the Smoke Productions: “Kobe [Bryant], an old school throwback with a new school twist.” @DWilkins21 shares his special moment with the Lakers legend. -via Twitter / September 8, 2024

Davis also shared his Mount Rushmore of athletes turned businessmen. “I would say Magic [Johnson], ” said Baron Davis to Scoop B Radio. “Michael Jordan because he is the business AND the brand. Steve Young does a helluva job. I would also say Jose Bautista is another one and then Shaquille O’Neal. That would probably round it out.”  Speaking of Magic Johnson, Davis, a product of South Central Los Angeles, says that his relationship with Johnson began as a child when he’d watch him play pickup games. -via ScoopB.com / September 19, 2024

Antoine Walker on Michael Jordan: "Everything that man went through was all with the fellas, with the guys, working out, getting our bodies together, even to the point where we drink. He had a rule: ‘Look, we’re going to drink, no juice, all straight vodka. Like, ‘We ain’t going to mess these workouts up.’ You know what I’m saying? If you want to drink, if you want to have your drink, we’re going straight. No juice. Drink or don’t drink. You know what I mean? That’s what made it special. Everybody got held accountable. On the weekends, you do what you’re going to do, but Monday through Thursday, it's check-in time. Everybody put that work in. You were going to be at the gym all day long." -via YouTube / September 19, 2024

O’Neal went on to reveal how he intentionally employed motivational tactics that referenced both Michael Jordan and LeBron James to fuel Bryant’s competitive fire. “I used to say things to make him mad on purpose because I knew that’s when he’d play his best,” O’Neal shared. “I’d tell him things like, ‘You’re not Michael Jordan,’ or ‘They got this kid LeBron in Cleveland who’s better than you.’” Despite the intensity of their relationship on the court, O’Neal emphasized that the dynamic was never about personal conflict but rather a strategy to bring out the best in Bryant. “It wasn’t about hating him; I was motivating him,” he explained. Their bond was apparent, particularly during their first championship win. “When we won that first championship, people thought we hated each other. But look at the footage—who’s the first person I’m jumping into the arms of? Kobe.” -via Clutch Points / September 18, 2024

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Greivis Vasquez: 'Kobe Bryant is even more significant than Michael Jordan in terms of lifestyle'