"I thought I was going to sneak through the back door" - Kobe Bryant details how media hype forced him to accelerate his rise

Kobe Bryant never shied away from the pressure of being dubbed the next Michael Jordan. Still, he admits he was taken aback by how fast everything turned out. According to the late Los Angeles Lakers icon, he planned to let his career run its natural course instead of taking the bull by the horns.

However, to his surprise, that opportunity was not afforded him, so he had to resort to Plan B.

"I wanted eventually to be one of the best players in the league. I just didn't know that other people would urge me to be that right now. Everybody's expecting me to be the next Michael. I thought I was going to sneak through the back door. Now I'll have to go about it a different way," Bryant said, per Chris Mundy of Vanity Fair.

Kobe's backup plan was to go all out

To counter Bryant's point, how did he expect people to lay off him when he was trying to make noise every chance he got? He took singer Brandy to prom in a highly publicized move and held a press conference announcing that he was taking his talents to the NBA.

Moreover, NBA fans, in general, were looking for somebody to pick up the mantle as they knew MJ's retirement was on the horizon. The Lower Merion product's flashy and flamboyant style was perfect for the job description.

Kobe had his moments in his rookie year, but they came and went. He started the season with a broken hand, so he could not take part in the team's training camp in 1997. Bryant was playing behind Eddie Jones, a third-year shooting guard who was about to make the All-Star team.

Bryant's second season was more like it. Although he was still coming off the bench, he played significant minutes (26.4). He was essential to the Lakers' faster, run-and-gun approach. By December 1997, the one-time MVP had generated enough buzz heading into a road game against Jordan and the Bulls that the franchise grew uneasy.

According to Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated, the Lakers' director of public relations, John Black, tried to warn Kobe about the media's attempts to impose the "next MJ" narrative. The 19-year-old did not flinch.

"It doesn't bother me. I expect to be that good," Kobe responded to Black.

Despite the 104-83 blowout loss, Bryant made an excellent account of himself. He scored 33 points off the bench to lead the Purple and Gold without Shaquille O'Neal, while His Airness dropped 36. Of course, without the Big Fella, the Lakers stood no chance, but Bryant came to compete.

From there, Kobe's star continued to rise. He became the youngest All-Star Game starter in February and started a string of 18 consecutive selections.

Related: Court documents expose Michael Jordan's massive financial risks in his legal war with NASCAR

Bryant was a willing participant

To Bryant's credit, he never ran away from the conversation, and he never intended to. If anything, the MJ comparisons clarified the path he should take. From that point on, the "sneaking through the back door" scenario is practically thrown out of the window.

It was up for debate whether Kobe indeed got to Mike's level. As a player, MJ had more hardware and accolades, plus he changed how the sneaker game is played. However, Kobe taught a generation how to think about the game and approach life with the same intensity.

He may have fallen short of his basketball goal to be greater than Jordan, but boy did he come close.

Related: Paul Pierce says Kobe Bryant was never the face of the NBA

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.