Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan: Black Mamba Says MJ is Like a Big Brother to Him

Kobe Bryant is apparently tired of constantly being compared to the long-retired NBA superstar Michael Jordan.

"I don't even care", he said about his thoughts about passing Michael Jordan on the list of NBA's best scorers soon. Kobe said in an article by Yahoo! Sports, "I don't even know how many points he has."

In an MSN report, Bryant is just 127 points away from passing Michael Jordan on the all-time NBA scoring list. He is expected to surpass His Airness before Christmas 2014.

He said in an article by Bleacher Report, "Nineteen years is a long time to be playing, and I've had a different career path than Michael. It has been a hell of a marathon. I'm really proudest of that."

Kobe told Bleacher Report that it was a great experience for him to play in a basketball era when several of the greatest were still active such as Clyde Drexler, Anfernee Hardaway, Gary Payton, Charles Barkley, Hakeen Olajuwon and John Stockton, among others. He stated that he was a constant leaner, not afraid to admit things that he does not know and always asked questions to learn more.

He talked about his relationship with Michael Jordan in the same article by Bleacher Report, "We hit it off very well. He was really like a big brother, and whether it's because we see things in a similar way in terms of our competitive spirit or fire or whatever the case may be, there's an understanding that we have --- a connection that we have.

The Lakers shooting guard continued, "I don't know if he opened up with me more than he did with other players, I'm not sure. I don't know if other players had the balls even to ask. But we have a really, really good relationship."

He also shared to Bleacher Report that he used to get irked when being compared to Jordan, "The thing that I always bristled at was the notion that I learned everything that I know from Michael. That's just not true. Hakeem Olajuwon deserves a lot of credit; Jerry West deserves a lot of credit. Oscar Robertson deserves a lot of credit. I really was a student of the game and watched everybody."

He added, "I've always welcomed the comparison to Michael if it's in competitive spirit or in terms of records that I may set. I've always been cool with that. To be in that kind of company is...is...is...crazy, for lack of a better term. Rare air."