Nov. 30--Taj Gibson played his college ball at USC and got to know Kobe Bryant behind the scenes.
Bryant's legendary competiveness sometimes spilled into combativeness, but Gibson had nothing but positive words for the Lakers' superstar, who announced Sunday he will retire following this, his 20th NBA season.
"Unbelievable guy. Just a great guy. A superstar," Gibson said. "Every time you would hear about Kobe from barbershops to street basketball corners, the city of L.A. loved Kobe."
Gibson said he dined with Bryant in group settings occasionally and Bryant always made sure USC had the latest model of his signature basketball shoes.
"He told me about being patient, loved how I played," Gibson said. "Just mentoring, just giving, just talking about the game. There was a lot of good nights just vibing with him, asking about different players, asking about the game, and what he did at night. He was a great guy.''
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg played against Bryant and agreed with a question about Bryant being the closest thing to Michael Jordan since the Bulls superstar played.
"What he accomplished, the way he did it, the way he scored it, the tough shots that he hit, the fadeaways, the athleticism he did it with, the grace, yeah, I think he probably is the closest thing to Michael," Hoiberg said.
The Lakers visit the Bulls Feb. 21 in their lone visit to the United Center. The Bulls face Bryant in Los Angeles on Jan. 28.
