One of the first calls Kyrie Irving made after winning the NBA title wasn’t to a family member or a lifelong friend, but to somebody that had been there before.
Irving revealed during an interview with ThePostGame that he FaceTimed Kobe Bryant after he got into the locker room:
I actually FaceTimed Kobe after the game as soon as I got in the locker room. Other than seeing my dad and my sister right after we won,FaceTiming him was just a great thing, knowing how he has won five and I just won my first. Then realizing how hard it is just to win one, my respect for him is already high, but it went to another level knowing that he’s got five of them. I’m trying to get a second one.
The two played together in Team USA’s camp before the 2012 London Olympics, and have remained friends ever since. It also kinda makes sense when you think about it. Both players are — in Kobe’s case, was — great offensive players, and have similar mentalities. Although Kyrie is certainly not deemed quite the killer that Kobe was.
Irving went into depth about what they discussed, as well as how they handled their relationship during the title run:
[Bryant] was telling me congrats. I had been speaking to him throughout the entire playoffs and during the season. During the Finals, we didn’t really talk as much, because for me, I wanted to experience it full on, and if I needed his help, I would reach out to him. He would send me some texts here and there, but mainly he kind of let me be, and let me grow into my own space.
There are certainly worse players out there to have as a mentor than Kobe Bryant, for plenty of reasons. He’s a winner, and he’s dealt with controversy with teammates, just as Irving did this season with the Cavaliers.
It’s also nice to see Bryant looking out for the future of the league in helping young stars.
