"I'm Better Than Mike": Lamar Odom Shares Wild Story About Kobe Bryant's Personal Mantra

It’s no secret that the late Kobe Bryant patterned his game after Michael Jordan. There’s a difference, however, between heartwarming stories and tales of borderline basketball lunacy.

On this week’s episode of the “Cousins” podcast, former Lakers forward Lamar Odom shared a story about Bryant having some “me” time in the most literal way possible. Even after all these years, Odom sounded like he was in disbelief as he recalled that moment.

“He was on a streak, like nine game-winners. When he hit his ninth one, we were in Milwaukee. You know how your adrenaline is still pumping after a game?” Odom asked podcast co-hosts Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. “He’s talking to himself. This n**ga is murmuring, ‘I’m better than Mike.’”

What’s even more bizarre is that McGrady confirmed the existence of Bryant’s mantra. “When I used to stay with him at his house, he was saying the same thing,” T-Mac testified.

It’s worth noting that Bryant was in his teens when Gatorade’s popular “Be Like Mike” jingle hit the airwaves. Clearly, the young prodigy went from wanting to emulate the Chicago Bulls icon to pursuing the title of MJ’s successor.

While countless NBA athletes have tried to apply Jordan’s blueprint in their own careers, no one came closest to His Airness than Bryant. From the turnaround jumper on the low block to the commitment on the defensive end, all the way to the stoic demeanor on the court, Kobe left no stone unturned in his personal “Be Like Mike” campaign.

The end result: Bryant won five NBA titles, just one short of MJ’s six. While Jordan ended up with more NBA MVP and Finals MVP awards on his resume, Bryant did surpass him in other metrics like length of playing career, All-NBA selections, and All-Star nods.

Did Bryant become definitely better than Jordan? That’s for the barber shop debates to settle. One thing’s for sure, though: Pro-Kobe and pro-MJ fans alike will marvel at the obsession of an all-time great to supplant a legend that came before him.