Kobe Bryant‘s been oddly-active on Twitter over the last few days issuing challenges to fellow athletes, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and John Wall are his latest targets.
On Aug. 24, Kobe Bryant dropped his latest signature sneaker — the Nike Kobe AD “Mamba Mentality” pack. The release is comprised of five sneakers that are each a different color — red, purple, yellow, gray and blue. Each color represents a different emotion, and Kobe’s tweet storm alluded to that.
The Mamba challenged five individuals to complete a task either in their profession or their community. Isaiah Thomas and DeMar DeRozan were the first up. Kobe wants Thomas to make the All-NBA First Team next season, and he challenged DeRozan to “rekindle a lost friendship from your youth in Compton.” Next, he focused on rap megastar Kendrick Lamar, asking the Compton-born MC to partner with his record label and “revolutionize the music program at Centennial High School,” which K.Dot attended.
Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix was next, and Bryant wants to see her coaching the sprinters at the Special Olympics. Lastly, there’s Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, who Kobe tasked with breaking the Seahawks’ single season interception record.
In the days following that binge, people have directed numerous tweets at the Mamba asking for their challenge, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Washington Wizards. Kobe caught wind of those two after pushing through the noise. The 39-year-old wants to see Giannis win the MVP and Wall land on the All-Defensive first team. Both of those are rational.
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) August 27, 2017
Antetokounmpo’s fourth season was a historic one. After averaging 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists (along with incredible defense), he got named the NBA’s Most Improved Player and finished seventh in the MVP voting. If he explodes again, and the Milwaukee Bucks build on last year, nothing is stopping Giannis from winning the MVP.
Wall landed on the All-Defensive second team back in 2015. This year, he got nothing; Patrick Beverley and Chris Paul secured first-team placements, and Tony Allen and Danny Green occupied the second-team. Is Wall a better defender than those four? Arguably. He’s got all the physical and athletic traits to put the clamps on anyone. Quick hands and anticipation make Wall a beast in the passing lanes, and no other NBA collected more steals (157) than him this year.
1st team all defense https://t.co/zbee5KUe6h
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) August 27, 2017
However, an increasing load on offense has impacted the other end of the floor. With star players, that’s expected. For Wall to fulfill the Mamba’s wishes, he’s going to have to find the perfect balance, but also pray that the voters see what he’s seeing.
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