Only a few people had a sense of just …

Only a few people had a sense of just how close Jordan and Bryant had become. “If you just watched them interact in a game, Kobe always was like a magnet going toward Michael,” said former Los Angeles Lakers general manager Jerry West. “Usually Michael didn’t really interact with a lot of players when he was on the court. He’d just play. But for some reason, he had this affinity for him.” West was close enough to both men to know that Bryant would text and call Jordan at all hours of the night. He knew they met for lunches and dinners — but not golf, because hell no, Bryant didn’t golf — when Jordan was in Los Angeles.