02-05-2025
"The only difference is that gripper" - Craig Hodges said Michael Jordan's hands made him better than Kobe Bryant
Former NBA 3-point king Craig Hodges had the unique privilege of playing with a peak Michael Jordan and working out with a young Kobe Bryant. Hodge won back-to-back titles as a member of the Chicago Bulls in 1991 and 1992. Then, from 2005-11, he was a shooting coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, and during that period, he got to work out with the one-time MVP.
So, during Hodges' recent appearance on the "All the Smoke" podcast, co-host Matt Barnes asked him what the difference was between "His Airness" and "The Black Mamba." Craig said there was only one.
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"Right hand," said Hodges. "When Kobe would be going to the line to shoot two, MJ was going to shoot 'And 1.' A lot of them knocks that Kobe had to shoot with two hands when that knock happened to MJ, put that bad boy over here. (actions palming the ball to one side) You know what I'm saying? That, to me, is the only difference. The only difference is that gripper."
One of the largest hands in NBA history
MJ was known for his 48-inch vertical leap, which is tied with Darrell Griffith as the highest in NBA history. That jump enabled MJ to seemingly float on air and remain airborne longer than ordinary people. It was that vertical that allowed the six-time champ to produce the flashy dunks that made him "Air Jordan." But that wasn't what made Mike unstoppable.
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At 9.75"/11.375" (length/span), Jordan owned one of the largest hands in the history of the NBA. For reference, L.A. Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, who is taller than MJ by at least an inch, has a hand size slightly smaller at 9.75"/11.25" (length/span). We call Kawhi "The Klaw" because of his hands. That hand not only allowed "His Airness" to palm the ball and score easily or get steals on defense, but also gave him elite handles.
"Man, I'm telling you. I done seen this brother make like he gonna do a crossover. And you know ( actions pulling the ball back)...Come on, man. Him and Dr. J, them hands…Come on, man. You know what I'm saying. The creator know who should have what. This is what you need to do, what's on your mind that you gonna do, and there it is," added the three-time 3-point shootout winner.
Related: "If I get a day off and come get 40 like I used to, they don't have a problem with it" - Shaq on why he has issues when people say he didn't work hard
Kobe tried to offset that difference
As smart as Kobe was, he knew that Mike's large hands were the key to his game. Because of that, he worked hard to offset that disadvantage. Former Lakers guard Brian Shaw talked about how Kobe would strengthen his hands to palm the basketball.
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"He could palm the ball off the dribble and do stuff that Kobe couldn't do," said Shaw on Podcast P. "But even when he said that, then after that came out, Kobe, every time in the locker room, had vice grips, and he was strengthening his hands so that he could try to get to the point where he could palm the ball."
It's not hard to understand why MJ ended up as the GOAT. Not only was he a hard worker, but he was also physically endowed like no other. But perhaps more impressive than that is how Kobe rose from the ranks of mortals to gods with sheer determination and hard work.
Related: "His ability to push everyone around him to the next level" - Dominique Wilkins on why he considers only Kobe Bryant in the same category as Michael Jordan
