<p id=”par-1_53″>Following the release of the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/michael-jackson-biopic-box-office-records.html/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Michael Jackson biopic, <em>Michael</em></a>, there’s been no storage of<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/spike-lee-described-michael-jackson-brother-defending-controversial-biopic.html/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”> celebrities sharing personal memories</a> and stories about the King of Pop. One that has been circulating on the internet is about another icon gone too soon, who spoke about the influence Jackson had on him and his career. </p>
<p id=”par-2_51″>People have been sharing a clip from several years back of <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/kobe-bryant/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Kobe Bryant</a> talking about what Jackson taught him and even being “intimidated” by MJ. Yes, the man who coined the “Mamba Mentality” mindset of relentless dedication and unwavering focus admitted that he was intimidated by Jackson’s work ethic. </p>
<p id=”par-3_12″>During an appearance on <em><a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LNT4QxVO34″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Jimmy Kimmel Live</a></em>, Bryant spoke about that. </p>
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<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-width=”550″ data-dnt=”true”><p lang=”ht” dir=”ltr”>When Kobe met Michael Jackson <img src=”https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72×72/1f440.png” alt=”👀” class=”wp-smiley” style=”height: 1em; max-height: 1em;” /> <a href=”https://t.co/SvCEqd8S37″>pic.twitter.com/SvCEqd8S37</a></p>— Kobe Bryant Stories & Motivation (@kobehighlight) <a href=”https://twitter.com/kobehighlight/status/2050620979370729716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>May 2, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
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<p id=”par-4_80″>“He really showed me his process, how he sold $50 million off <em>Thriller</em>,” Bryant recalled. “He showed me how he composed songs, how he structured them, how he trained, who inspired him. He walked me step by step, things he learned from them, how it made him a better entertainer. How he studied The Beatles, how he broke down every single note, it’s fascinating stuff. I thought I was working hard until I met him. I was like, ‘Yo, dude!’”</p>
<p id=”par-5_50″>Bryant also told a funny story about how he visited <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/lionel-richie-was-terrorized-at-michael-jacksons-home-by-his-animals-while-writing-we-are-the-world.html/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Jackson’s Neverland Ranch</a> and became nervous during the trip because his car was running low on gas and there were no nearby gas stations. When he mentioned that, Jackson casually responded, “Don’t worry, we have one on the ranch.” </p>
<p id=”par-6_34″>Kobe was stunned to discover that the property actually had its own fully functional private gas station, but also grateful that he was able to get gas there before his trip back home. </p>