A former teammate reveals the Kobe Bryant dark side you didn't know about!

When someone is talking about the Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, they usually are telling stories about how great he was, his work ethic, and the strong mentality that made him different from the rest of the NBA players.

But former Kobe teammates Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel have a different story that uncovers a darker side of the Lakers legend. It is no secret that Kobe Bryant looked up to Michael Jordan as his ultimate idol; he wanted to be like him and outdo Jordan.

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Kobe was so obsessed with MJ that they even stole some tapes from Nick Van Exel, only to memorize Jordan's moves. "Everything that MJ did, Kobe did like the chewing of the gum, the walking, the moves, the footwork," Van Exel said. 

"I used to have VHS tapes back in the day full of highlights of MJ. Kobe asked to borrow them, and I have never seen those tapes again. He would laugh. 'No, mother--er, I want my tapes.''" said Nick.

Kobe Bryant led the Olympics "Redeem team."

The Black Mamba was so obsessed with winning that he led after Coach K asked him for help with the U.S. Olympic team for 2008, the name "Redeem Team," after a disastrous previous Olympics when the American team failed to win. Kobe even played defense against the rival's best players instead of focusing on scoring; that's how much he wanted to win.