Kobe was open to joining Bulls, but worried about doing Jordan's legacy justice

With Kobe Bryant making his final visit as an NBA player to Chicago on Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers legend naturally fielded questions about the influence Michael Jordan had on his career.

Bryant said that he was open to becoming a member of the Bulls at the height of his public breakup with Shaquille O'Neal in 2004.

"My wife and I were actually planning travel arrangements to come out to Chicago to look at some homes and schools," Bryant said before Sunday's game, according to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson. "And then Shaq demanded a trade. And it was like, 'There's no way they're going to trade me anywhere.'"

"The Black Mamba" wouldn't have felt pressure to live up to Jordan's legacy, though. If he had become a Bull, all he would have concerned himself with was continuing the level of success "His Airness" had set for the franchise.

"If that trade had happened, it's not a pressure situation to live up to what he's done," Bryant said. "It's more like, 'OK, I'm carrying on this man's legacy. Can I do it justice? Can I represent Chicago the way it should be represented in his honor?'"

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Bryant has long credited Jordan as a mentor, once calling MJ his "muse." Their psychological approach to competition has long been comparable, and Kobe will retire with five NBA titles - one less than Jordan.

"No words can really do it justice," Bryant said. "What I found was (Jordan) was extremely open to having a mentor relationship, giving me a great amount of advice and amazing amount of detail - strategies, workout regimens."

One matchup with Jordan stuck out to Bryant early in his career.

"Getting schooled for a baseline dunk," Bryant said. "That was like the coolest thing because I had seen that spin move so many times. I knew he was going to do it. But the timing on TV and in person are two completely different things."