"Would they have gotten a vaccine? Don't know; Would they have had a fake vaccine card, probably” - 3x All-Star believes Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant would not have missed games over COVID-19 vaccine like Kyrie Irving

When it comes to the most competitive players in NBA history, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are two of the top names that come to mind. Their obsession with winning and perfecting their craft was a major catalyst in them becoming two of the game's greatest players. In total, the pair of guards have a combined 11 championship rings between them.

In the current generation, load management and missing time have been common themes among superstars. A prime example of this is Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving last season. When players were forced to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to return to play, the All-Star guard refused. Because of this, he was essentially a part-time player and couldn't play in the Nets' home games due to city mandates.

During a recent interview with "VLAD TV," former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas was asked to compare Irving's actions to the likes of Jordan and Bryant. He feels there isn't a scenario where either of the superstar guards would have missed time for a similar reason.

"I can't answer that correctly. I know that they wouldn't have missed no games. Would they have gotten a vaccine? Don't know. Would they would have had a fake vaccine card, probably."

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant would not have gone down a similar path as Kyrie Irving

Atlanta Hawks vs. Charlotte Hornets

As Gilbert Arenas said, knowing the kind of players they were, it's safe to say that Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant would not have missed time due to a vaccine mandate. If basketball was going on, they were going to be a part of the action.

Looking at their careers, it's evident that the two did not let anything stop them from being in the lineup for their team. Bryant had a broken finger on his shooting hand in the 2010 Finals and still managed to lead the LA Lakers to a title.

When it comes to the Chicago Bulls icon, everyone knows Jordan pushed his body to the absolute limit. To this day, the "flu game" is one of the most famous performances in NBA history. Despite battling a fever, he took the floor against the Jazz and helped the Bulls cement themselves as a dynasty.

Guys like Kobe and Jordan are a rare breed, and it's unlikely we'll ever see players like them again. If they were in a similar situation as Irving, they would not have willingly sat out and hung their team out to dry.

The two Hall of Famers gave everything they had to the game of basketball, and for that, we are forever grateful.