"He has the attitude of a champion" - When Kobe Bryant revealed his favorite teammate ever

In a vintage interview shot during his playing years, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant revealed that his favorite teammate of all time was Derek Fisher . According to the "Black Mamba," he respected how Fisher brought the championship mentality to every team they were on together.

"I played with, I'd say, Derek Fisher. Just because he has the attitude of a champion. That stuff is really hard to find; a person that has that kind of grit and that togetherness and that makes no excuses, gets it done by any means necessary. He's been my favorite teammate of all time," Bryant said .

One guy Kobe could always count on

As a Lakers fan who grew up watching Bryant and those teams he led alongside Pau Gasol , this isn't a surprise. Yes, D-Fish might not be considered as good as Gasol and O'Neal, but it was clear Kobe appreciated the leadership the point guard brought to the team.

I would even say that Bryant wouldn't have his last two championships if it weren't for Fisher. There's a reason why he chased after D-Fish in 2007 to return to L.A. when the latter played for the Utah Jazz.

Fisher will be known not only for the five championships he won in Los Angeles but also for the unforgettable clutch moments he had in the Playoffs. Remember when he hit those two dagger clutch three-pointers during Game 4 of the 2009 NBA Finals? Or in Game 3 of the 2010 NBA Finals when he hit that and-one layup to ice the game against the Celtics and re-take home-court advantage? Let's not forget the classic game-winner Derek nailed with 0.4 seconds left in the series against the San Antonio Spurs in 2004.

The player Kobe wished he played with

In the same interview, Bryant was asked who he wished he teamed up with, and his answer was also no other than his idol, Michael Jordan. He felt he and Mike would've gone at it every single day in practice and brought out the best in each other en route to winning a championship.

"Players I played against, I'd really enjoy being teammates with (Michael) Jordan because I just feel like practices would be very interesting. It's like you go to practice, and you know it's on. That's really the fun of it, it's going to practice every day and compete, and it makes you better when you have teammates that push you and stuff like that, and that would be really, really fun," Kobe said.

The late Lakers legend valued what D-Fish brought to the table the same way he appreciated how Jordan helped him maximize his basketball gifts. That's why, for every Kobe fan out there, these answers aren't surprising.

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