Milwaukee Bucks icon Michael Redd could’ve been one of the greatest scorers of his generation if it weren’t for injuries. In his prime, Redd could score in bunches, as he was a pure shooter with a quick release that was impossible to contest.
“Redd Hot” torches the Black Mamba
Redd’s best year is arguably the 2006-07 season, where he averaged 26.7 points in the regular season and 27.2 points in the playoffs. His best game was a 45-point explosion against Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant in Tinseltown. Michael was 16-of-30 from the field, 5-of-9 from downtown, and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. The 6’6″ guard had it going on against one of the best players in history.
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Redd revealed that his 45-point outburst wasn’t just a stroke of luck or a ridiculously good night. He had been working on his game for years and had been training with Bryant himself. It is through those sessions that the one-time All-Star learned some tricks on offense — Michael might have also found gaps in Kobe’s defense that he could exploit.
“My greatest game ever was against him,” Redd said, via the “Legends of Sport” podcast. “We had worked out together. Behind the scenes, our trainers worked together. There were things that I learned from him. I think he gathered from me. But certainly learned a lot from him.”
“If you didn’t come to play against him, you were going to get destroyed. So, every time we played him, it was feast or famine or whatnot. I loved competing against him,” he added.
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The Redeem Team with Kobe
A couple of years later, Redd became teammates with Bryant on the 2008 Redeem Team. He got to know him at a personal level and saw a different side of the legendary figure. Michael also appreciated how generous Kobe was with his basketball knowledge.
“For those who didn’t know him well, [he ‘s very] funny, curious about life, [asks] lots of questions, a lot of late-night calls. I just enjoyed his conversation and breadth of information and knowledge. But from a playing standpoint, the ultimate competitor,” Michael added.
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“Redd Hot” also saw firsthand those famed Black Mamba workouts. Was it true that he was always in the gym? Were those 3 a.m. workouts myths? Michael once thought he was the first one in the gym until he saw Kobe in a full sweat, draining his signature shots.
“I figured I’d get in there early and lead by example for the younger guys,” Redd said in a different interview. “I get to the gym, and Kobe Bryant is already there, working hard, drenched in sweat. All he cared about was winning. I looked at him and shook my head. ‘Where have you been?’ Kobe asked.”
Redd discovered that Bryant was serious. He became the greatest of his generation due to his talent and hard work. As the likes of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James said, Kobe was the missing piece of Team USA — the true superstar that guided them to the gold.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.