The history between Kobe Bryant and Byron Scott goes all the way back to 1996. Kobe was a 17-year-old rookie drafted straight out of high school while Scott was a seasoned veteran from the Showtime era of the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Even though a lot of people at the time viewed Kobe as cocky and arrogant, Scott, who referred to Bryant as “Showboat” during his rookie season, felt as if there were much more to this young kid from Philadelphia.
Earlier this week, Scott made an appearance on TWCSportsNet’s “Through The Lens” to take a trip down memory lane. Mentoring a young Kobe was a topic of discussion with Scott saying the following about Bryant:
“I knew I was looking at the start of something special. I knew from day one when I saw him on the basketball court. I said, ‘This kid is special.’”
There was an 18-year age difference between Kobe and Scott who were set to play the same position at shooting guard. Bryant was a flashy young player out to prove something and Scott was on the verge of retirement returning to the Lakers after three seasons of playing elsewhere.
Scott talks about Kobe being compelled to be great right out of the gate and reminisces on his days playing alongside Magic Johnson as a member of the Showtime Lakers.
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