Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant became one of the most prolific scorers ever during his 20-year career, commonly being compared to Michael Jordan. However, what comes with being a dominant scorer is getting the opposing team’s best defenders trying to make their life harder and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green got his crack at Bryant during his rookie season.
The one thing about Bryant is that he never lost confidence, no matter how well he was playing or who was defending him. Even if he is shooting poorly, Kobe could still strike a dagger into his opponents in the fourth quarter by making shots when they matter.
Gaining another perspective on this, Green shared a story from his rookie season attempting to talk trash to Bryant and the Lakers legend had a hilarious response, via Jimmy Kimmel Live:
“I remember I walk into the locker room on the first day. I’m sitting next to Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson], I’m like, ‘Damn, we going to talk trash to everybody!’ And they were like, ‘Man, you on your own, we don’t do that.’ I’m like, ‘Y’all better talk trash with me or we’re going to have a problem.’ So, I go out, being the dumb rookie that I am, and I try to trash talk Kobe Bryant. Mind you, I get into the game, I probably played 24 seconds that game. I get into the game for a defensive stop to take us into overtime to end regulation. And most people run a play, pin-down here, pin-down there and trying to get somebody open. Kobe just flashed to the ball. So he flashed to the ball and me and Kobe mono e mono and I lock up, sitting down. And we know what shot Kobe going to, shimmy, fadeaway over the left shoulder. He missed. I say, ‘Yeah! Let’s go baby, we going to overtime!’ He said, ‘Come on, young fella. That had nothing to do with you, I just missed.’ So, you get him back, ‘Yeah, alright! You know, I locked that up!’ Meanwhile, he just walk away looking like, ‘Man, whatever.’ It hurts. That was my first time playing against Kobe. Before that game, I missed all my pregame stuff because I watched all his pregame warmups starstruck. I sat there and watched it the entire time like this and I just watched it starstruck. I missed everything I was supposed to do and then we had that moment and he left me feeling like trash. It was unbelievable.”
Going back to the point where no opponent can get under Bryant’s skin, Green tried to do so in that moment. Mind games play a factor in the NBA and that is what made Bryant special because he never wavered.
Kobe Bryant game-worn jersey from torn Achilles game sells for $1.22 million
Unfortunately, Kobe Bryant suffered a torn Achilles in 2013 against Draymond Green and the Warriors, which is often viewed as a death wish for athletes. But it became a defining moment as Bryant embraced what he was dealing with and stepped to the line and drilled two free throws with a ruptured Achilles to help his team win the game. It was an inspiring moment and the jersey that he wore that night recently sold for $1.22 million in an auction.
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