The Los Angeles Lakers have been fortunate enough to employ some of the greatest players in NBA history, including franchise legend Kobe Bryant who led the organization to five championships during his illustrious 20-year career.
Bryant went from high school phenom to a league star almost immediately and he revitalized a Lakers franchise that had largely struggled during the 1990s. At Bryant’s peak, he was the NBA’s most dangerous scorer as he could beat an opponent in numerous ways on the floor. He left behind a strong legacy as numerous athletes have used him for their own motivation due to his desire to win at any cost.
There were several players over the years that tried to contain him, including former teammate Trevor Ariza, who had his fair share of battles with the Black Mamba. Ariza teamed up with Bryant to help Los Angeles capture the 2009 NBA Championship and the two later became good friends off the floor.
In an appearance on All The Smoke, Ariza called Bryant the toughest player he had to guard but also name-dropped Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant as difficult covers:
This list is filled with buckets ?
Trevor Ariza gave us his toughest players to guard during his NBA career.
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Ariza was a high-end 3-and-D role player during his playing days and often got tasked with guarding the best scoring threat on opposing teams. In the video clip, Ariza said Bryant was the hardest person to defend because the shooting guard never stopped moving on the floor and got to his spots no matter what.
However, Ariza also explains that Anthony was difficult to guard because he was overly physical while Durant was naturally gifted and talented as a scoring threat. All three players will be in the Hall of Fame someday, with Bryant already earning honors previously.
Lakers and Vanessa Bryant renovated gym, add Kobe & Gianna Bryant mural at Nickerson Gardens
Even off the court, Bryant was a fixture in the Los Angeles community as he would often host and run youth basketball camps. Recently, Bryant’s wife Vanessa Bryant and the Lakers organization teamed up to renovate a gym and unveil a new mural of Bryant and their daughter Gianna at Nickerson Gardens to celebrate and honor his legacy in the greater Los Angeles area.
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