2015-16 will forever be etched in NBA history as the swansong of one of the greatest to ever grace the hardwood, the late great Kobe Bean Bryant. Bryant was on his last leg after going through a nearly career-ending injury. Despite his accomplishments, Kobe never lost his competitive drive. He still aimed for excellence despite his body slowly giving up on him. Former Lakers teammate Lou Williams, who was present for his encore, spoke about an incident on the “All The Smoke” podcast which perfectly encapsulates the Mamba’s spirit. Williams recounts a night post a blowout loss in Portland, where the apex assassin came out. Kobe stormed into the locker room after the loss and threatened to freeze his teammates out if they did not raise their standards.
Kobe had a legendary farewell tour and gave it his all in every arena he stepped into as a thank you to all the fans who showed up for him night in and night out. He never believed in resting or taking days off. This, at some point, rubbed off on his teammates. If it didn’t, he’d take action in true Kobe fashion.
Kobe Bryant’s fiery challenge
The 2015-16 Lakers were largely a young team consisting of upcoming players such as Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell, and a few veterans such as Roy Hibert and Lou Williams. Kobe Bryant wasn’t the All-Star that he used to be but did show us flashes of the ability that made him one of the greatest ever, such as the 61-point performance in the last game of his career. Kobe’s body might have been giving up on him during his final season but his mind and soul were still that of an apex assassin’s.
The Lakers got blown out in a game against Damian Lillard’s Portland Trail Blazers. Kobe being Kobe was not having it with the loss nor the way his teammates reacted to it. As recounted by Lou Williams, a teammate and witness to the scene, Kobe made his intentions crystal clear in the locker room.
“We got blownout in Portland, he came in the locker room and he was like, ‘From now on out everytime we go down the court I touch the ball, y’all are going to learn what it feels like to play with Kobe F****** Bean Bryant…’ I just feel like mentally he meant that shit but at that point his body wasn’t giving him what he wanted.”
However, there were a few such as Nick Young and Dwight Howard who were immune to Kobe’s jibes. Lou Williams’ portrayal of Young’s reaction to Kobe’s locker room tirade perfectly encapsulates Swaggy P’s personality,
“Nick Young’s playful ass. Nick walk in the locker room and told us, ‘Y’all better throw the m**** f***** the ball or thie is going to be some sh** around here.’ Nick never took anything serious dawg but we just got the shit kicked out of us and Kobe wasn’t going for it.”
When Kobe needed the ball… you got him the ball.
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Kobe’s legendary basketball IQ
Kobe’s brilliance extended beyond scoring titles and clutch shots. His series Detail has been a hit on ESPN and has given us a glimpse into what made Kobe one of the best. After all, this is the same guy who studied sharks to learn how to guard Allen Iverson!
Lou Williams, much like the rest of us, marveled at Kobe’s ability to dissect Steph’s play. Especially because he’s one of the hardest to track considering how fast he moves on the court. Here’s Lou’s recollection of Kobe’s analysis:
“I just remember him saying some sh*t. Every once in a while, I was just like ‘Damn he thinks different!’ One time we came in, we was playing Golden State and this was when Steph was starting to catch fire. He was starting to turn into ‘The Chef’… just kept saying, ‘I fu**ing found it!’ ‘He don’t like people standing on the side of him! [Steph] can shoot with you in front of him! He can shoot with you behind him! But on his side? He don’t like that!’ and we shut him down again!”
Kobe had a knack for finding weaknesses and he figured that Steph hated a player contesting from the side.
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