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Brooklyn Nets’ Deron Williams responds to Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant

By Andrew Melnick

Nov 20, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) is defended by Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) is defended by Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports /
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Brooklyn Nets’ point guard Deron Williams is coming off an injury riddled season that also saw him really under-perform by his standards.

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Los Angeles Lakers’ guard Kobe Bryant believes that Williams psyched himself out last season.

“I would go 0-30 before I would go 0-9.  0-9 means you beat yourself, you psyched yourself out of the game, because Deron Williams can get more shots in the game,” Bryant said via Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated. “The only reason is because you’ve just now lost confidence in yourself.”

Williams didn’t take kindly to Bryant’s comments and fired back.

“I’m a point guard,” Williams said about adopting Bryant’s mentality via The Brooklyn Game. “If I’m 0-for-f**king-9, I’m not shooting 20 more shots. Not going to happen. I’m a point guard. I’m going to find somebody else. Kobe Bryant, that’s what he’s supposed to do. He’s got that mentality. That works for him, I got my mentality, it works for me.”

Both players are actually in similar situations, trying to fight off age and injuries so you’d think they’d each be a little more understanding of each other.

Williams averaged just 14.3 points, 6.1 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 45.0% from the field, 36.6% from three and 80.1% from the free throw line. last season.  In his nine-year career, the third-overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft has put up 17.4 points, 8.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.3% from the floor, 35.7% from three and 81.7% from the foul line. Bryant averaged 13.1 points, 6.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 42.5% from the field, 18.8% from beyond the arc and 85.7% from the free throw line. In his storied career, he has averaged 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 45.4% from the field, 33.5% from three and 83.8% from the charity stripe.

Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league as we get you ready for the start of the 2014-2015 season.

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