This week, the Hardwood Paroxysm Basketball Network is spending a week unpacking Kobe Bryant. Not for any reason in particular—he’s not retiring anytime soon, his team is terrible and he’s not even playing for the rest of this season. Still, he’s as fascinating a character as the NBA has ever produced and gives us more than enough to chew on for a week-long deep dive. We’ve had podcasts, time-traveling high school scouting reports, power rankings, spatial analysis, and all manner of written perspectives. For our group post here at Fansided, HP Basketball Network writers are sharing a few of their favorite Kobe memories.
Nobody Disrepects Mr. Bean
by Derek James (@DerekJamesNBA) — Hardwood Paroxysm
I was listening to a podcast, and can’t remember who said it — I want to say Avery Johnson –but they said that one great thing about Kobe Bryant was that he never talked trash and would run back on defense after a big shot without three goggles or the like. To this, I would like to say that I respectfully disagree.
There was a game in Minnesota in 2009, or so, where Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were in town. The Lakers were leading and the crowd had been booing Bryant because he’s Kobe Bryant. Bryant is at the line shooting free throws. He makes the first, but misses the second.
But Bryant catches the rebound, and slashes through the lane for a reverse layup in traffic. Did Bryant only high five his teammates as he ran back on defense? No, of course not; he glared at the crowd with a “How do you like me now?” grin on his face.
Think about this: Bryant’s title contending Lakers were beating one of the then-worst teams in the league and still felt the need to stick it to the crowd.
Now, let’s be clear, I have no problem with this; it’s a part of what makes Bryant who he is. Let’s just not pretend Bryant wasn’t above a little competitive trash talk or to twist the knife into a jeering road crowd.
I’ve seen Bryant as a rookie and I was there when he passed Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list. Yet, this is still my favorite Bryant moment because it exemplifies everything I love about him: talented, but competitive as hell.
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