Kobe Bryant played with a lot of good players during his career. Even before he made it to the league straight out of high school, the Black Mamba was surrounded by talent.
Great as he was, Kobe never forgot where he came from and always remembered the people that helped him fulfill his dream of being an NBA player. For instance, his former high school teammate Evan Monsky reunited with the Los Angeles Lakers legend in 2015, and Kobe talked to him like they last talked a week before.
Back in 2015, while Kobe played his last season in the NBA, Monsky worked for NBC. He was in charge of covering Bryant’s last game in Philadelphia, trying to get the Mamba’s attention at any cost. First, he talked with Kobe’s teammates, asking them about their high school point guards.
After people found out he played with Kobe in high school, Monsky was ready to meet his former teammate. He asked Kobe about the best point guard he’s played with, and No. 24 selected him, delivering a great response (5:12).
Monsky: “Kobe, you played with a lot of great point guards. Derek Fisher, Brian Shaw… Me. Who would you say is the best point guard?”
Kobe: “The best passer was, without a shadow, Evan Monsky. No question. [Steve] Nash is a close second but Monsky… And you had a cast. We made those crazy no-look passes, so.”
Kobe really remembered his former teammate and this big detail about him. After that, Monsky met with other former teammates at Wells Fargo Center to recall their time with Bryant.
He also had the chance to talk with Kobe one-on-one, bragging about his privilege of talking to KB24 while other reporters waited to see the man. In the end, he told the 5x NBA champion the people in Philly were proud of him, and the Black Mamba thanked him before they shook hands and said goodbye.
Kobe was really something else. He never forgot the people that were there for him before he became an NBA player, and this moment was wholesome. The exchange between the player and his former teammate was so genuine that you can’t help but smile seeing them talk about simple things like suits.
