- George Karl looks back on his chat with Kobe Bryant in the 2010 All-Star game.
- Karl shares his argument with his five-year-old daughter
- Bryant reacts with laughter to Karl’s wholesome family story
During the height of his playing career, Kobe Bryant was an inspiration to countless kids around the world. With a mindset based on hard work, passion, and dedication to one’s craft, Bryant showed everyone what it meant to work for results and it earned him quite the following until the day he passed in 2020.
In a previous encounter with Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, former NBA coach George Karl told a story of his quarrel with his five-year-old daughter for her fandom over Bryant. According to Karl, she wanted Kobe to teach all of his players because Kobe was better than anyone on her dad’s team.
“I have a five-year-old daughter,” George told Kobe in the locker room during All-Star weekend. “She’s just starting to get into basketball and she knew I was going to be at All-Star. She asked, ‘Is Kobe gonna be there? I wanna talk to Kobe!’ And I go ‘Why do you want to meet Kobe Bryant, we don’t like those guys we want to kick their butts!’ And she goes ‘Well you should have Kobe teach your players. He’s better than your players!’ And I’m getting mad at my five-year-old daughter like, ‘You’re not supposed to be saying this right now!'”
George Karl shares a story about his five-year-old with Kobe Bryant. Nice moment here. pic.twitter.com/nqCf4Ka3cO
— Hubie Talks Hoops (@HubieTalksHoops) September 24, 2023
It’s moments like these that often get lost to time, but this encounter between Karl and Kobe was lucky enough to be caught on camera, and Karl himself found himself reflecting on this meeting after the video resurfaced on social media.
Kobe ❤️ https://t.co/BuWSOexx8s
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) September 25, 2023
Kobe Bryant Was The Ultimate Competitor
During his career, Kobe made a living out of torching his opponents on the floor but the biggest difference between him and other stars is his patented “mamba mentality” that continues to live on today. Whether it was during games, in practice, or in the All-Star game, Bryant was always looking for a win and his demand for excellence helped bring the best out of his teammates.
Today, this aspect of Kobe’s character is praised and revered, but the attitude also made Bryant a lot of enemies in his day. “When we’re in sports and we’re on teams, our natural instinct is to fit in, to be liked. Greatness doesn’t want to be liked. Nobody liked Kobe Bryant,” said Gilbert Arenas on the Lakers legend. “Like it’s funny when everybody had a Mamba Mentality. Everybody hated the Mamba Mentality. Y’all hated that he thought selfish like that. Now it’s okay.”
No matter how you feel about the Mamba Mentality, the practice helped Bryant achieve amazing success during his career and it also helped inspire millions around the world to achieve their own personal goals and ambitions. In the case of George Karl and his daughter, Bryant’s competitive code made it hard for them to hate him even though he was the enemy at the time.
Kobe Bryant Is One Of The All-Time Greats
Bryant’s character continues to be a talking point for his legendary career, but you shouldn’t overlook his achievements on the court. As an 18x All-Star, 5x champion, and 1x MVP, Kobe didn’t just talk a big game — he backed it up with big performances time and time again. During the 2010 season, the time of the video with Karl, Kobe was at the peak of his powers with a scoring average of 27 points per game on 45% shooting. Love him or hate him, Bryant’s greatness cannot be questioned and his impact on the game itself is undeniable.
Sadly, the Lakers legend isn’t around to share his own perspective anymore but his legacy lives on through his family, friends, and the countless stories from people he touched during his time here on earth.
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