Kobe Bryant wasn’t afraid of going after the people that tested him and dared to talk bad things about him or his game. The Los Angeles Lakers legend showed that throughout his entire career but some people didn’t learn until Kobe demonstrated he wasn’t somebody to play with. That is what happened with Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban, who recommended the Lakers to cut Kobe trying to ease their finances.
Cuban named the amnesty clause that would let the Lakers avoid paying his contract since the Lakers were really deep into the luxury tax and cutting Kobe wasn’t actually something crazy to say. Well, Kobe wasn’t having any of that and two days after Cuban made those claims, the Lakers faced the Dallas Mavericks. Kobe, 34 at the time, unleashed all his power and dominated the Mavs, finishing the game with 38 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a 103-99 victory for the purple and gold.
https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1325653823306731520
After the game, Bryant took to Twitter to send a message to Cuban and the Mavs, telling them to amnesty his impressive performance.
Amnesty THAT
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) February 24, 2013
“I’m sure if (Cuban) wants to amnesty Dirk (Nowitzki), that’s something we’ll be willing to entertain,” Bryant told news reporters after the game, via USA Today.
Good thing this didn’t escalate more than necessary. Kobe’s career was linked to the Mavericks on more than one occasion for good or bad. When he passed away last January 26, Cuban decided to retire his number, even though he was close to landing in Dallas but never did it.
“Kobe was an ambassador for our game, a decorated legend and a global icon. Above all, he was a loving and dedicated father,” Cuban wrote in a statement. “Kobe’s legacy transcends basketball, and our organization has decided that the number 24 will never again be worn by a Dallas Maverick.”
It looks like Cuban eventually amnestied that game and nobody can ever wear No. 24 with the Mavs.
