Kobe Bryant was called a lot of things, and petty isn’t usually the word that’s associated with the late Lakers legend. But former Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah relived an incident that changes that perception.
Noah had a decorated 13-year run in the NBA, and perhaps one of his best memories with Bryant didn’t come when they were on an NBA court, but off of it.
Speaking on JJ Redick’s The Old Man & The Three podcast, the former DPOY revealed the time Bryant acted petty towards LeBron James. The story also involved President Barrack Obama.
The 37-year-old spoke about how a select few received an invite from the former POTUS for a pick-up game on his 50th birthday. While he sat on the sidelines watching the game, he couldn’t help but notice how petty Bryant was.
“So I’m sitting next to Kobe… LeBron gets a steal. He’s on the break. So obviously, when LeBron catches the ball on the break, it’s a sight to see. Everybody’s watching like, ‘What is he gonna do?’ And I just remember, Kobe turns around and starts talking to me about something completely — he didn’t even want to acknowledge the dunk. I was like, ‘Okay, I know I’m sick, but this guy is sick as hell, too. This guy won’t even acknowledge.’ That said a lot to me. … He didn’t want the visual of him watching LeBron dunk. He didn’t want that picture of him looking.”
It’s not really surprising to see Bryant pull off a move, and what makes it a heartwarming and hilarious tale is how Noah puts it out as.
NBA Fans React To Joakim Noah’s Story About A ‘Petty’ Kobe Bryant
Black Mamba fans were emotional when they heard Noah’s story. Quite recently, the late star was a massive talking point in Netflix’s ‘The Redeem Team,’ which traced the journey of the 2008 Olympics team, where James and Bryant were teammates.
Now, Noah’s tale brings yet another good story out of the vault. Here are some of the responses from Kobe’s fans.
The funniest thing with these stories is no matter how absurd it sounds, we can all picture Kobe doing exactly that
These Kobe stories never disappoint bro lmao never get caught lacking
ESPN We Need A 30 For 30 : Entitled “Mamba Memories” With Celebs, Close Friends, Etc Giving Kobe Memories & Untold Stories I Love Hearing Them I Miss Kobe Man Long Live An All-Time Great !
These Kobe stories always great
This generation has been so blessed to have these moments go down in history. Kobe, Lebron & company, playing pickup with the President. Love you, Kobe
This clip alone is gonna make me watch the whole interview! This is classic!
Unreal but I think we can all see Kobe doing that RIP MAMBA️
Gotta love the black mamba there’s nobody like him may he rest in heaven
Kobe stories are amazing cause u know 99% there true lol
Kobe was such a great player and person, even as serious as we see him compete on the court, he still has those little moments like this that make you chuckle, he was sick when LeBron became the better player in the league and never let it go, ultimate competitor
There’s no denying that the reverence for Bryant shot up after his unfortunate death, but stories such as these will always bring a smile to every Laker and the late legend’s fans.
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