Kobe Bryant was regarded as one of the most skilled players to ever play the game of basketball. There weren’t many players who gave the Mamba a tough time on the court.
Despite being a phenomenal player, there were a few players who caused problems, even for Kobe. In a 2017 interview with ‘The Jimmy Fallon Show,’ Bryant unveiled who was the toughest defender he faced in the NBA. Right after the answer, Kobe hilariously shared which player gave him nightmares.
“Well, Tony Allen is the toughest defender I’ve ever had to go against,” Bryant said. “He was absolutely tenacious. And the defender I see in my nightmares. Kawhi was awesome, but I didn’t get a chance to play–You know who I see in my nightmares? I see Shaquille O’Neal’s lip-sync battle. That’s what I see in my nightmares. I mean, him shuffling around like that will scare anyone.”
(Starts at 2:59)
Kobe Bryant never missed a chance to take a shot at Shaquille O’Neal. This time around, it was in the way of hilarious banter. We’re sure O’Neal wouldn’t have minded that, either.
Kobe Bryant Once Named The Toughest Players He Ever Faced In The NBA
Kobe Bryant spent 20 seasons in the league. Evidently, he played against players from several eras.
In an interview, the Mamba was asked about the toughest player he ever faced during his stint in the league. Well, instead of naming a single player, Kobe went on and gave a list.
“I can go by eras, actually,” Bryant said. “So Allen Iverson was just really–I mean, he was… He was a lot to deal with. There was a game where he dropped 44 on me in Philadelphia. There was a game in New Jersey where Marbury dropped 50 on me. There was a game Arenas had 60. Carmelo Anthony is always tough for me to deal with. You know, Durant’s always tough to deal with.”
Bryant added: “There’s a lot of guys, but the guy that always gave me the most problems, actually was Tracy McGrady. He had all the skills and all the athleticism, but he was 6’9″ and he was really tough to figure out.”
In the end, Kobe named McGrady as the player who gave him the most problems due to his size and athletic ability. Despite facing so many tough players, Bryant didn’t let it stop him from winning five NBA Championships during his career.
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