Trevor Ariza has been a teammate of Kobe Bryant but also experienced playing against him. Appearing on Paul Pierce‘s show, Ariza told the story of seeing Kobe Bryant score 44 points while suffering from a strained hamstring injury, Ariza was in awe of Bryant, who was able to not only push through the pain, but play at the highest level without showing any signs of hurt.
“I watched Bean [Kobe Bryant] score 44 with a strained hamstring. How the f*ck is he even running right now? It’s like he doesn’t even get tired. He’s consistently on kill. It’s all kill.”
“I watched Bean [Kobe Bryant] score 44 with a strained hamstring… how the f*ck is he even running rn… He is consistently on kill.”
Trevor Ariva talks about the mindset and skill of Kobe Bryant and James Harden 🏀
(via @allthesmokeprod, “Truth Lounge”)
pic.twitter.com/Fg1rHU4RUI
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 9, 2024
Ariza had the opportunity to play with Kobe Bryant during their time together on the Lakers from 2007 to 2009. Bryant and Ariza went on to reach two NBA Finals together and won an NBA championship in 2009. Kobe was named the 2009 NBA Finals MVP for his incredible performances against the Orlando Magic.
Even after Ariza left the Lakers to sign with the New Orleans Hornets, Kobe was able to lead the Lakers to another NBA championship win in 2010, getting a measure of revenge over the Boston Celtics for the Lakers’ loss in the 2008 NBA Finals. Kobe would end his career with five NBA championship wins.
Bryant is one of the greatest players of all time as he had an incredible amount of success while playing for the Lakers. Whether it be the three-peat he experienced while teaming with Shaquille O’Neal or the massive resurgence he helped the Lakers undergo during the late 2000s, Bryant was always impacting the league.
Trevor Ariza Also Shouts Out James Harden
During the same interview, Trevor Ariza also detailed his time with the Houston Rockets, where he saw James Harden putting up some of the most ridiculous stat lines in NBA history. Ariza hilariously spoke about former Rockets center Nene getting upset with Harden for grabbing rebounds but stressed that Harden wasn’t stat-padding, as the entire team was professional about their roles.
“I’ve seen James score 65-17-15… Nene used to be pissed. Nene used to be in there fighting with everybody, going and getting [rebounds]. Here comes James saying ‘Let me get that’. I don’t think he was stat-stuffing because everybody was professional, everybody has a job and a role that they have to do.”
Both Harden and Kobe Bryant are considered two of the greatest shooting guards of all time behind Michael Jordan. Their ability to score and impact the game on a nightly basis was otherworldly, and they were able to help carry their teams for several seasons.
Harden and Bryant, at different points in their careers, were the lone superstars on their teams. And they would have to do it all for the team, leading in every aspect of the game.
However, Harden has yet to find even an iota of the success that Kobe Bryant experienced in the NBA. James Harden is still seeking his first NBA championship and unless something drastic happens, it doesn’t look like Harden will ever win a championship, at least not as the main star on a team like Bryant was.
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