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Reading: Trae Young Defends Kobe Bryant After Childhood Friend Claims He Was Not A Good Person
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Home > NBA News & Analysis > Trae Young Defends Kobe Bryant After Childhood Friend Claims He Was Not A Good Person

Trae Young Defends Kobe Bryant After Childhood Friend Claims He Was Not A Good Person

Trae Young calls out Kobe Bryant critic.

Nico Martinez
Jul 20, 2024
4 Min Read
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Credit: Fadeaway World

One of Kobe’s childhood best friends recently went viral after throwing the former Lakers star under the bus and exposing him for “being a terrible person.” On Friday, Hawks star Trae Young became the latest to defend Bryant in light of the wild accusations.

“Nahh we don’t do Kobe slander. Why even post this bs,” wrote Young in response to a post with the viral video.

Kobe is one of the NBA’s untouchable legends but his name was all over social media this week after a video re-surfaced that made some nasty allegations against Bryant and his character.

The accuser is none other than Kevin Sanchez, who claims to be Kobe’s childhood friend from school. Despite being “really close” to Kobe back in the day, the two had a falling out after Sanchez turned to Bryant time in his time of need. Sanchez argued that Kobe should have been happy to help him but that apparently he was way too stingy with his money despite making over $328 million in his career.

According to Kevin, he approached Kobe to ask for a job or some connection to help him back on his feet. When he replied with a phone number, Sanchez was initially elated and believed that his friend would help.

As it turned out, the number did not belong to Kobe, only one of his assistants. When Sanchez later told the story to one of Bryant’s associates, he claimed Kobe was a terrible person who hoarded his wealth from his friends and family.

To some degree, there may be some truth to those claims given that Bryant won a legal case against his parents over the selling of his basketball memorabilia. Certainly, Bryant wasn’t about giving people free hand-outs and while he was often very generous with his wealth, he did often take great measures to protect it.

Obviously, most remember Bryant as a hero and legend of the game and that’s exactly who he was. As a 5x champion, MVP, and 18x All-Star, Kobe inspired millions around the world to work hard for their dreams and follow their greatest ambitions in life.

Hawks star Trae Young is clearly among that crowd. When he was growing up in the 2000s, Kobe was at his absolute peak, and he was among countless kids who idolized his game. While the two never shared the court together, they still maintained a relationship in Trae’s early seasons and it’s safe to say that Bryant became a mentor of sorts for the star point guard. After Bryant’s death in 2020, Trae was one of the loudest who showed their love and appreciation for the Lakers legend. 

Even now, all these years later, Trae isn’t going to let it stand when someone tries to attack Kobe’s legacy. In the case of Kevin Sanchez and his allegations, we can only assume that he holds a grudge over not being taken care of by Kobe. But for a man who believed in hard work and commitment to achieve your goals, it’s no wonder why he wasn’t quick to offer him the easy way out.

Regardless, Kobe isn’t obligated to give anyone a job and it shouldn’t be held against him that he didn’t instantly gift over his money or a job referral after being asked to do so out of the blue.

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Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

TAGGED:Atlanta Hawks ArchiveKobe BryantLos Angeles Lakers ArchiveTrae Young
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ByNico Martinez
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Nico Martinez is a veteran staff writer for Fadeaway World from Brooklyn, New York. He joined Fadeaway World in 2016 and is currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina. Nico holds a degree in Sports Management from Columbia International University where he built a strong foundation in the inner workings of sports media and management. Nico's contributions have significantly enhanced the credibility and depth of Fadeaway World's content, earning him recognition across the sports journalism community. His work has been discussed in prestigious publications like Sports Illustrated. A dedicated follower of LeBron James, Nico often leads coverage on news related to the basketball star. With nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, Nico consistently provides comprehensive and timely basketball news, engaging a wide audience of basketball enthusiasts.Nico's most desired player to interview, past or present, is Kevin Durant. He is particularly keen on asking Durant if he has any regrets about his career, especially concerning his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and why he engages so much with fans on social media. 
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