Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams shared an anecdote from the crypt of NBA stories, one involving his former teammate Kobe Bryant that perhaps could put him in hot waters.
Williams had a brief cup of tea with the Los Angeles Lakers, playing the entire 2015-16 season (Bryant's 20th and final NBA campaign) and 58 games the following season before he was traded to the Houston Rockets.
The three-time Sixth Man of the Year talked to Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson in their new video podcast “All The Smoke” revealing this anecdote in the string of conversation:
“[Kobe Bryant] is going to be mad at me for this but we got blown out in Portland and he came in the locker room and he said: ‘From now on, every time down the court, I touch the ball. Y’all are going to learn what it’s like to play with Kobe Bean … Bryant,’” said Williams. “We had just gotten the … kicked out of us and Kobe wasn’t going for it.”
A quick look into Basketball-Reference and it's very likely that Williams is referring a Jan. 23, 2016 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, where Damian Lillard and company put the Lakers away with no mercy. The Blazers built a 15-point lead in the first quarter and outscored the Lakers by 15 again in the third, putting them away fast and easy.
Bryant only had 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting and five turnovers while D'Angelo Russell thrived off the bench with 21 points during his rookie season. Williams led the starters with 16 points as the Lakers sunk to 9-37 on the season.
Bryant wasn't happy with how the Lakers kept piling up losses, and even as his body could barely take the toll on heavy minutes, his competitive spirit wouldn't be denied. Some would argue this is the Kobe Bryant most people paint him to be, but his maniacal fascination with taking over the game and winning is what has made him one of the perennial icons of this generation.
Follow Us
Subscribe