Former NBA journeyman Matt Barnes told the story of how future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant tried to recruit him to play for the Los Angeles Lakers after the infamous ball-fake play that went viral after many years.

During a recent episode of the All The Smoke podcast featuring Bryant as a guest alongside Barnes and co-host Stephen Jackson, Barnes revealed that the Lakers icon made a call in the 2010 offseason in hopes of recruiting the cagey forward to join him on the two-time defending champions.

Barnes played for the Magic for one season in 2009-10, and spent his next two seasons playing next to Bryant with the Lakers as a capable reserve. Barnes had signed a two-year deal with the Magic in 2009 but opted out of the final year of his deal to play with Bryant. He spent the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons with the Lakers before joining their in-house rivals in 2012 in the Clippers, where he spent the next three seasons.

“Anyone crazy enough to f*** with me is crazy enough to play with me,” said Barnes of his interaction with Bryant that summer when Bryant tried to recruit him.

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In his two seasons with the Lakers, Barnes averaged 7.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the field. He only started 16 of the 116 games he played for the franchise, primarily playing in a bench role during the tail end of Bryant's prime.

The veteran forward spent 13 seasons of his career without a championship but managed to retire as a champion after being a late-season addition for the Golden State Warriors in 2016-17. In addition to the Lakers, Clippers, Magic and Warriors, Barnes also spent time with the Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers.