Back in 2013, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban suggested that the Los Angeles Lakers amnesty Kobe Bryant. He might have heard Cuban's suggestion and responded the most classic Black Mamba manner.

Bryant exploded for 38 points against Cubans' very own team. It was clear that there's no way Bryant would let the Lakers amnesty him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9jU7n_3E2I

Cuban was speaking from an owner's point of view. During that time, the Lakers were on the verge of paying a hefty luxury tax bill, and it is mainly due to Bryant's payroll. Along with Bryant's contract, it should be noted that the Lakers also had Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, just to name a few — who all had relatively big contracts.

Though Cuban suggested this option, he didn't really think that the Lakers would do such a thing. After all, Bryant had been the face of the franchise for over a decade at that point. In an interview on Dallas 103.3 FM’s “Ben and Skin Show, Cuban said, as transcribed by ESPN:

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“So I’m just saying that hypothetically. When I say amnesty Kobe, I don’t think they’d do it, but they’ve got some choices to make. Now, they’re in a big market, but they’re still limited. The Knicks, the same thing. Boston, same thing.”

So Cuban's words might've been taken as a diss. But he was just speaking from a purely financial point of view. Being an owner himself, he always looks at the long-term repercussions of his players' contracts. But be as it may — misinterpreted or not — it sure loaded more fuel into Bryant's fire.