Even though Caron Butler and Kobe Bryant played together for one season on the Los Angeles Lakers, they quickly struck up a friendship.
In a recent interview with Bleacher Report, Butler shared his final memory of Bryant.
“I will never forget our last real conversation probably 2 weeks prior to his incident,” Butler said. “We talked about our second acts, families. Kobe always challenged me to be the best version of me. I got news that I wasn't able to share and he was like ‘now what.' He was a tremendous asset to my life and kept me thinking about the goal and the mission. I miss him dearly.”
Furthermore, Butler revealed that Bryant was the hardest player to guard during his 14 seasons in the NBA,
There's no doubt Butler had tremendous respect for Kobe. In contrast, Bryant also had tremendous respect for Butler. During an interview with Los Angeles News Group, Bryant said Butler was one of his favorite teammates. Butler joined the Lakers in 2004 as part of a blockbuster deal that sent superstar center Shaquille O’Neal to the Miami Heat. However, he left after one season.
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“He was just a guy who could operate in a phone booth,” Butler said. “He would put you on an island and just get buckets. He could score from anywhere, he could go left, he had counters, he could give it to you all. T-Mac also had an impressive offensive arsenal. No way you can guard him either.”