Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was very serious about his craft and expected the same from others. It wasn’t easy to earn respect of the late superstar.
Former NBA player Jamal Crawford experienced that first hand. In a recent interview on FanDuel TV he revealed that it took him seven years before Bryant acknowledged him on the court.
“I was literally 7 years in the league before he even acknowledged me on the court,” Crawford said. “We joined some like Thanksgiving event in New York. It was NBPA, some of the Lakers, some of us… You know players go to these events in sweats. Kobe came in with a tailored suit, trench coat on top almost sitting on his shoulders like his arm sleeves were in. He was just so cool. I’m just looking at like that’s Kobe over there. I’m not saying a word.
“The next day we play them in the matinee game. At the time he became the youngest player ever to score 20,000 points. And I think he had 38 that game and I think I had one point at half, they were beating us by 25.
“The second half I scored 30 and I brought us all the way back to one point. I remember on the court the first thing he said was ‘You as hot as a pistol huh? Okay, here I come.’ And he came to guard me and I scored a couple, I got a couple assists. I still was kind of rolling after the game… He game and gave me a dap and he said ‘Good game by brother’ and he grabbed my head and said something. I was in the league seven years before he acknowledged me.”
