Lakers: Tyronn Lue Has an Amazing Kobe Bryant Story

Cavaliers coach and former Lakers player Tyronn Lue shared an amazing story about Kobe Bryant

Tyronn Lue once played alongside Kobe Bryant as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, but now is on the sidelines holding the clipboard for the Cleveland Cavaliers as their head coach after the firing of David Blatt. Lue spent three years with the Lakers, his first three in the league, and won three titles alongside Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 and 2001. And while the jury may still be out on how effective Lue is as an NBA head coach, he was a part—albeit a small part—of one of the most dominant teams in the history of the Lakers franchise and the NBA.

As such, Lue is able to recount some of the amazing moments that took place over that time. With Lue’s Cavaliers team set to take on the Lakers on Wednesday night, the former Lakers point guard recalled an incident with practice while waxing poetic about Bryant before what will be Kobe’s final trip to Cleveland.

It all went down during a scrimmage during practice where the reserves were squaring off with the starters. With game-point hanging in the balance, Kobe tried to drive in for the scrimmage-winning dunk, but Lue came up and pinned the ball against the backboard with a huge block. The reserves went down and scored to take the contest, but Kobe wasn’t about to let it lie as he wanted to fight Lue after:

Really, though, is anyone surprised that Kobe was ready to come to blows and then relentlessly wanting to play 1-on-1 after being shown up by a young reserve guard in practice? That’s just about as in character as it gets for Bryant.

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But the fact that it’s in character is one of the reasons that Kobe Bryant will go down as one of the NBA’s greatest players to ever play in the league. The mark of many of the all-time greats has been their competitive desire—their relentless streak to prove that no one is better than them and to not be shown up. Lue’s story about Bryant is the epitome of that.

There are many things that the NBA as a whole and Lakers fans are going to miss about Kobe when he’s gone from the organization and league. However, not having anymore stories like this to recall and laugh at is going to be hard to handle when that time inevitably comes.