Kobe Bryant traumatized more than one defender in the NBA. Dealing with Kobe was… a unique kind of experience.
Defending against Kobe Bryant is an experience that many have lived as an ordeal. Especially those against whom the Black Mamba signed some of his most fabulous performances in career. Corey Brewer, the former teammate of Joakim Noah in Florida, but also player of Houston or Minnesota, was of those. He took several times more than 40 points in the horn with the mission to slow down the icon.
He recounted that experience in an excellent piece on Basketballnews.com.
« You can’t forget the first time you face Kobe Bryant. For me, it was in my rookie season with Minnesota. He scored 30 points against us. His swag, his attitude coming onto the court, made me realize, ‘Holy crap, it’s Kobe.
It was a nightmare to defend against Kobe Bryant. It really was. He knew exactly what he wanted to do and nothing I did could change what he had planned. It was like the game was a script to him. A script for a Hollywood movie that he had you in.
I can’t explain it any other way than to tell you that I was in Kobe’s film. When I was in the post with him, he would tell you what he was going to do. ‘I’m going to fake left and then go off the right shoulder,’ or ‘I’m going to fake the shot, get you fouled and score,’ or, ‘I’m going to fake the shot and dunk on your head.’
He had a plan and he executed it. Kobe was amazing. He would take so many tough shots and leave you in awe. He was an unbelievable killer. I’m glad I got to play him in the playoffs a few times. Just to see him in that environment, at that level.
He was strong, but he was also a student of the game. That’s why he played for 20 years. He worked hard on the nuances and technical aspects of basketball. He knew how to do everything and he never gave up on his shot. His footwork, his baskets with the board, the way he got the fouls, he had thought about it, worked on it and watched videos about it. That’s why Kobe Bryant was Kobe Bryant. Rest in peace. »
Kobe’s death is still very fresh in our minds, but we will never get tired of reading and listening to testimonies that keep his memory alive and remind us what a basketball monster he was.
