Back In The Day NBA

Kobe Bryant Feared No One On The Court, Not Even ISIS

Shandel Richardson

Jan. 5, 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (left) speaks with Oregon Ducks football players following the game against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Oregon Ducks are playing the Auburn Tigers in the BCS National Championship game on January 10th. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan. 5, 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (left) speaks with Oregon Ducks football players following the game against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Oregon Ducks are playing the Auburn Tigers in the BCS National Championship game on January 10th. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
In this story:

Kobe Bryant played the game of basketball with a no-fear mentality.

He refused to back down from anyone, including Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal. Apparently, Bryant's attitude wasn't just limited to opponents.

Former teammate Lou Williams told a story about how Bryant barely flinched about a possible terrorist attack.

"We come out warming up one game and SWAT just started circling the court," Williams said in a video posted on Facebook. "I'm like, `That's weird. That's the (stuff) you see overseas.' They go on about their business, play the game. So the next day, we're in the locker room like, `Hey, what the (bleep) was that SWAT (bleep) about. They said, `Oh yea, ISIS had threatened to blow up the game but we came out and secured everybody's families and secured the building."'

Isis Threatened a game but kobe wasn't afraid @undergrndlounge #shorts#kobe#louwilliams

Posted by Notyouraverage_nba on Thursday, November 21, 2024

The authorities kept the alleged plot a secret to avoid creating a panic at the arena that night. Like his teammates, Bryant was unaware until the next day.

When he found out, he took it just like anyone would have expected from him.

"Kobe walked through the locker room," Williams said. "He said, `What y'all talking about?' We said, `ISIS was going to blow up the game.' With a straight face, Kobe Bryant said, `Not while I'm here.' It wasn't nothing and he kept getting dressed."'

Definitely typical Kobe.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

Follow our coverage on Facebook

X: @BackInTheDayNBA

Published
Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com