Kobe Bryant Once Used $5,000 Bet To Accept Triple-Double Challenge

Shandel Richardson | Mar 14, 2025

Mar 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) guards Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) on the court in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Former NBA player Chris Duhon learned it's best to never challenge Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant.

It ended up hurting Duhon in the pockets.

The two were teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers when they sat next to each on the plane ride home. Bryant noticed LeBron James recorded a triple-double.

"We get the stat sheets and we're kind of going through it," Duhon said on the KarterKast podcast. "I was sitting next to him at the time and he was like, `LeBron gets another triple double.' I was like, `[bleep], you ain't never gonna get one of them because your ass don't pass and he starts laughing."'

This was a big mistake, especially considering the competitiveness of Bryant. He bet Duhon $5,000 he could get a triple-double the next game.

By halftime, Duhon knew he would have to break out his checkbook.

"Sure enough, I think he was one assist and one rebound shy at halftime," Duhon said. "But every time he was doing it, he was just looking at me and winking. We talked after the game. He was like, `if I wanted to, I could get a triple-double every game but my team needs me to score. I want to take the hearts out of anyone that's guarding me and the other team knowing that they can't stop me.' That's just, like they say, the Mamba Mentality."

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

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