Kobe Bryant Threw Away Teammates' Shoes After Embarrassing Loss, Says Former Lakers Player

Sam Garcia | Aug 14, 2024

Nov 28, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guards Kobe Bryant (24) and Nick Young (0) and forward Wesley Johnson (11) react against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Lakers 120-119. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant was known for his ultra competitive mentality when he stepped on the court. Several of Bryant’s former teammates have described the five-time NBA champion’s strong desire to win. 

On a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, former Lakers shooting guard Lou Williams shared a story that summed up Bryant’s competitive nature. The anecdote begins with the Lakers getting crushed by the Portland Trail Blazers. Bryant was frustrated with his team, and after the game, he reprimanded each player individually. He skipped Williams, Metta Sandiford-Artest, and Brandon Bass.

“He went down the line, one at a time, and told everyone what the f*** was wrong with them,” Williams said on the podcast.

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The next day at practice, Williams, along with Nick Young, noticed the Lakers’ equipment manager was cleaning out the team’s lockers. Bryant requested that all of his teammates’ Nike Kobe sneakers be thrown in the trash, because the team was “too soft.”

“Kobe said he doesn’t want y’all wearing his shoes, y’all f****ing soft,” the equipment manager told the pair. 

After Bryant’s devastating passing in Jan. 2020, Williams and Young reminisced on their experience as Bryant’s teammate and shared the story on X. 

Williams played with Bryant and the Lakers for the 2015-16 season. He played for three different teams in the 2016-17 season, but he landed back with the Lakers by the end of the season, appearing in 58 games and making one start. Young played for Los Angeles from 2014-17. 

Although intense at times, Bryant’s competitiveness helped him accumulate numerous accolades and a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition to the five NBA championships he won with the Lakers, Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star, an 11-time All-NBA First Team selection, and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. In 2008, he was named the NBA League MVP. On the international stage, Bryant won two Olympic gold medals.

His legacy has lived on in Los Angeles since his passing. The Lakers honored Bryant by retiring the No. 8 and No. 24, which were the two numbers Bryant donned for a decade each. 

Additionally, the Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center, has made multiple tributes to Bryant. The arena has already unveiled two statues dedicated to Bryant, with a third statue in the works. The 11th Street entrance was also named the Kobe Bryant Entrance at the beginning of the month.