Lakers: Rick Fox Tells a Legendary Kobe Bryant Story

Kobe had to make sure that another championship was Fox's only priority.

The late Kobe Bryant was a legendary competitor. As one of Kobe’s former teammates, forward Rick Fox observed his competitive hunger on a daily basis. Fox was also on the receiving end of Kobe’s iron will a time or two.

In an appearance on the Dan LeBatard Podcast, Fox explained a fierce training camp competition between he and Kobe.

The Lakers were fresh off their first championship of the Shaq and Kobe Era. Bryant was determined to push all of his teammates to the brink, or beyond, in order to win another ring.

Kobe had spent the offseason strengthening his body and mastering Phil Jackson’s triangle offense. Bryant now fully understood that the small forward, Fox, had the responsibility of initiating the action for the rest of the team.

Which of course led to Bryant testing Fox’s determination and toughness. Did Fox care about winning another championship to the level that Bryant did?

Kobe began to take the first spot in the warm-up line for the small forwards instead of his typical spot with the rest of the guards. Fox, accustomed to having the top small forward spot, did not take kindly to the basketball prodigy encroaching on the space he felt he had earned.

“…for the first few days of practice, he was determined to be first in that line. So when you’re first in that line and someone’s behind you, that exposes a lot of your back. I proceeded to not play basketball for the next week. It was about UFC-level physicality.”

Fox described how the altercations continued to escalate.

“We got into fights. I tried to chop the tree down for the next week. I’d beat him up. He’d fought back. We reached a level it was intense. He wasn’t going to back down and I wasn’t going to let him take my spot. That wing spot, and those [offensive] responsibilities.”

Finally, Fox confronted Kobe after everyone else had already left the gym. Fox asked him if there was anything they needed to address with the gym to themselves. Fox also reiterated to Bryant that winning another championship was his only priority.

When Fox asked again if there was a problem between the two, the Black Mamba responded with, “Naw, we good.”

The next day, Kobe was back in the guard warm-up line.