Kobe Bryant Shocked His Lakers Teammate With Off-Court Personality

Former Lakers guard Kendall Marshall and retired Lakers guard Kobe Bryant both have something in common: they were both selected 13th in their respective draft.

Marshall was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. He was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Lakers after a stint with the Washington Wizards.

While with the Lakers a couple of years back, Marshall became the first Laker to deliver at least 20 points and 15 assists in a game against the Utah Jazz.

The last Laker to accomplish that feat was Bryant.

Bryant, the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft out of Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, PA, won five rings with the Lakers and closed his career with a heroic 60-point game againt the Utah Jazz to cap off his career.

What’s it like to play with the Black Mamba?

“Well for one, you see a superstar and you expect him to be different and standoffish,” Kendall Marshall told me on Scoop B Radio.

“But when he’s with the team and on the flights, he’s just one of the guys. That’s something that I can appreciate. I don’t know that there’s a lot of superstars that are like that.”

Although retired, it has been pretty well documented that Bryant is particular on how he prepares for big game matchups.

“Being around the team, the coaching staff and the trainers, you hear about his work ethic, you hear stories,” Marshall told me.

“That’s not something that I was familiar with. But to see it or hear it first hand, that’s something that I appreciated. Last but not least, his straightforward approach. He always says what he feels. That’s something that I appreciate. You don’t want somebody to sugarcoat what they’re thinking.”

Kobe Bryant stories are great to hear. NBA legend, J.R. told Scoop B Radio that Bryant was not interested in hanging out with his own teammates during his early years in the NBA as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Kobe was put together differently than a lot of other guys,” said Reid.

“We tried to get him to shoot some craps with us in the back, we started cracking jokes. I might be reading some stock stuff, computers, car stuff and Kobe is over there reading about The Art of War. He’s trying to be a mental assassin.”

In 20 NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers; his only NBA ball club, Bryant became a five-time NBA Champion in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010. The Lower Merion High School product also became a 17-time NBA All-Star (had 17 consecutive selections), was the NBA’s Slam Dunk Champion in 19997, scored 81 Points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.