This content is a podcast interview featuring Alex Rodriguez and Dan Katz interviewing Kobe Bryant, discussing his transition from basketball to business, his mindset, career reflections, and mentorship.
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[Music]
welcome back to the Corp I am your
co-host big cat Dan cats you may know me
from the number one sports podcast part
of my take I thought I'd say it's pretty
good whatever some people might not but
I'd say it's pretty good you go download
it right now you might know my co-host
from I don't know 14-time all-star
three-time MVP New York Yankee Alex
Rodriguez are you gonna say the World
Series because I always forget the World
Series and you make sure you make sure
to point that out I love that okay so we
have Kobe Bryant it was an unreal
interview so much fun
to go interview Kobe Bryant he is so
intense I want to I want to do a little
like debriefing because we're actually
taping this right after it before we do
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it's just a big circle love okay so Kobe
Bryant can I just say we haven't talked
we actually we so we taped this we're in
LA right now we taped this I don't know
two hours ago we haven't really debrief
so we're gonna actually debrief right
now Kobe Bryant is intense and I don't
know if he liked me a rod I was a couple
when I asked
the goat thing that was a he's stared
right through my soul so my answer is
yes yes yes yes yes yes I mean it was he
is yes a million stories we could talk
to him for hours so many stories
the biggest takeaway I had how similar
your business career in his business
career are he talked about the big
picture and how even when he was a you
know a rookie in the league he was
thinking okay at some point I'm gonna be
you know going on from sports and making
a living somewhere else and and and
trying to figure out what businesses I'm
excited about and you did the same thing
investing in real estate in Seattle when
you started out in MLB and I think big
picture always thinking what's gonna
happen in 20 years down the line is why
Kobe is successful why you're successful
15 years ago they were talking about him
not going out to to the club with his
teammates and not going to the
restaurants he actually got a bad rap it
was bad and he told us today that he was
in his room reading and he was writing
and practicing and of course a year
after retirement from basketball he wins
an Oscar mm-hmm but what I was most
impressed with I got to tell you we
gotta be doing big business did you see
the size of that office it's 20,000
square feet it was enormous I'm
wondering why the court offices aren't
as big there was so much body armor my
tummy started to hurt this was fun
though because we talk business with
Kobe we talked playing career
helicopters helicopters smush Parker he
still does not like smush Parker that
was very apparent also the worst shoe
that's ever been created the 2002 I
think 2002 he created the Kobe to's he
was not happy when you challenged them
about it when I showed him that shoe
than like jump maybe jump he he
basically like he just pretend that she
never existed until I shows he was like
oh my god I created that shoe he never
said the name he's at the other company
other company the other company you
could do the math on that but yeah Kobe
Bryant you know five-time NBA champion
not the goat but close you know Kobe I'm
a Kobe guy Oh get MJ on this podcast and
you're gonna say you're an MJ guy and
imagine yeah
okay no you know the head you're I'm
fine I'm fine with that we could do that
all day but you know what if you want to
come on the Corp season two will be that
guy that's perfect so hope you enjoy
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interview with Kobe Bryant you're
listening to the core
presented by barstool sports okay we now
welcome on a very special guest he
doesn't need an introduction but we'll
introduce him anyway 18 time all-star
five-time NBA champion it is Kobe Bryant
we're here at your offices in Newport
Beach and it is the core problem with
obviously a rod and I want to start
present day and then go backwards so you
have gone from being a transcendent
athlete to an unbelievable businessman
and it's very similar to what a rod has
been doing with the a rod Corp yeah
mostly from my help but have you noticed
you know do you attack business the same
way as sports and have you ever had a
moment where you're like I got to chill
out because the business world's not
like the sports world oh the same but
also different right the same in a sense
that the attention to detail is there
just like it is in sport the attention
to detail right but it's different
because of the intensity that you bring
it's not like a game it's not like
practice right you have to have patience
you have to challenge people you have to
hire well and find people that have a
certain level of you know that demand
excellence from themselves right and
have that attention to detail about
themselves and then you want to building
a team of people that have that passion
and commitment to excellence so that's
the that's the difference is that now
I'm kind of more in a GM transition as
opposed to being a player that is on the
ground floor bringing
out the intensity in each guy every
single play it's a little different have
you noticed a moment where you're like I
can't maybe I can't be as intense as I
was during sports I can't demand people
to be here till midnight or practice
without a ball for three hours or no
listen my thing is really simple here is
that you know I expect excellent work we
all do so I don't care if you're here in
the office at 6:00 a.m. and you leave at
midnight if the work that you do is
average this is not the home for you
conversely you cannot be in an office at
all and have excellent work this is the
place for you so I don't really care if
you're here there's a lot of guys that
get in the gym and work hard work hard
work hard work hard but then they can't
transition that to 7:30 yeah right I can
already tell that I wouldn't make it one
day in this office I'm really good at
looking busy but not doing anything yeah
you gotta get results or so Kobi one of
the things that I've been super
impressed with by watching kind of your
organization how you transitioned is
really the team that you surround
yourself with you know whether there's
you know from Brian tamale to to the
rest of your team what are the
characteristics that you're looking
forward to bring into your team is it
much like you want a teammate for the
Lakers those type of course or what are
you what are you looking for supportin
thing is curiosity first I want curious
people people that ask questions that
want to figure things out figure out new
ways to do things that's the most
important thing and then from that
curiosity having a determination to see
that curiosity through all right to
figure out those steps and if you figure
out okay this is a particular course of
action that we feel like we should be
taking has it been done before no but
that's exciting to me let's figure it
out those are the characteristics that I
look for first and foremost so you say
curiosity I read a story of how you like
text with business people 3:00 in the
morning 4:00 in the morning Micra Poli I
think you know with you know people in
the tech industry has anyone been like
yo Kobe just chill out like stop texting
dogs they're all about as crazy as I am
yeah what is that though is there just
you can you see it in a person the
minute you meet him like this guy
this woman they just want it more than
everyone else I think so I think you can
sense it you can you know when you're
having a conversation with somebody you
can tell if they're truly passionate
about what it is that they're doing yeah
I have it listen bro you can't build
what you build and not be there all
right if you didn't have it you wouldn't
be seeing it right anyways you don't put
it with that shrink my way in yeah I'm
saying yeah you can you can certainly
recognize that and you feel a sense of
familiarity that person you said I read
a quote that you said you love business
as much as basketball there's no way
that's true it's 100% real there's no
way you look I mean basketball was your
life you your passion everything you
you're telling me you love doing
business as much if you could you know
basically snap a finger and be twenty
five-year-old Kobe or the Kobe today you
wouldn't go back and keep playing
basketball no because I've already done
it see here's the thing when I was
playing and teammates would say oh
Kobe's not out in the road what is he
doing you see me on the plane he's
reading what is he reading he's writing
what is he writing I'm practicing I'm
writing I'm practicing I'm understanding
how to tell stories I'm reading Joseph
Campbell and how to create arts
compelling arts and plots I'm reading
that stuff so this is going back 15
years right so I don't just retire right
deer basketball and lucky in the winning
an Oscar you don't say yeah stuff comes
from hard work and from studying for 15
years how to write and how to organize
structure right and you can't do that
without having a serious love or
commitment to the craft and and that's I
mean alex has told the story but you
know your rookie year and in Seattle
when you started investing in real
estate and basically while you were
playing baseball also getting you know
working in business and learning the
ropes in business yeah I know I mean
coke and I have so much in common we
kind of came up at the same time but one
of the things we have in common is we
was show up at universities yeah I know
he was show up at Duke you know I took
classes at Columbia Business School
Miami business school and people are
like why aren't you in a yacht why
aren't you in vacation I'm like I'm
practicing I am getting ready I don't
know when they're gonna kick me out of this
this
and at the same time is not just about
moving forward but also it's about
having fun I agree with Kobe I'm I
sometimes forget that I played
basketball and major leagues yeah I mean
baseball for 23 years yeah because I'm
so excited in the moment yeah that
sounds really weird to people right you
know like I remember I said um I told
somebody I said listen if what I do in
the next 20 years is not better than my
last 20 then I failed
like that's disrespectful to what you've
done the last 20 years how could you say
my man
I wouldn't accomplish what I
accomplished my last 20 years if I did
not have this mentality to begin with so
yeah I mean I think I think to the
average person like myself it's you know
it's crazy because obviously a dream
when you're a kid was to play
professional sports so yeah you couldn't
imagine anything higher than that
yeah and then you guys obviously lived
it and then you move on and it's like
well you know this is the next chapter I
want to go back real quick though Duke
how where would you have ranked on the
most hated Duke players if you had gone Duke
Duke
probably number one you would have gone
to Duke though well here's the story
about that is Coach K kept recruiting me
you can't recruit me you didn't he
didn't just resign to the fact that I'm
gonna go pro he was persistent about it
so at that moment in time for me to make
a decision to say okay you know what I'm
not gonna go pro it would have been do
cuz Coach K just kept going kept it on
Roy Williams did too when he's at Kansas
Dean Smith did not think Dean sent me a
letter and he was like hey listen this
is a home for you but I from what I hear
you're good enough to go pro and you
probably will so I don't want to waste
your time but you know this is a home
for you if you ever want to take a visit
here and you know and change your mind
or whatever but Bobby Knight I did get a
letter from Bobby Knight but that wasn't
something that I would imagine is like
reverse psychology like you stink Kobe
you could never play for me yeah Phil
Jackson does that Yeah right wait just
does it through the media so I mean that's
that's
because you obviously decide did you was
it a hard decision but like I'm going
pro or did you just know cuz a rod
obviously did the same thing yeah you
know as a young kid 17:18 calling to be
a pro athlete it was uh it was a tough
decision I you know ultimately the key
factor for me was wasn't whether or not
I was ready it was the fact that if I
wasn't ready I was determined to figure
out how to get ready and ultimately even
if I was ready I still need to improve
anyway mm-hmm
right so the works not gonna stop it was
just a matter of do you want to come to
the league and learn from the best and
I'm doing the math in my head I'm
looking at Stockton how many years his plan
plan
Drexler how many years he's playing MJ
how many years anymore he's playing a
Keane and these are players that I
studied growing up and the best way to
learn from them is to have that jump off
of the film jump off of the page and see
it face to face that's the best way to
learn cuz I had it was like a database I
had everything in my mind and what they
could do what they didn't like to do
where they did it when they did it now
if I could see that up close that is the
greatest form of Education that I could
possibly receive so that's when I was
like nah I'm gonna I'm gonna go pro so
that's interesting because I think
there's a sports debate that's had a lot
where a guy it's more happens in the NFL
where a quarterback comes out and people
say well he was in the wrong system and
his offensive line stunk right away and
it kind of ruined his career do you
think with what you just said it sounds
like you think that if you're gonna make
it you're gonna make it no matter what
and if there's no like oh well things
didn't go your way the first year and it
ruined the you know the trajectory of
your career it's either you have it or
you don't
sounds like excuses to me I mean you got
to figure it out right if you really
have an obsession to figure it out you
will figure it out right and every
puzzle is constructed differently a a
situation when he came into the league
was different than mine Mike situation
in Chicago was different than mine right
everybody has a different puzzle man you
just got to figure out your own puzzle
it's it's interesting to think about
like the the sliding doors of like if
you go to Charlotte if you stay trying
or if you don't I mean you know or we
can talk about it now the Bulls I have
always been intrigued because you know
I'm a Bulls
there were two different times where it
was like Kobe's coming to the bolts yeah
and in 2004 at 2007 you know even in
2007 it was even into the season I
remember you had that video to like buy
a Bulls Jersey you know like saying you
know if you want to be a Kobe fan how
when you were thinking about going to
bowls there's always this narrative no
one wants to play in Michael's shadow
were you thinking no I want to be in
Chicago and go pass Michael no I was
thinking like if you're gonna be a great
franchise you have to have multiple
great players that's what the Lakers
have done here that narrative in LA yeah
that Giri you have Elgin you had magic
yet myself yet cream yet I mean got
LeBron I mean it's just one of those
franchises that continued Yankees - yeah
right so why are the Bulls any different
right because you have Michael now
everybody's intimidated to go play by
that's ridiculous well I obviously I
think the narrative is is basically made
so that the front office can get a pass
for never something that's really comes
down to far be true well you were ready
to do it I mean would you have I mean
you were was there a part of you
mentally that was like I'm gonna be a
ball yeah yeah like we were planning
looking at homes schools the whole thing
that's crazy man yeah so you know I know
that Jay West Michael Jordan was like a
big brother to you Brian Shawn there's a
lot of people that influenced you in a
big way and we're gonna get to that but
in the business community some of the
Titans you've talked to tell us some of
the people you've learned from the most
and some of the people that have
mentored you the most and somebody who
you look up to yeah so the people I've
learned from the mode when I had the
idea of first starting a studio the
first person I call was Oprah Winfrey
mm-hmm and we sat on the phone about a
hour and a half two hours we went
through the history of building hardball
and things that she felt she did well
things that she felt like she didn't do
so well and kind of walked me through
her journey you know to help me on mine
another person is Mark Parker CEO of
Nike you know I speak often he's really
helped me through a lot of decisions Tim
Cook and Johnny Ives
Apple or so I would say those three are
the biggest ones I've had the most
influence in what I'm currently
building now any common theme between
those three that you kept saying they
keep saying the same similar the amount
of mistakes that are made mm-hmm right
because we tend to look at them and say
okay they don't make mistakes they don't
make bad decisions and that can be any
further from the truth
mm-hmm they all make mistakes you all
make decisions and you just continue to
plow forward continue to figure it out
so I wanted to touch on the evolution of
you as a teammate in 2000 I think for
Phil Jackson writes the book yeah and
it's like Kobe's uncle still waiting on
my royalties oh yeah he says Kobe's
uncoachable what was it what was your
reaction in that moment when you see
that you read that a guy that you have a
relationship has success with I was I
was frustrated by it you know I mean
because it was always a type of
relationship where it was like you know
for me it's just come at me direct I
mean I'm right here you don't have to be
yes me we can just hash this out you and
me and he would rather not do that
because that's uncomfortable right he'd
rather go to the media and do it so a
lot of stuff that I read in the book was
the first time I've ever heard any of
this stuff and I'm like dude I'm
literally right here right you know so
when he came back you know that's one of
the things that he said he'd apologize
for because I listen you know I
understand I we should just have a
direct relationship and and that's how
we were able to kind of move forward it
was really frustrating man apologies
good but the royalty would be nice too
yeah yeah this is like just like your
third book on me now great I'm a book on
this was there any truth to it though do
you think was there a moment when you
read that and you had to you know kind
of take a look at yourself and like
maybe I am NOT the best teammate because
there's always this really interesting
line to me when you're watching you know
athletes at their highest level yeah a
guy who is a clear alpha leader he runs
a team there's that line of is he from
like his ego is out of control - he just
wants the most out of people right you
know like Michael Jordan punch Steve
Kerr in the face like you know there's
stories of you pushing their teammates
and and train you know maybe getting
some of them kind of crumble in the moment
moment
yeah do you did you see that and kind of
reflect and say hey maybe I need to do a
different do this differently well I
think there's a couple answers that so [Music]
[Music]
drive a hard bargain
the people that I've always had issues
or problems with are the people that
don't demand excellence for themselves I
won't tolerate that except then when the
career is said and done they're not
going to be looking at you a player on
his team and saying you didn't win a
championship no doing me looking here
right so it's my responsibility to make
sure everybody's holding themselves
accountable I'm holding you accountable
if we just play the back to back and we
have practice the next day your ass
better be there tape ready to go mm-hmm
right cuz I'm there and I'm ready and I
just got finished lifting weights for
two hours right so our whole guys to a
higher standard and I don't sugarcoat
stuff never have never will
right that tends to rub some people the
wrong way now it seems everyone
championships on me and all of those
guys still close to this day extremely
close right Lamar
they're not still close Fischer Shannon
Brown deep fish all my gosh all Shaq
right even Shaq Powell smush Parker no
no okay another to talk about that's
that's one of the people that would
probably say I was a bad teammate yeah
yeah yeah most mostly other guys men
that you know you want up having this
bond so you know you can't have those
kind of relationships with guys years
after playing with them and be a bad
teammate yeah no that's fair that's fair
it's funny I want to piggyback on that
because it is so true you know I mean I
wasn't as fortunate to win them a
championship or as good to win as many
chambers but Kobe but you know nine that
roster I mean they're like 24 brothers
and to this day if one of them texts me
right back I mean within five minutes
I'm headed back because you build this
incredible bond that only if you're one
of the in our care case 25 I think 12 in
your case is this bond that never goes
away and all of a sudden you become a
good teammate yeah become nice you
become this but it's a hard line between
the best leaders are not always the most
popular ones and I think
sometimes people have our time to time
they do not like I'll give you a story
of the stuff that was frustrating and
the whole selfishness stuff and all that
stuff was frustrating if it will come to
me and say it was a year there oh three
where I had 40 points in nine straight
games Shaq was out it was a toe thing so
Phil comes to me for distressed as Kobe
we need you to take over the offense
Mike all right cool so that's really no
more I got it I got it
so that literally started the streak of
40 straight game you know 40 points in
nine straight games Shaq comes back from
injury and Phil goes you know I still
continue to do it right and then Phil
calls me to his office goes eh you know
we're starting to lose the big fella do
you mean well he's not getting the
attention you know this this forty point
streak is starting to kind of take away
his fire hmm to prove something right so
I need you to start dialing it back I'm
like what says we're gonna lose him and
we need him in June okay all right you
have a game against the Clippers yeah
like 38 or something like that a chance
to score 40 gonna get 40 again it's a
blowout game like dump the ball on the
Shaq instead of shooting a wide-open
shot the 40 point streak ended that night
night
Wow that was it and that's inside stuff
that people don't know right cuz Phil
was like hey we got a dollar bag got a
dollar back it was the big fo perfect
Kobe - you're like he's like you gotta
dial it back you're like I'll score 38
instead of 40 well I mean there's a
streak thing with a mint in a row right
local record right right right I would
have broke the record but instead you
know what do you think I mean your
relationship with Shaq I feel like it's
one of the most intriguing relationships
and in all pro sports yeah were you guys
ever at a point where you just wouldn't
even speak no because we were very um
very direct like I said before I'm very
straightforward right I don't care if
you're seven - or six - I got an issue
with you I'm gonna let you know mm-hmm
you know so no so we're always speaking
just sometimes there's more volatile
than others right but we're always
speaking always direct
yeah so and when when that all falls
apart I mean what was your biggest like
where would you say the the biggest
problem with your your communication was
it you know Shack not coming - no it
wasn't season enjoy it's funny when we
sat down we did the interview together
he finally copped to the fact that after
we won championships she's like I can
just relax and Coast over the summer
because I know I got a teammate who's
gonna be training 810 hours a day I was
like see that's the BSS yes that would
piss at [ __ ] yeah that's the issue right
that's the issue but also it became a
you know it's not something that we
couldn't have worked out either cuz
right maybe we've been doing it right
but I got to a point in my career where
was the rumblings and some of it created
by him that you know Kobe can't win
without me and it was I hold up hold up
no it's not true right it's not true
right and I'm not gonna retire and have
people hold that over my head
mmm-hmm no let's find out you know it
was just time to go separate ways so
that that really did bother you and it's
interesting because in today's NBA I
mean you see a guy like Kevin Durant go
to Golden State yeah you would never
have made that move no I wouldn't but
you know it different strokes for
different folks man I you know when I
was coming up it was Kobe can't win
without Shaq but I've never heard that
argument made about magic and Kareem
right or Michael and Pitt right but that
was the that was the thing being thrown
my way and I was like I will it is what
it is let's see do you think that you
got criticized more than a guy like
Kevin Durant or the guys who were
playing now know at the moment in you
know it's all different according to the
moment in time right it always seems
like more when you're in that moment you
know I'm saying I don't think there's no
more no less I think now with social
media things tend to perpetuate much
but back then conversely the stories
tend to sit a lot longer right there's
there's less fires coming yeah do you
understand on social media that you have
the craziest fan base of all time I
understand that my fans are very
passionate the Kobe standard I have a
passionate following like they are
insane whenever you do whenever the MJ
LeBron thing comes up yeah the Kobe
stands like you know they poke out their
head out from under there like just
attack you yeah passionate fan was their party
party
when LeBron came here seeing maybe some
of the Lakers fans be like no Kobe's our
guy who did that I mean obviously you
want to welcome LeBron but it shows your
impact on the team the organization no I
mean my impact on this organization is
to look forward if I have taught this
fan base anything is that we want
excellence we want championships and
it's about the purple and gold it's not
about one player and I came in here with
magic and magic embracing with open arms
as the creme and worthy and everybody
else in Jerry West and elegant and all
those guys it's our responsibility to do
the same thing for the next generation
that comes in and I take that stuff
deadly seriously I mean it's like no
guys no champions yeah yeah you know
talking about deadly serious I mean all
you got to do in any conversation if
it's getting boring all you gotta say is
Kobe LeBron Kobe Michael C that's the
type of immature question the regular
sports fan this is what we owe this is
what regular fans talk about you don't
also you you're saying years ago what
I'm saying is regular people ask really
simple questions okay okay I just am a
Kobe guy and debate well here's a fun
fact for you Kobe LeBron has as many
losses in the finals as Michael Jordan
has wins in the finals I don't care I
want to talk about mentis Kobe because I
know that mentorship has been a big part
of your life both you as a mentor and as
a mentee but one of the interesting
things for me being a six foot three
shortstop coming up out of Miami I had
one guy to look at because I was scared
as [ __ ] that they were gonna move me and
I'm like to third base nor see outfield
I'm like no I can play shortstop
you got to leave me look at cow so I
studied in you know the back in the day
we had two tapes we're gonna have
another day yeah I've studied every tape
I can get my hands on and I would go at
night visualizing how he moved his body
was six forty thirty that was enormous
for a shortstop and and I don't need
that I study on people said well you're
starting to look like him and I'm like
yeah that's because I want to be like
him right and and then Cal and I became
very very close and I remember one trip
we went to Japan representing the US and
I literally sat in his seat next to him
for like 10 hours and he said finally
dude I got a Tapout I need a nap and I
was so enamored by him so it was such a
wonderful treat for me to have that with
my mentor kind of take us behind kind of
the courage with Michael was there ever
a moment that you guys spoke but you
felt like it energized you you learned
from him yeah it was it was crazy man
cuz my favorite player was magic growing
up mmm and then I quickly realized my
father stole all my height I was gonna
be a 69 point guard you know so look at
this young guy coming up and the thing
that I marveled that wasn't the fact
that he was getting to the rim and doing
these fancy stuff it was like how is he
getting to the rim how is he doing it
right you look at the footwork look at
the fundamentals they got the spacing
the pacing right and all those little
things the angles and that's what
becomes fascinating it's like okay how
do I get there all right so I started
studying all those basics and then when
I came to lead the first time I played
against um I won his respect because it
was like this kids not scared of me at
all mm-hmm
right and he saw a kindred spirit from
that standpoint and that started a
relationship and it became something
where it was like text him anytime hits
me right back questions hits me right
back and when talking all the time and
fact we just we just speaking the other
day in fact cuz I was talking about hit
me up say Happy Thanksgiving and stuff
and how the family how's family doing
how the kids doing you know it was my
young my middle child is playing
basketball stuff right so he's asking
about it how she's doing she's good
she's good and I said you know at 12 I'm
like having a hard time remember we're
how she's doing at basketball at 12 and
I'm like kids nowadays try to do too
much mm-hmm you know like from a skill
standpoint they try to have them do all
this fancy stuff versus like the basic
stuff and so I'll teach my kids the most
basic stuff we just do it over and over
but I asked Mike I said what were you
doing at 12 do you remember what you
were doing at basketball at 12 he goes
dude I was playing baseball yeah that's
right let that sink in for a second I
was thankful for people out there who
are like
over training their kids at 12 and like
doing all this fancy stuff just let that
sink in for a second that's a good point
yeah it's crazy to think about that he's
a great mentor for all aspects I love my
class but I mean I don't know why I said
Michael earlier like I know him I
probably should put a little respect
Michael Michael Michael got stands -
yeah Mike Oh Mike you guys stay listen
I'll stand all all the time I gave you
that LeBron stat you don't think that
I've said that to like everyone I come
on is that like things that MJ we was
doing he learned from David Thompson and
Jerry those guys stuff that I've done
I've learned from MJ stuff that Brian
does learn from me and playing on the
Olympic team and we're definitely stuff
it's a chain thing man I know people
want to talk about who's this who's that
because it fills up good conversation
time or downtown whatever the case may
be before us as athletes it's really a
chain reaction you can't have one
without the other it's just not possible
that's a good point that's a good point
what uh did you see the Jimmy Butler
stuff he you know obviously he heard
Amanda trade he went and beat his the
starters with the third stringers yeah
and a lot of people are saying that's
kind of a Kobe or MJ move where it's
like he's pushing his team and saying
you need me did you think that that was
a move that you would do or you know
some of those detriment I think most of
practice yeah I mean well there's I read
a story that you used to play guys to a
hundred you did you be like you have to
stay in this gym and play me to a
hundred and I mean what was the biggest
margin of victory you'd ever wear well
you in high school I used to spy guys 99
no kidding
but you know listen these practices of
practices are meant to be competitive
they're meant to be competitive if your
practices aren't more competitive than
the games themselves you're doing the
wrong thing mm-hmm
and most of these teams and coaches have
gotten into a mindset of resting players
oh it's too much you know we're not
gonna practice light daylight daylight
they feel never gave
like they there's no days off you show
up in your work in practice yeah
and practices are going to be worse they
ought to be more physical there's gonna
be more trash-talking I'm gonna let you
know right yeah yeah you're gonna show
up today I'm gonna let you know yeah
it's gonna be embarrassing you're gonna
hate it
but when Game seven rolls around the NBA
Finals you will be prepared mm-hmm who
would win one-on-one number eight Kobe
verse number 24 Kobe
200 I think I would say number eight we
win okay I would say number eight will
win one thousand and three number eight
yeah yeah the 40 point streak yeah that
had to be cut short yeah that's the only
trash-talking me MJ I've had by the way
is his 91 MJ versus mile oh three yes
yeah you said that
Tony Allen was the toughest guy to
defend you whose last guy to defend
Kevin Durant okay Kevin Durant that was
the one that I retired without really
having to being able to figure out what
it is that he you know how I can why I
stopped him why when he first came in
the league he was easy to defend because
he couldn't go right and shoot you
should kind of shoot across his face so
that was a weakness that he had also in
the post he couldn't turn left shoulder
everything was right shoulder so that
gave me areas that I could shut off
mm-hmm right and then he started
developing it so I developed it and now
he can pull up left he could pull up
right and you can shoot the long ball he
has runners left hand right hand before
he had a left hand finish at the rim
I could always send them left force him
all the way to the basket even with the
advantage of his size he was still
uncomfortable finishing with his left so
I could clamp the right hand and now
force him into tough situations but now
he developed that so then I couldn't
really figure out is this a rhythm thing
I'm trying to count the seconds that he
takes to make his moves when does he
make them but with Tom's in the game I
couldn't really figure out that rhythm
yet so I retired not being able to
figure him out
wouldn't you say Tony Allen was the
toughest to guard you where does Ruben Patterson
Patterson
the Kobe stopper the original Kobe stop
now he's not on the list I mean it look
listen I love so when Ruben I played
together he was the one player that
would compete against me hard every day
I mean he was show up every day you had
that kind of bob huggins cincin
any tough mindset type of thing right so
I love that about him but then now he's
a free agent and now he's like oh yeah
I'm the Colby stop I used to lock him up
in practice so I called him up I say
rude dude if you need help with a new
deal yeah let me know like I will go to
the medium be like yo nobody guarded me
better than Ruben Patterson I've seen
this guy everyday a prat I will help you
with your new deal right but now you
don't piss me off yeah let me know now
you went out there mouthed off now I
gotta kill you every time I play you and
it's not gonna be a good situation I
love every now and then like someone be
like I'm the new Kobe stop what are you
doing you're just making it worse for
yourself and my favorite thing was
seeing Shawn Kemp before a playoff game
45 another thing we have in common is
that you know we had any issues a lot of
people don't know that I'm very grateful
because my knees were banged up and you
said Alex you got to go see my guy in
Germany so I went to see dr. Peter
Wellington and literally says you sent
me there my knee has not hurt we want a
championship we've done all probably the
last five years pain free tell us a
little bit about you routine you're a
Newport Beach and you you take a
helicopter walk us through it and why
and how that started a lot of people
don't know that story yeah so um I
always get to practice really earlier my
routine is always the same you know I'd
wake up 4:00 in the morning and I lift
weights you know really early 5:00 in
the morning getting home at about 6:30
and time and wake up the kids for school
and then I take the kids to school every
morning that's what I do I take him to
school and then after I take him to
school I go to practice
I Drive the practice and this is when
before people started really moving down
south so I can get down to LA in 30 40
minutes right so I practiced I'd stay
late after practice get my shots up
treatment up drive back and I can get
back in time to pick the kids up from
school you know after-school activities
all that fun stuff even on weekends but
then traffic started getting really
really bad right and I was sitting in
traffic I wanted to missing like a
school play he's not sitting in traffic
and this this thing just kept mounting I
had to figure
a way where I could still train and
focus on the craft but still not
compromise family time and so that's
when I looked into helicopters and be
able to get down and back in 15 minutes
and that's when it started
so my routine was always the same
weights early in the morning kids to
school fly down practice like crazy do
my extra work media everything I needed
to do fly back get back in carpool line
pick the kids up and my wife was like
listen I can pick them up I'm like no no
no I I want to do that because like you
know you have road trips and Tom's
you're not you don't see your kids you
know so like every chance I get to see
him and spend time with him even if it's
20 minutes in your car like I want dad
right so that that would be my routine
oh so no nap though cuz you know if I
was tired I take a nap I pick him up
from school right go home I lay down for
about an hour or so and then I go to the
game but that wasn't like a set routine
for me if I was tired I went to sleep
was it I didn't Kove about if you had a
road game saying Miami yeah 7:30 game
same you'll get up early in the weights
get up early do weights I have a
breakfast get on the bus go to shoot
around get your shots up come back to
the room do treatment ice stretch I may
watch a movie I mean watch a little
extra film right depending on on what
movie the bust the stadium so we have we
had two buses a first bus was generally
for 34 45 second Buster's generally like
five thirty which bus were you on
generally the early one who's just to
get treatment and get shot so cuz I like
getting the arenas and sometimes I would
actually get a car uh-huh and leave
before the first bus because even though
the first bus is leaving early there's
still people in the stands coming yeah
and I like getting to arena's when
there's nobody in there and you can kind
of feel the purity of the place uh-huh
you know especially in a road
environment users yeah yeah well no but
I mean it's a certain yeah purity to
that and your routine at that time how
many shots you trying to get up at that
time so it depends so like if I was
playing if I was playing the Spurs for
example the amount of shots varies
depends on how I'm feeling physically
but the spots if I was playing the Spurs
will always like short porch hmm right
short corner shots
mid elbow shots those type of shots
because those are the shots up don't
give up don't always give up or you know
screen roll action tim is always backing
up you got a little short pull up right
so I would go through those and then if
I was playing like Memphis and got
arrested with Tony Allen I work on a lot
of back to basket stuff mm-hmm right put
my body on Tony making sure my foot
works right to elevate make sure I'm
hiding the ball that he can't swipe and
take it going through those muscle
memory things so the positions of the
shots would vary depending on the
opponent yeah all right you have to go
in a second cuz you're a very busy man
I'm gonna do rapid fire real quick all
right give me one one word one God
answer Matt Barnes incident it went Reve
iral were you was he actually throwing
the ball fit pump faking it right in
your face man as far as I remember yeah
I mean all I can go by is what Matt said
Oh Matt just saw him I just worked out
his kids um I would hear like a week ago
for their birthday he's this you know
when he first came to the Lakers he's
like me I don't understand how the hell
you did not flinch now when people were
ruining a great memory Marc Madsen
dancing a real life Elain dance move
from sighs oh that's a good point that's
a good one
you're mm rap album were you just like
[ __ ] it I can do anything myself when
that bad out myself went that bad but it
taught me how to write okay
the Kobe twos the worst shoe of all time
Kobe twos which ones no I'll show you
the picture you know once you're no no
the other company doesn't count
yeah those count that company doesn't
count that's that that's what taught me
that I need to lead the design charge
that picture is awesome
this is like this is like the a-rod take
do they not kissing himself in the road
they dog Bella because they're some
loser photographer being like Kobe's
first of all first of all listen I'm an
african-american but I am NOT that dark
yes I start deer and then the Hat in the
wardrobe and all that like you know yeah
Photography somebody took liberties yes
that's when he took the picture of
himself a rod kissing himself in the
mirror he's like yeah photographers like
this is gonna be awesome
like whoops all right what about the
little Wayne song Kobe Bryant do you
listen to it every day every day in the
car I listen to it it hides me up series
he called me he was like man that
performance just motivated the hell out
of me I think is like Game six he said
I'm gonna do a song ok can I do a song
like all right cool
my thought he was just kind of biessing
or whatever before the Celtics series he
sends me the song and I was like oh you
were serious yeah 2002 Western
Conference Finals was it rigged well low
officials named Tim Donaghy would you
definitely have money on it yeah so
that's a fact yes yes so from that
standpoint yes yes but from the Kings
missing twenty-something free throws in
game 7 good point good point unless you
go a check their bank account some
people forget that all right last one
for me is there ever been a triple team
you didn't want to shoot a shot through
you know it's true you like such an
average person hey by the way to me then
all should you're a micro Jordan Stan yes
yes
if a player today took 49 shots in an
NBA Finals game and her team loss mm-hmm
what would you say well I'd say he
probably like you went six and oh and I
just think about it yeah just think
about it that's what that sounds like
just think about it I'm just saying you
know you revisionist history sometimes
people do revisionist history is
actually going the wrong way though
because I think people are starting to
like say Michael Jordan played against
no one and the NBA in the end all here's
the thing man at the end of the day
we're he and I always say the end of the
day our goal and our mission magic Spurs
everybody is to win championships that's
it I don't care how you get there I
don't care what you do to get there I
don't care if you got to pick up a team
and cap I don't care what you do don't
care if the yell at everything doesn't
matter the goal is to win
mm-hmm period yeah so Kobe I want to
first of all say thank you for Dan and I
and I've always been a longtime admirer
thank you for being such a good four
and also to continue to set the gold
standard not only for athletes but for
you know retired athletes oh thank you
and continue great speciated my man
thank you question was good question
well depends on the team if I got
smooshed Parker laughs the best believe
I'm shooting there puffer fish bad dude
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