Nick Young Recalls Kobe Bryant Breaking His Thumb In Practice

BYAlexander Cole1.9K Views
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Former NBA player Nick Young talks about upcoming bout at the Banc of California Stadium on September 8, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
Kobe showed Nick Young no mercy.

Kobe Bryant is a player that inspired many of his peers. He also had a tremendous competitive spirit that was unmatched by those he played against. That said, sometimes he could get a little overboard at the expense of his teammates. This is something that Nick Young actually found out the hard way.

While speaking to Vlad TV, Young recounted his first year with the Lakers and how Kobe welcomed him with open arms. He even had a party for the players which Young always appreciated. Soon after the party, Young quickly learned about the Mamba Mentality.

Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images for BIG3

As he told Vlad, Kobe was trash-talking him in practice, which eventually led to Bryant swiping at his thumb. Young immediately knew it was broken and told Kobe as such. Unfortunately, Kobe didn't believe him and continued to make him work hard at practice.

Soon after the incident, it was confirmed via MRI that Young did, indeed, have a broken thumb. Kobe immediately called Young to apologize for the incident, noting that he would have never done that if he knew he was truly injured.

It was a hilarious Kobe story that Young had a lot of fun recounting. It's clear Young loved Kobe, just like the many others who got to play with him.

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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