Kobe Bryant recently joined Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on their "All The Smoke" podcast and there were plenty of old school stories to be shared, not least the infamous "no flinch" ball fake. In discussing the now iconic moment that took place on March 7, 2010, Barnes shed some light on why he always relished the opportunity to play against the Black Mamba.
"When I played you I looked forward to it because - everyone know how fucking good you are - but you mentally attack people, too. You do your little Kobe shit where you're elbowing and grabbing, knocking the wind out of me... And I'm the one getting fouls. I'm the one getting T's. So it just came to a head, and I was like, 'man, fuck. I might have to fight this dude.' Fuck basketball. Fuck everything."
Following that 2009-10 season, Barnes joined the Lakers to team with Kobe. As the saying goes, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Or, as Bryant puts it, “Anyone crazy enough to fuck with me is crazy enough to play with me.”
Check out some footage from Kobe's recent appearance on the "All The Smoke" podcast below.