Lebron's 44 was half the amount that kobe bryant scored on the raptors last week. Before that, he was already a rare breed in the nba. Kobe has separated himself as a superstar among the stars of his day. But will his talent place him above all who came before him? From the moment he broke onto the scene, comparisons were made. And after he and shaquille o'neal fought their way to a three-peat in los angeles, it seemed a matter of time before his name would be etched in history. But that road would not be without its trials two years ago, his world nearly came undone, when he faced sexual assault charges.
>>”I'm disgusted at myself for making a mistake of adultery.”
Not surprisingly, he found refuge only on the basketball court. His play overcame all. Conflict with shaq, phil jackson, and advertise relationship with the media. This season with jackson back in the lakers' fold, he's been a man on a mission. Capped by his 81 point barrage.
Ladies and gentlemen, you have witnessed the second-greatest scoring show in nba history.
So, how will kobe be remembered? As a scoring legend? Or as one of the players that eclipsed the great michael jordan. These days, it seems anything's possible. You know what? I'm not going to waste your time trying to come up with things to describe maybe the baddest basketball player on the planet right now. Ladies and gentlemen, get up on
your feet, stay on your feet and give it up for the one and only kobe bryant!
[ Applause ]
All right. All right. He heard y'all. I'm sure you get used to that by now. How you doing, big boy?
>>I'm doing great man.
You know, last time, you though, we talked about a lot of things with kobe bryant, but the last thing, 81 points on the raptors. What did you think about? Tell me.
>> Well -- we just wanted to win the game. And -- you know, in that type situation, we were down by 18, 20 points. We needed not As the leader of the ball club, I need to provide that spark. That's what i try to do.
Now that sounds good, and I'm not denying that. The difference is, i watched that game. With three minutes left, you knew you were going to win the game. You overcame the 14-point deficit. You demoralized them, which is what you like to do. When did you know that you were going for 80?
>> Well -- when i had about 77 points and the crowd --
[ Laughter ]
The crowd just got into it. My teammates got into it. They wanted to see me go for it. That's what i tried to do.
When you talk about the 81 points, obviously that's second to wilt. I think about -- i put that performance second, let me just reveal what i feel. Not wilt's100 points. Michael jordan's 61 in a playoff game, i put right up there. Do you think it should rank two, three, one all time? Do you think about that?
>> I don't think about it much. I just go out there and try to play the game. As a fan, it's much easier for me to judge what michael did, larry did, magic did many the game.
But I'm not talking about while you were playing. After you know you've done it, you win the game, and you go back home, and you think about reflect on what you've a accomplish accomplished.
>> You look at what michael's done in the playoffs, magic, larry, and put those type of performances up in the playoffs is another thing. Hopefully we can get there and have a good showing in the playoffs.
Right. Not to sour your mood, but i don't think this will. Vince carter had something to say, of all people. Had something to say about your 81 points. Let me read this quote to you. "The only bad thing about it is that younger kids whose minds are easily warped are going to think I'm going to go out there and do it instead of the team concept first." Vince carter said this about your 81 points. When you heard comments like that, especially for coming from a guy that's known on dunking people, what thoughts come to your mind?
>> I really let it go. I think if people were watching the game, knew what that game was about, knew what i had to do to kind of get us back in the game. A the end at the end of the day, we won the game.
Here's the part that people don't know about you, but i think i know. See, I ask you the question, and your eyes get narrow, and what that saying to me, I'm going to remember vince said that when i see him next time.That's what that says to me.
[ Laughter ]
Am I lying?
>> I just try to use everything I can very motivation, as a tool for me to be able to elevate my team to play the best basketball. I try to use a bit of everything.
You had it out before. You got into a shoving match. What was that about, by the way?
>> I'm not really sure. I think it was a physical game, and, he tried to go to the basket, and i tried to strip the ball. Wound up by a foul. He had some, you though, hard feelings about it, and we had some words.
You know, i think about it, say to myself, a lot of people are going to come at you hard. Do you find that to be the case now? Everybody talks about lamar odom, it's a young team, you're the leader. Do you find that cats are coming after you harder and stronger than ever before?
>> I knew that going into this season. Lamar and i talked about that prior to the start of the season. What our opposition was going to do. And, one of the things i said, our mentality has to be, we're going to hunt you. And that's how i approach the game every single night. I'm not going to wait for you to take the first blow, put us on hour heels. We're going to strike first.
I think about the lakers -- are you the only person on your team that has that kind of attitude?
>> I don't think so. I really don'T. Believe it or not -- we really do have some players that are willing to step up and play hard.
But the difference between playing hard and being an assassin. Allen iverson, he called you a flat-out assassin.
[ Laughter ]
That's what he said.
[ Laughter ]
That's what he said. That's what he said. But seriously. You look at this team right now -- how far do you think you guys can go with the team that's presently con producted. You leading the way. How far?
>> You though, it's a tough thing to judge. You know, in the system that we play in is really predicated on us being on the same page and having that chemistry. It's tough for us to pick up the game, how phil teaches the triangle. Once we pick it up, you'll see
the improvement.
Why is it takes so long?
>> This offense, everybody has to been be on the same page at the
same time. You can't just run a zipper action, going to get stephen A. The bal, this ball, this is your play, isolate on the post. That's not what we do. Everything is predicated off
reads. We have to play defense and each and every player out there has to make the adjustments. It's cool to think about, but it's difficult to get.
Especially when there's only one kobe wript on bryant on the team. Stephen A. Smith, I'm in the house with kobe bryant. We're going to talk more about the lakers, more about kobe, and lord knows what else might come up. We'll be back in a minute.
[ Comercial]------------------------------------------
>> In hindsight, it was great, because it gave my experience, see how other cultures live, to mature, as face about, you know, having a broader understanding of what the world looks like. So, I mean, it helped me a lot. When it came to basketball, my grandparents sent me all the games. The lakers, the celtics the bulls. They sent them out to us. I used to sit at the house, watch the games over and ore and over again.
How did that shape your personality? When people talk about kobe bryant, they say, had he grown up in the states, he may have had a more outgoing personality. How did that effect your personality?
>> I'm an outgoing guy. I'm not outgoing with people i don't know.
There you consider yourself outgoing?
>> People that know me, yes.
You know what they say about you. People that know you that say you're an outgoing guy, what would they say about you?
>> Pretty about sarcastic dude.
Listen, coming in -- i think about this, too. You're in high school.You play at lower marion. 30 points, 12 rebounds. You did everything. I know all of that stuff, but
you decide to go pro. Why? Because you were going to go to duke, if you elected to go to
college. Why did you make the decision to go pro?
>> Well, i had a chance to play against some of the best basketball players in the worldworld, and the decision, the reason why I made the decision, so be able to compete against them every single night, and to learn as a higher level than, you know, anything that i could learn at the college level.You play against the best. So, I said, you know what? If I'm ready or not, i don't know. Once I get there, I'll be able to learn from the best, and i will be one day ready.
But when did you make the decision that, ready or not, nba here i come. When did you make that call?
>> Well, i mean, you have to make -- you have to make your estimations as far as where you're going to draft. I didn't just blindly jump into a decision not knowing where i was going to end up. Once i was comfortable where i could go, i went for it.
It's interesting you bring that up. The charlotte hornets drafted you with the 13th overall pick. Did you know you were going to los angeles? Were you anticipating you were going to be in charlotte?
>> Actually after i got drafted, you have to do your calls. I go in, i speak to a
representative from the organization, at the time, and they said, they told me that,
you know, that were looking to move me, because they really didn't have a need for me. I said --
They didn't have any use for you, though they traded for you divac?
>> Was 17 year i was 17 years old, i heard that, i was like, okay. I know what I'm going to do every day this summer.
What was that?
>> Training my butt off. That was telling me, you can't do something. We don't need you?
But where did you get -- again, we go to your personality. Didn't i just tell y'all about
his eyes narrow and everything. Okay, okay, I'm going to remember y'all. Where did that come from? The perception is, growing up in italy, we don't view italy the way review harlem, new york, southside of chicago. You are looking at a comfortable environment. That fire in your eyes, that fire in your belly, it's usually not perceived as being there. Where do you get that from, then?
>> I don't know where it comes from. Growing up in italy, what i used to hear a lot used to drive me crazy. All the kids would say, you know what, you're a good basketball
player here. Once you go back to the states, you're not going to do any of this stuff.
They told you that?
>> They told me they're taller, faster. That just absolutely drove me crazy.
So, then, you come back to the states and your mission is to prove things. And you end up just killing everybody on the high school level. You go to the pros. Utah. Western conference, semifinals, air ball.
>> You remember that?
I do.
>> I'm sure you do. Bring bring it up.
Hold on -- trust me, I'm on your side there. You shot an air ball in regulation. You shot two air balls in overtime. Everybody was sitting there crucifying you. This is what i was thinking. Del harris started this game just six games this season. Why is this rookie in that
position? Especially when there was friction, because you wanted more playing time and you thought you deserved it. Why buter in that position to begin with? What were the thoughts going through your mind when the air balls came raining down on the bell that center?
>> Okay. I took the first one. It felt good. It did. It felt good. And it went short. I just said -- damn. I'm going to make the next one. The next one -- damn. I'm gonna make the next one. I shoot the next one -- damn. Okay, I'm due. All right. And I shot two more.
Well, well, well -- sorry to digress for a second. But how does an air ball feel good? I want to know.
>> That's a really good question. But sometimes, you shoot the ball, and you release it, and the trajectory feels good, your follow-through is good, it's in line, you keep the follow-through up in the air and it goes short. But it feels good. So, it's kind of like a shock to miss those sometimes.
Now, after that experience, that weighs on your mind, but ultimately, kobe bryant works on his game, shaquille o'neal is right there in the house with you to begin with. Your game is elevated to another level. What did you do to get your game to that level, specifically? We have a whole bunch of basketball kids in the how. What did you do to get your game to that level?
>> The prime example is, I've had the same trainer training me for ten years. After I shot the air balls, i sat there and i thought, as soon as we got on the mane, went back to L.A. That night. We went through the whole season, and the thing we came down to, the conditioning program needed to be adapted.
Give it to me quick. What did you do?
>> We worked on the conditions sing with the track. We went the court. We did that all summer loom long. At the end of the game, the shot felt good, but my legs were
tired. I wasn't ready. So, what am i going to have to do to, next time I'm in that position, to make the shot.
Do you do that to this day?
>> Absolutely. How can i make this, that better? So, I'm always asking the questions to improve.
Were you asking that question when you won the championship? The three-peat. What questioning did you ask yourself that time?
>> How can we win another one. Because every year, when you win a championship the next time you come back, it's harder. People are gunning for you. We knew how people were going to play shaquille.
How was that?
>> They crowd him. They try to physically beat him up or put him at the line in critical situations. I had to sit back and say, as his sidekick, what am i going to do to bring to the table to help us win the championship? I knew his weak vnss. I have to make those my
strengths. That's how the combination worked.
What do you think you did bring to the table? When we see you, we see shaquille o'neal, 7'1", 350 pounds, we see kobe as everything else. What were we missmissing? In terms of you on the court.
>> I think a lot of subtle things that phil jackson taught me how to do to facilitate the offense. I was a quarterback. That's the role that lamar has with this team now. You have to quarterback the offense. You have to now how they play rick fox on the wing, they have to now how to play shaq. You have to read all the angles. That was my job. I had to study the game.
How did you like it?
>> I loved it. It game a challenge. And the reason why it was fun more for me is, i can watch film and get a kick out of the fact that this team is getting abused and they have no idea how to stop it. The fact that we're thinking about how to take advantage of them. And i sat back and i enjoyed that.
When did it seem like you didn't like being the quarterback?
>> I don't know. I always enjoyed doing it.You can't be successful at something if you don't enjoy it. We won three championships in five years. If i didn't enjoy my role, how
can you wip a championship or be successful? It just doesn't work.
>> Stephen A. Smith, "quite frankly," I'm in the house with the one and only kobe bryant. We're going to get more into the lakers, yes, I'm going to ask about shaq. He can talk. He likes to do that, too.
[Commercial]-------------------------------------------
This is stephen A. Smith, this is "quite frankly," I'm in the house with kobe bryant. Really getting to him and expressing how upset i am spending the summers in san antonio, rather than southern california. Before we get into that, i want to show you something that magic johnson had to say about the departure of shaquille o'neal from los angeles to miami. Here's what magic johnson had to say. Take a look.
>> It still don't make sense mo me. Here's two young men, the two best players in the game, they could have went down in history as the best two duos to ever play in this game. Together.
Better than magic kareem?
>> They could have been. They would have won more championships than us. Better than michael and scottie. They would have won more championships. But it was interesting to me that they had these issues, and so there was nobody in the locker room to sit them down, say, look, man, and i was trying to tell both of them, you're better off with one another than you're going to be without each other.
You hear something like that coming from the great magic johnson, what goes through your mind?
>> You obviously have to think about what could have been. Being that, he's a person i
looked up to since i was a kid. His opinion means a lot to me. But at the same time, situations are what they are.You try to move on from them. Shaq's down in miami. I wish him all the best. And we're here, trying to get the organization back to the top, so, you try to learn from it.
That's right.And i support you moving on, after the next hour or so, but I want to get into it, because, seriously, because, one of the things i wanted to -- i wanted to give you the flat form to really discuss why? Why would couldn't that work out in your estimation? What was the reason for it?
>> You know what? I can only speak for myself. And personally, playing with him, that was easy. I had no problem praying withing playing with him whatsoever what a lot of
people don't understand is when i was a free agent, becoming a free agent, i look at other
teams, where i might want to go, what challenge to accept. As that process was coming up, they inform me they're trading shaquille o'neal. That means they're not going to send me anywhere that's how the situation went down. I wasn't in touch with him when he went through the deal with the lakers. I just distanced myself from the situation. And -- you know, like i said, he ended up in south beach.
Was chicago one of the teams?
>> I was planning on going to chicago.
You were planning on going to chicago during your free agency, before you signed that seven-year extension. You were going to be -- you're going into michael jordan's house, and you were going to be kobe bryant.
>> Well, chicago and the clippers. And the clippers was an easier transition for me.
We both know about the clippers. Forgive me if i can't imagine you in a clippers' uniform.
>> It was very serious at the time. Yeah -- i liked what they had to say. I liked their players. I've known some of the guys for a long time. Chicago, not too many people
know about that. They thought i was waiting to be a laker, but i was looking at other teams sflchlt back steams.
Back to shaq for a second. I know you said you wanted new challenges, but it didn't seem like it was a basketball team. Hate is too strong of a word, but clearly, there was a healthy dislike, it appeared, that both of you had for one another. Where did that come from in the mid-of winning three world championships together? And being recognized as possibly the greatest dynamic duo arguably in the history of basketball?
>> You know what, man, i don't dislike him at all. I really don'T. For me, it's all about
challenges. I kind of have to sit back, say, do i want to take on another challenge? My peers say, well, he's only this good because he plays with shaq. If i played with shaq, I'd have three rings. Or, if you believe shaq, you'll never have another title. You hear stuff from your peers. I don't like that. So, I had to sit down and evaluate, is this a challenge i
want to take on? And -- you know, that's pretty much the process i was going through.
Kobe bryant is on the record, he says, i don't dislike shaq, but though shaq never said it, he gave every indication to everybody imaginable, at one point. Certainly not now. At one point, he didn't particularly like you too much. Where did that come from? I'm quite sure you may have asked somebody.
>> I don't know. I think that's something that, you know, that's something for him to answer if he chooses to answer it. Personally, I didn't have any problems.
Listen. Magic johnson sat in your chair, and so did shaquille o'neal. Let me show you that shaq had to say. Check this out, in the house on "quite frankly." Take a look.
>> I never complained. He just say something, i say something back. Somebody hit you, you got to hit him back, man. It wasn't nothing serious. It wasn't anything personal. I got traded, business was taken care of. I wish him well. I wish everybody well.
You hear that from shaquille o'neal, your thoughts?
>> Maybe -- I've heard him say a couple times I'm the one responsible for him leaving los angeles. That's just not the case.
What was responsible for him leaving? I'm asking for as somebody that works for the organization that is familiar with what goes on within the organization. Why is shaquille o'neal in a heat uniform?
>> I think that's a question for mr. Buss. He's answered that several times already, as far as it being a business decision. Whatever his motives were. Don't know, it's not my job.
I don't get into it.
Now, I have to revisit one other thing. You talked about shaq. There was a quote that you had given to jim gray of espn, before the 2004 season, i believe, where you said that he was fat and out of shape.
>> Uh-huh.
You know, that doesn't -- i mean, like you said, you don't dislike him, but you didn't like him that day.
>> No, but that's job related. There's nothing about him as a person. And i always told shaq that. In practice, i used to tell him, man, you have to get ready. Did he like hearing it? Probably not. But my job on the team is to make sure we're fully functional.
That was your job back then? Somebody looks at a man like him and be scared to say something like that.
>> No, i mean -- that was part of my role, you know. That's what i try to do with him. But - probably rubbed him the wrong way.
Are you glad you did it?
>> Glad i did what?
That you would be on guys if it was shaq or anybody else. When you talk about taking the leadership guy and be on a guy like that. Are you glad that you got on him? Maybe not with that specific quote --
>> You know, something i can take back was, you know, being public with it. I think it goes into, you know, being a bit immature. As far as taking something public. Say the same thing, but without bringing it to light so it becomes a big public issue. I think he and i were both guilty of that.
When you think about a few weeks after, i believe it was january 16th. He comes up to you, at the staples center. You guys have a game on martin luther king's holiday. He shakes your hand, and, basically, it's the truce. It's the wellwell-publy silzed truth. Before that transpired, it almost seems as if his silence was so conspicuous that it gave life to the quote/unquote feud that everybody perceived. Did you look at it that way?
>> No.
How did you look at him?
>> I know him. I know him very well. You know him in and out.
Tell us what you know.
>> I felt like public took something, the media took something and ran with it. And him just playing to that. But he -- you know -- you talk to him, you ask him a question about me as a basketball player --
Nobody's ever questioned you about a basketball player. Nobody's that stupid.
>> That's why our relationship -- that's what brought our relationship together was us playing the game and winning championships. Him coming up, on mlk's birthday, that's big for us the city of los angeles, and big for our youth as a whole.
Why?
>> Well, because you see, you know, kids that look up to us. Kids that watch us play in the nba, inspire to be where we are. See these two grown men putting their differences aside, putting the altercations or spat, you know, that we had aside, and just coming together, saying, you know what, it is what it is. Let's move on. I'm happy for you, for me, let's do our thing.
You heard him. That's kobe bryant. This is stephen A. Smith. "Quite frankly," we're in the house. Talking about the lakers, the nba. Don't think i forgot about phil jackson, wyane wade, lebron james.
[Commercial]-----------------------------------------
Stephen A. Smith, "quite frankly," I'm back in the house with kobe bryant of the los
angeles lakers. And forgive me for bringing up phil jackson, but you shouldn't have any problem for what I'm about to say. I'm going to show you an excerpt from phil jackson's book. Mind you, phil jackson wrote this, not kobe bryant. Here's what he had so say.
"I won't coach this team next year if he is still here. He won't listen to anyone. I've had it with this kid."
Here's another thing. "I sometimes think kobe is so addicted to being in control he would rather shoot the ball when guarded or double teamed than dish it to an open teammate. He is saying to himself, how can I trust anybody else." Here's my question to you, kobe. How many times have i asked you how things going with phil jason. You say everything's going well. I'm happy phil is back. How can you be happy that man is
back?
>> You know what? Life is short. You can't carry baggage. Can't go around carrying resent. It's too short. You have to forgive and move on. You just come here, he's come
here to help us get back to the top. He's coaching me, supporting me, he's told me that. So, who am i to judge somebody to not forgive him and to move on.
Give him a round of applause.
[ Applause ]
And the reason i say that, because that would have been hard for me to have that. I would have forgave him eventually. I'm thinking -- here's my problem. Phil jackson is a great coach, one of the greatest ever. There is no debating that. But not only did he break a code in my estimation, of keeping things in house, but he's the one that promotes that code, that pushes for you guys to have those kinds of standards. So, he violated standards in my mind, that he was advocating. Considering that, what -- would the kobe bryant from years ago would have been -- would you have been so easily -- would you
have easily forgiven this man the way you do now?
>> I don't know. I think that know, you go through life's trials and tribulations to become a better person. At this point in life is to not sit back and pass judgment on people and hold that against them. You know what i mean? So, you are who are you. I'm going to respect that.
When did you reach that point? Because some would say kobe wasn't always that way.
>> I don't know, man. I can't sit there and say this's a particular day or month or
whatever. It's -- it takes time.
Yeah. Now, we all know what you had to go through with colorado. We aren't going to address that stuff. It's the past, what have you. But what did you learn from that
whole experience? Just having to go through what you went through?
>> God is great.
Is it that simple? Le the way you know it now, did you know it before that
incident took place?
>> He picks you up, carry your cross and you, then you know.
[ Applause ]
What was the hardest thing for you to deal with as that whole ordeal was gone on in your
mind? I remember you looking into the cameras, talking about, I'm innocent. Shoot, everybody in the nation learned about who john black was. He was the media relations guy for the lakers, and nobody has your back more than he does. That whole experience, was the toughest thing for you to go through?
>> Just keeping our family together.
Your wife. Your daughter.
>> Keeping our family together. And, us being able to come out of that, and to be together, to be united, having our second kid.
Second kid in may?
>> Yeah, in may. So, that's more than any championship or any, you know, ring, or whatever it is. That's more than anything.
How together are y'all now?
>> Oh, man, we got another one coming in may. Another girl. So -- I'm going to have two little princesses. It's cool, man.
How supportive has your wife been?
>> Oh, extremely supportive. She pushes me to continue to move forward and continue to be the best basketball player i can be out there on the floor. I come home some nights, i have 50 points or something like that, and we win the game, she comes back, saying, you know, you missed a free throw. Should have had 51. So, she constantly challenges me
to be better.
At that same press conference, when you talked about being innocent. I remember you holding hands, and the look in your eyes, it was almost you felt more pain for her than you did for you.
>> Oh, i don't worry about me.
Even at that moment?
>> I don't worry about me. Never crossed my mind.
Never crossed your mind. Why was that?
>> I wasn't worried about myself.
And what gets you to the point where you don't worry about yourself, under such
trying circumstances?
>> Well, you -- you want your daughter to grow up with a father, you want your wife to
have a husband there for her. You want them to grow up have a great house hold.
For myself, personally, I'm going that be okay. I know they need me. So, i was more worried for them than i was for me.
The interesting thing about that is, when you listen to phil, even yourself, players
that talk about you, the one thing that is the consensus about you, they talk your
willingness. You have to control things, and that might have been one of the
few times in your life that you might have not had any control. What was that like for you?
>> You just let the situation go.You just let it go. It is what it is. You let it go, put it in god's hands.
Stephen A. Smith, "quite frankly," I'm in the house with kobe bryant.
[Commercial]----------------------------------------
>> I always let lebron know all the time, dog, they love you right now. They love you right now, but please believe me. The first incident, they are waiting man. They are waiting, man. They are waiting, man. Just like, i mean, i hate to bring it up, but the other
situation, with kobe –
Kobe bryant.
>> Yes. All this time, he's the number one man, the perfect man for everybody, everybody's heart. He's number one man. Kobe bryant is who kobe bryant is, dog.
But these people want him to be the kobe bryant that they want him to be. And it ain't right. Kobe bryant is his own man. He only gets to live one time. People are killing this man about his image or whatever. The man made a mistake. Let's go on.
You hear that from allen iverson.
[ Applause ]
You hear that from allen. What does it mean to you right now, whether it's allen iverson,
lebron james, some of the things they said in "espn the magazine." All the love they showed you. The way they once looked up to M.J., They look at you that way.
W does that make you feel?
>> It feels great. It's all about your peers. You want your peers to respect
what you do. As a basketball player and a man. It means a lot to me.
Do you suspect there's anybody out there, a since carter, dwyane wade, who you
have got on the some things on the court, is it a situation where the cats think they can
mess with you, and you think you have to check them quickly?
>> I think the game itself is about competition. Right so, when you step out on
that floor, the person you play against, your opposition must feel that way. If they don't, i can smell it out pretty quickly.
And what do you do when you smell it out?
>> You go right at them and take their will away from them.
That's what you do. You take people's will. Just tell the truth that's what
you do, kobe.
>> When you play the game, that's what you have to do. That's what you try to do.
But you know, there are some players out there, the young players, who are tough
competition.
Some people sit there, you keep talking about kobe being the greatest player in the game
today -- y'all don't realize that kobe's trying to be arguably the greatest ever. You're response?
>> I got to get a couple more rings.
So are you going to?
>> You know what, i won't rest until we do. So -- I'm going to continue to work hard. We as a team, we're going to work hard as an organization, the same way to push and push
until we get back to that top.
My man.
[ Applause ]
Kobe bryant. That's it for tonight.
