Carmelo recalls the craziest game against Kobe Bryant right after his court trial: "He came that game... and hit the game-winner"
Kobe Bryant’s NBA career was not entirely smooth. He dealt with legal issues outside the basketball court, something that could easily throw any player off his game.
However, the Black Mamba proved that he could weather such storms. One witness to that is retired NBA player Carmelo Anthony.
The 39-year-old had a strong relationship with the late Los Angeles Lakers legend during their prime. Both would go out to dinner after games and hang out. But if there was something both avoided conversing about, it was basketball.
“You can’t talk hoop with him. You can’t because it's always going to come down to winning a championship,” Anthony said on the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast.
Melo shares an unforgettable Kobe game-winning moment
On the court, Anthony and Bryant battled like gladiators. One game that Melo admits he cannot forget is one in 2003 between the Lakers and his team then, the Denver Nuggets.
Bryant arrived late at the time since he was coming from a court hearing in Colorado. With the game tied in the closing seconds, the 18-time All-Star sank a 21-foot jumper as time expired, handing the Lakers a 101-99 win over the Nuggets, per ESPN.
Melo was left in disbelief at what happened since he did not expect Kobe to be playing at all in that game.
“[He goes] Yo’ I’m dealing with… I’m here boom, I might not make the game, I know all of that. It f**cked me up when he came that game, with the uniform already on, and hit the game-winner,” the 10-time All-Star recalled.
Aware of the circumstances at the time, Anthony admitted that Bryant being able to play that game with all the adversity surrounding him showed why the Black Mamba was on an entirely different level.
“So it’s like I have a different type of level of respect for this [sic], this [sic] had the uniform on and on the chopper… But the confidence for you to walk in that arena…in the heat of situations and you come in with your f**king uniform on, every sign in the building is towards you… and you had a f**kin game-winner… come on. I was hot, but like damn, that was like different level type of mentality,” the 6-foot-7 retired NBA star quipped.
Melo was not the only one to fall prey to Kobe game-winners
Bryant was no stranger when it came to game-winners. He is the type of player who wants the ball in his hands and cares less about the consequences.
Aside from Anthony, another NBA great, Dwyane Wade, admitted that he was having a good game as well against Kobe and the Lakers. But like Melo, the Miami Heat star also fell prey to Bryant’s heroics on December 4, 2009. The Lakers won 108-107, a match that Wade brands as one of the luckiest game-winners ever.
It was pretty frustrating for Wade and the Heat, although the 3-time NBA champion admits he couldn’t get mad about it.
“It was such a Kobe moment. I couldn't be that mad because I looked down and said it's Kobe. I was hot though if it was anybody else,” the 13-time All-Star said.
