Jeremy Lin Talks Kobe Bryant Confrontation on Lakers, Clashes Over Leadership Style
Former point guard Jeremy Lin discussed his confrontation with late NBA legend Kobe Bryant during their shared tenure on the Los Angeles Lakers.
"He was upset at me over something that I was actually trying to do, but the coach was telling me not to do it," Lin said during a Saturday appearance on the Above The Rim with DH 12 podcast (1:01:00 mark). "And so he was like, 'No, don't. Don't foul him.' I was like, 'No, we've got to foul him,' right? So Kobe was like, 'Foul him.' I was like, 'I know I'm trying to,' but I'm telling the coach and the coach is telling me, 'Don't foul.' So then I'm like, 'I don't know what to do.' So it ended up being something where he had given me really bad body language."
"I texted him, and I was like, 'Hey man, I really don't appreciate the body language,'" he added. "He came back with a sharp response and then I went back at him. But it ended cordial, where I ended up saying, 'I'm not saying that you can't teach me. You're obviously like a hundred times the player I am. I want to learn anything and everything I can from you. I'm just asking, can you just say it and do it in a way that's respectful to me as a man?' He was like, 'Alright, I got you.' He sent over a text with some advice. He's like, 'Let's start with this.' I was like, 'I got you. I'm gonna be focused on that. I'm gonna be working on this. I'm going to be thinking this, exactly what you're saying. I'm just trying to get better. I'm trying to help this team more.' We didn't speak for the next five months."
Lin explained that the two players patched things up later, with Bryant revealing that he wasn't used to people challenging him.
The two were teammates in Los Angeles during the 2014-15 season after the Lakers traded for Lin in a swap with the Houston Rockets.
The team struggled that year, finishing with a 21-61 record while Bryant only played in 35 games before suffering a season-ending torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
As for Lin, he appeared in 74 contests while averaging 11.2 points, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game on 42.4/36.9/79.5 shooting splits. He signed with the Charlotte Hornets in free agency during the ensuing offseason.
Meanwhile, Bryant continued to suit up for the Lakers until his retirement in 2016.
He earned 18 All-Star nods and won five championships during his 20-year tenure in Los Angeles, although he didn't always get along with his teammates. This includes Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal, who famously clashed with Bryant while the pair won three championships together from 2000-02.
Lin and Bryant appeared to find a resolution to their confrontation before the end of the 2014-15 season, though.
