Kobe Bryant once thought he ‘figured out’ Stephen Curry but got humbled on court

Nick Young shared an intriguing story regarding legends Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry on the Gil's Arena Podcast.

Kobe Bryant once thought he ‘figured out’ Stephen Curry but got humbled on court

Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry

During the course of his illustrious career, the late Kobe Bryant always imposed his offensive aspect of the game. He was a menace to the opposition’s defense throughout his career. However, there came a time where he got a taste of his own medicine. It was against a 29-year old Stephen Curry, shooting 3-pointers for fun in his prime.

Former Los Angeles Lakers star Nick Young recalled the moment when the two stars came head-to-head against each other. Young remembered the moment the Mamba believed he had finally discovered out a way to stop Curry on a recent segment of the Gil’s Arena Podcast. Young also stated that Bryant would ‘guard’ Curry after the second half.

Kobe was like, ‘I figured him out, I finally figured him out…I got it. I’m guarding him… Chef (Stephen Curry) started doing shimmy on Kobe. Sh*t. It’s hard to figure somebody like that out.

Nick Young said on the Gil’s Arena podcast
YouTube video

Before the second half of their match-up, Jeremy Lin had been Curry’s guard. Players rearranged their positions and returned to the court after the team’s leader made such a statement, only to discover that Curry remained unfazed by Bryant guarding him.

FS Video

Furthermore, Young admitted that Bryant was better at defending Curry than Lin. However, it wasn’t enough to keep the two-time MVP in check. The Warriors star finished with 30 points, as per the former Laker. Young made a suggestion that age gap between certainly played a part. It’s never easy to guard Curry, who is regarded as one of the best ball-handlers in modern basketball history.

RELATED
WATCH: “Boom!” Draymond Green goes VIRAL for yelling in Luka Doncic’s ears
Draymond Green and Luka Doncic

Stephen Curry once shared the ‘compliment’ he recieved from late Kobe Bryant

Stephen Curry has been one of the best players in the NBA over the past decade, performing consistently on a high-level for the Golden State Warriors. However, before him, it was the late Kobe Bryant that took center stage for many years in the league. Regarding this, Curry once opened up on a ‘compliment’ he once received from the legendary player.

One of the best compliments I ever got, when [Kobe] recognized the killer instinct behind the smile. You know Mamba Mentality… He acknowledged that same spirit but knew that I did it with a smile on my face.

Stephen Curry said in an appearance on the Big Boy TV
RELATED
More influential than Stephen Curry? Celtics champ drops hot take on most influential NBA star
Stephen Curry and James Harden

Bryant recognized the ‘mamba instinct’ in the Warriors star way before anyone else did. In the process, Curry went on the create a dynasty for the Warriors in the NBA, winning 4 NBA titles. He has become a true superstar and will likely be remembered as the greatest player in Warriors history. That said, a career like that would not be possible without some dosage of the “Mamba Mentality.”