‘Kobe Bryant Stopper’ Shane Battier shares Lakers star’s WILD ability to play mind games at highest order

The late Kobe Bryant left a longstanding legacy behind during his playing days with the Los Angeles Lakers.

‘Kobe Bryant Stopper’ Shane Battier shares Lakers star’s WILD ability to play mind games at highest order

Kobe Bryant and Shane Battier

Former NBA player Shane Battier recently shared his experiences playing against the late Kobe Bryant. Battier described facing Bryant as the purest level of competition he had ever faced. As such, the retired player missed that level of intensity.

Battier shared that he knew Bryant’s weaknesses, which included his shooting percentages when driving left or right. He would try to play smart and exploit those weaknesses. Shane Battier fondly remembered his encounter with the late great Kobe Bryant on The OGs podcast.

He was brilliant, obviously, and a killer. The only way I could ever have a chance against Kobe was to play smart…I just played by the book and tried to make Kobe play to his weaknesses. I had some—I wouldn’t say great success, but I was like a human yellow light against him.
Shane Battier via The OGs podcast
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Battier called himself Kobe’s “human yellow light” because he could slow him down but not stop him entirely. In his book, Bryant mentioned Battier as one of the “Kobe Stoppers” who tried to shut him down. The Lakers legend knew Battier’s strategy was to downplay his ability to guard him, which Bryant saw as false humility and attacked him for it.

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Despite their competitive rivalry, Battier and the Black Mamba had a healthy respect for each other as competitors. Battier cherishes the times they battled on the court and misses that level of competition. The mental and physical battles between them were a game within a game, with only the two of them aware of the intensity and respect they had for each other.

Shane Battier reflects on the relentless Kobe Bryant

Shane Battier discussed his experiences guarding Kobe Bryant with Draymond Green. As a defensive stalwart, Green wanted to know more about the rivalry between Battier and Bryant. The famous ‘Kobe stopper’ admitted that even he couldn’t fully prepare for the challenge of facing “The Black Mamba.”

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Battier described Kobe as someone always pushing to score more and never taking his foot off the gas pedal. He felt butterflies in his stomach before games against the Los Angeles Lakers legend, knowing he had to be fully focused.

Look, this guy was relentless. Relentless, you know? And people ask me, like, what do you miss about playing? And I said, you know, getting on the bus and having those butterflies in my stomach going to Staples Center, being like, ‘Man, this guy's gonna try to score 60 on me tonight. He's gonna try to embarrass me tonight, you know?’
Shane Battier via The Draymond Green Show

Battier respected Kobe’s abilities and praised his work ethic and competitive drive. He remembered Kobe as a shark who smelled blood in the water, always looking to score more and embarrass his opponents. For NBA fans, it is always fascinating to hear stories about the Lakers legend. Hopefully, more former players come out and reveal their experiences playing with Bryant to carry on his legacy.

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