“Kobe Bryant was resented by his own teammates, I couldn’t believe it!”: Jalen Rose emotionally describes his wonderful relationship with the Black Mamba on All the Smoke Podcast

Jalen Rose and Kobe Bryant are 2 names intertwined with each other’s destinies forever. The former Pacers swingman spoke about the Black Mamba on the All the Smoke podcast.

When Kobe Bryant dropped 81 points on January 22, 2006, the whole world seemed to stop for a second and appreciate the genius and the magnitude of the task they’d just seen accomplished.

It’s been nearly 2 years since the Black Mamba passed away. But for many of us Mamba Truthers, the wound is still raw and rankles the heart. This was a man who believed he was about to accomplish more in the next 20 years after retirement than he did as a player!

Jalen Rose was the man who guarded him that unforgettable night – in single coverage, for the most part. But if you thought there was any animosity between the two, you couldn’t be more wrong. Kobe wasn’t friends with a lot of people, but Jalen was one of them.

Rose and Kobe also featured on this memorable ESPN advertisement back in 2008.

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Jalen Rose describes his relationship with and his admiration for Kobe Bryant

The ESPN analyst was a guest with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on All the Smoke podcast recently. Even by the excellent standards of the Showtime pod, this was one episode that should stand the test of time.

Rose revealed innumerable stories about his life and his career. When it came to talking about the 2000 NBA Finals, he called it the Black Mamba’s coming out party. Jalen also noted how Kobe earned the respect of the veterans on the Lakers bench with his performance in OT during Game 4 of the 2000 NBA Finals.

But the most emotional he got was when he detailed the Black Mamba’s work ethic the way he’s seen and experienced it:

“Kobe was resented by his own teammates! I couldn’t believe it, they were hating on him! I’m like, ‘Why are y’all hating on him!’ Like, he ain’t even go out, or drink.”

“I worked out with him this one summer. Rob (Pelinka), who was going to be his agent later on, was there with him. And Kobe was like ‘I’m gonna go get a massage. So we went to a little spa in Santa Monica or whatever.”

“I went and got in LA, got my spot in Santa Monica, getting it in. He went back to the gym. And I didn’t even realize he was doing it. He was going back to the gym.”

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