“Whoever Wants to Be a Part of History, Throw the Ball to Me!”: Kobe Bryant Wanted to be ‘The Guy’ After Driving Shaquille O’Neal Out of LA

Kobe Bean Bryant played 20 years in the NBA and inspired the whole world in that time with his work ethic, mentality, and accomplishments of his illustrious career.

The 6ft 6’ guard came into the league in 1996 as a confident 18-year-old kid who wanted to be like Mike more than anything else in the world. And that desire and confidence of becoming the next Michael Jordan not only helped him copy his moves but also got him close to being a 6-time NBA Champ like Jordan.

In one of his attempts towards winning his 5 Championships, ‘The Mamba’ exhibited the ultimate form of self-belief which would seem too unreal in real life.

Also read: “Girl Had Accused Kobe Bryant of Assaulting Her”: When Shaquille O’Neal Offered His Home to Mamba but Was Ghosted

Former Kobe Bryant teammate described a play that defines The Mamba

In an appearance on The Long Shot podcast hosted by Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson, his team’s assistant coach and Kobe’s former teammate Caron Butler told some stories from his only season with the Lakers in 2004-05.

Coach Rudy Tomjanovich was also with the Purple and Gold for that year only and was responsible for containing Bryant who had just broken up with Shaquille O’Neal.

And in one play in a game against Charlotte Bobcats, the coach was drawing up a play for his players, just when Kobe was about to stop it and do what he does best, saying – give me the ball.

Listen to the whole bit where Bryant came up with one of his most iconic lines, “whoever wants to be a part of history, throw the ball to me!”.

The Lakers finished at #10 in the West that season and missed the Playoffs.

How Kobe built the Lakers after O’Neal’s departure

The Lakers didn’t even make it to the post-season after Phil Jackson’s departure after 04’ the Finals loss, due to his alleged involvement in breaking up the duo Kobe and Shaq.

And although Bryant was having the time of his life on the court at the time, the Lakers looked like a team without a plan, which either needed another superstar or a coach that could fit with The Mamba.

Coach Jackson had taken up reigns again in 05’ as the Head Coach and within two years assembled a team spearheaded by Kobe, that would not just get past the first round after failing to do so in 06’ and 07’, but go on to 3-straight Finals and win two of them.

Also read: 6ft 10″ Kevin Garnett Once Called Kobe Bryant ‘Grizzly Bear’ Revealing Intriguing Reason Behind It

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

Read More