Kobe Bryant ’s behaviour towards his colleagues in the NBA was a bit more famous than his kindness towards kids.
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Since Kobe and his daughter Gianna Bryant passed away in the helicopter accident back in 2020, we have come to appreciate him as a dad more often than we used to when he was alive.
The Black Mamba was always kind to kids, though. It seemed as if his overboard mean personality was just for adults, precisely his peers and opponents in the NBA.
Bryant’s love for basketball reawakened following his retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016 thanks to Gigi. The 5x NBA champ even used to coach Gigi’s AAU girls basketball program.
But it wasn’t just after his retirement that he started admiring young talent, he appreciated it even when he was still trying to get that sixth Larry O’Brien back in 2012.
Kobe Bryant was taken aback when he heard a college kid scored 138 points in an NCAA game
In 2012, Grinnell College’s Jack Taylor had his “Black Mamba” moment when he scored 138 points against Faith Baptist Bible in a 179-104 win which is still the NCAA’s highest score.
He shot 52-of-108 shots 27-of-71 from beyond the arc, shattering the previously held NCAA record of 113 points scored by Bevo Francis of the Rio Grande in 1954.
When Bryant, who himself was a prolific scorer of basketball heard this news, his reaction was as exciting as everyone who heard this news from a reporter from ESPN. Here is the full interview via Bleacher Report from 2012.
Reporter: Kobe, a college kid, scored 138 points tonight and took over 100 shots.
Bryant: “Wow … No kidding? Where?”
Reporter: Grinnell College in Iowa.
Bryant: “Really? Wow. That’s impressive. That’s crazy. I don’t care what level you’re at. Scoring 138 points is pretty insane. How many 3s did he shoot?”
Reporter: 71.
Bryant: “Holy sh–. How many points did they score as a team?”
Reporter: 179.
Bryant: “What?!”
Reporter: No other starter had double figures.
Bryant: “That’s incredible.”
Reporter: Dude on the other team scored 71 points and lost.
Bryant: “That’s amazing. He must have been wearing the Mambas, man. Only Mambas have no conscience to shoot the ball like that. ”
Reporter: If you did that, would people be celebrating you?
Bryant: “Would people be celebrating me if I scored 138 points? You know how it is, some people would, some people wouldn’t. They can all kiss my a—as I’m sure he feels the same way. If you score 138 points, you kind of have a license to tell people to f— off. ”
