It’s been 10 years since Kobe Bryant grilled his teammates for lacking grit after a rough start to the 2014-15 season. As the iconic “soft as Charmin’” rant completes a decade, Nick Young reveals some interesting details about the ongoing inside the Lakers training facility.
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Bryant was known for being a no-nonsense leader, wanting his teammates to put in their best efforts. But one fine day in December, after seeing his team start 6-16, Kobe went off on his teammates during a practice session. The Black Mamba didn’t believe that his teammates were putting in adequate effort and used a toilet paper reference to mock them.
While reminiscing about this famous verbal altercation on Gil’s Arena, Young disclosed that Bryant’s taunts were mainly targeted at Jeremy Lin. As a result, the point guard teared up.
“It was mostly aimed at Jeremy Lin, to tell you the truth. People don’t know Jeremy Lin actually cried in the locker room that day… He was the reason he lost, to tell you the truth. I’m still mad at Jeremy Lin that day,” Young revealed.
Lin became emotional after getting criticized by Bryant. But Young wasn’t going to sit in silence. He spoke back to the injured Bryant and was even lauded by Gilbert Arenas for his actions at the time.
“Kobe only had one leg. You know, he couldn’t do nothing with me at that time. That was my team… Big Brother Gil called me that same day after practice, ‘that’s how you talk to ‘Kobe’,” Young concluded.
Nick Young remembers the infamous Kobe “Soft Like Charmin” practice pic.twitter.com/0wQjTxYaOb
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) December 11, 2024
Young’s response to his leader’s taunts didn’t end yet. Entering the next game with a chip on his shoulder, he proceeded to record a season-high of 29 points and hit a game-winning, buzzer-beater against the San Antonio Spurs.
Players on the Lakers must’ve felt disrespected. However, this aggressive method to motivate his teammates was essential.
Bryant verbally attacked his teammates after a poor start to the season
The Los Angeles Lakers ended the 2013-2014 season with a horrific 27-55 record. Rather than showing signs of improvement the following season, the Purple & Gold were on further decline, starting the 2014-2015 campaign with a disappointing 6-16 record.
A lackluster practice session made the shooting guard even more livid and after reaching his boiling point, he said, “Now I see why we’ve lost so many games. We’re soft like Charmin.”
At first, it did seem as though his words sparked improvement within the team. The LA side would win back-to-back games on the road, completing one of their only two three-game win streak of the campaign.
However, the Lakers weren’t able to sustain this level of performance. With Kobe Bryant sidelined by injuries and several role players also dealing with setbacks, the team ended the season with a franchise-worst 21-61 record.
