Due in part to his insatiable desire to win, many believed Kobe Bryant was a lone wolf throughout his career. Known for his isolated 4 a.m. workouts and “Mamba Mentality,” Kobe did the bulk of his work solo. Bryant often looked stoic when his mind was focused on basketball, and he was never one to be friendly on the court.
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Bryant constantly moved around as a child, even spending a portion of his formative years in Italy. As a result, he was never able to establish long-lasting friendships as a kid — a trait that may have leaked into his competitive mentality. The five-time champion also wasn’t known for being the best teammate early in his career, butting heads with both Shaquille O’Neal and head coach Phil Jackson.
Tensions eventually reached a boiling point as both Bryant and O’Neal wanted to be the focal point of the team. Once, Jackson even deemed Kobe “uncoachable” due to his headstrong personality. A lot of stories that came to light convinced many that Kobe didn’t like anyone and only cared about winning.
That doesn’t mean the late legend was actually a loner throughout his Hall-of-Fame career. Bryant’s former teammate, Shannon Brown, recently discussed how the Mamba supported him in the early years of his career and put the “loner” rumors about Kobe to rest during his appearance on the Out The Mud Podcast.
When Tony Allen asked Brown about his experiences playing alongside Kobe, the former guard shared an anecdote that wholly represented Bryant’s competitive nature. “He’ll just tell me, ‘Demolish whoever it is that’s in front of you’ … And that’s all I could say,” Brown said with a laugh. “Like, that’s all I need.”
Brown spent his time on the Los Angeles Lakers learning from Bryant’s dominance, often opting for silence and simply observing his greatness. The nine-year veteran was rewarded for his efforts, playing a key role in Kobe’s final two title runs, especially in their title defense season.
While Kobe was often portrayed as intense, demanding and sometimes distant — especially early in his career — he did form strong, loyal and even brotherly bonds with several teammates over the years. He became especially close to the veterans who aided him in his quest for his fourth and fifth championships, namely Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom and Metta World Peace.
Odom often referred to Bryant as someone who always had his back, even throughout his own personal struggles. Meanwhile, World Peace and Kobe went from being bitter rivals to brothers once the former joined the Lakers in 2009. Fisher operated as Kobe’s backcourt running mate in each of his championship runs.
Bryant’s on-court chemistry with Gasol helped Kobe learn to trust his teammates on and off the court, and that led to a friendship that has transcended Kobe’s death. Gasol remains extremely close with Kobe’s widow, Vanessa, and their daughters, serving as an uncle-like figure to Natalia, Bianka and Capri.
Bryant and Gasol became family long before the Mamba’s tragic passing in 2020. The two established a bond that Gasol has proven can never be broken.
