Despite Getting Punched by Kobe Bryant, NBA Champion Opens Up on Connecting With the Lakers Legend

Kobe Bryant, to most people, was a recluse. He was hard to get along with—even for his closest teammates—and carried the reputation of being a closed-off, distant figure. Only a select few ever got close enough to see the man behind the persona, and former NBA champion Samaki Walker was one of them. Walker bounced around from team to team during his 10-year NBA career and was part of the 2002 Lakers squad that won the championship.

On The Coach JB Show, Walker shared how he’d been warned that, even as teammates, Bryant might not be very open with him—and that he shouldn’t take it personally. But, as he told the hosts, the reality turned out to be the complete opposite.

The two communicated often during their time together in Los Angeles, something Walker actually found surprising, given all he’d been told about the young guard. As it turned out, the key to Bryant opening up to him was his intelligence.

Walker was a prolific reader with a sharp mind for life beyond basketball. He explained that instead of fanboying over Bryant when he arrived, he treated him like a regular person, and that’s what sparked their bond.

“I was raised by a strong father, I didn’t give a damn. I didn’t wanna hang around nobody, I didn’t give a damn who’s who, and I think that energy came off a certain way,” he revealed. “I’m a big reader, Kobe’s very articulate. I’m a very smart dude away from basketball, about life, and so I think we connected there.”

Funnily enough, this friendship remained strong even though Bryant had once punched Walker early in his Lakers stint. As Robert Horry once revealed on All The Smoke, the entire squad had a bet involving half-court shots, and after Bryant made his, they all owed him $100.

Walker, who was new to the team, hadn’t paid Bryant back for nearly two weeks, which led to the young guard getting impatient and demanding his money on the bus. The forward told him he still didn’t have the money, and Bryant responded with his fists, smacking him clean on the face.

In Big Shot Bob’s own words, “Kobe was walking past him on the bus. He’s like, ‘Samaki, you have my money?’ and ‘Nah, m***********, I ain’t got your money’, and boom! Kobe smacked the s**t out of him!”

Of course, the punch eventually became just another anecdote in their friendship, but who would’ve guessed that Bryant once punched a man in the face, and they didn’t have a brawl right then and there? Not us.