Chandler Parsons did not have a long NBA career, but in his nine seasons in the league he had his share of big moments. Some may remember Parsons for being on the wrong end of Damian Lillard’s series-clinching triple in the 2014 Playoffs. However, the big man has hit some memorable shots of his own as well. One of those shots came against the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Facing Kobe Bryant‘s Lakers in April 2013, Parsons knocked down a clutch 30-foot three-pointer to tie the game at the buzzer. The notorious shot, which occurred in just his second season, was shown to Parsons again on Run It Up, prompting him to reminisce on the moment.
“Yep I remember this one, it was a big one. It actually ended up being like a broken play, we obviously wanted James Harden here to go iso. They played good defense, they switched it up. Jeremy Lin there got on a loose ball, and if you look, this is probably the flattest shot in the history of the world to ever go in the basket, but this is awesome.” Parsons said.
A moment no NBA player could forget pic.twitter.com/6CePiBvTjU
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 6, 2024
Parsons was then asked about how it felt to hit such a massive shot against a star-studded roster, which included Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Metta World Peace. The former Florida Gator relayed that the moment was extra special because it came against NBA legends that he grew up watching.
“I mean this is the squad. These are guys I watched my entire life, so it was always a different feeling when you played against someone that you kind of idolize. So, this was awesome, and this is just a big shot that had no business going in.” Parsons continued.
For Parsons and the Houston Rockets, his buzzer-beater, which ultimately proved moot as the Lakers came away with the victory, was more than just an ordinary late-season matchup. Both teams came into the contest with serious postseason aspirations, creating a playoff-like atmosphere that ultimately culminated in a 99-95 final.
Parsons, then 24 years old, finished second on his team in scoring with 23 points on an efficient 55% clip, behind only former Rockets captain James Harden. The Lakers, who were notably without Bryant in this contest, were led by dominant double-doubles from Howard and Gasol.
Chandler Parsons once had a unique interaction with Kobe
While Kobe didn’t participate in the game, the ‘Black Mamba’ was noted for having a friendly relationship with Parsons. The former forward shared a moment between him and the late legend following a contest in a past interview. In a humorous story that screams Kobe, Parsons revealed a time when Bryant played mind games with him before ultimately making a kindhearted gesture.
“Kobe looks at me, he’s like ‘are you guys staying the night tonight?’ I’m like ‘yeah, what up?’ He’s goes, ‘Oh, I’ll set you up, I’ll get your number if you wanna go out tonight. I was like ‘Stop, I know what you’re doing…’ He ends up going off, he has like 40 that game, we lose. After the game… we’re with all the OGs, and they’re taking me out. I get a text, and it goes, ‘You’re all set at Supper Club, dash Mamba…’ Parsons started.
After excitedly announcing to his teammates that he had their post-game meal covered at the luxurious Supper Club, Parsons was slapped with a $22,000 bill for the team following the meal. After a brief panic attack considering his rookie-scale contract, he revealed that the waitress simply said “Sign for Mr. Bryant” after handing him the check.
Bryant may have been known for his serious on-court demeanor, but this excerpt from Parsons shows the Hall of Fame guard possessed a natural sense of humor off the hardwood.
