Kobe Bryant was a tough guy. A man with a stoic demeanor and a stern look that could pierce through your soul. But he was light-hearted too. And when he had to get shit done, Kobe would talk. He would talk a lot, as Matt Barnes recalls.
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In a Lakers squad that featured the likes of Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, and Matt Barnes, Bryant held his own when it came to talking back.
Notably, Bryant’s mettle on the court gave him the courage to talk trash. A skill that is highly valued among NBA players. Bryant was great at it as evidenced by the many stories that his teammates and opponents have told us over the years.
But Matt Barnes says he was exceptional.
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“Kobe Bryant talk big s***”: Matt Barnes fondly talks about the Lakers legend’s coolness
There was a charm that Kobe possessed. Despite being a serial winner and having a mentality that demanded the best out of everyone, Bryant, as per his peers was great at unwinding.
Coming from the same guy who tried to make Kobe flinch, Barnes knows that Bryant is not someone you can intimidate so easily. And yet, he talks of him very highly.
He talks about how Los Angeles lost its “superhero” when Kobe passed away. How the city watched him grow and most of all, how just how cool he was as a person.
There is an unseen side of his personality, “he(‘s) just cool as f**k“, says Barnes. “Kobe Bryant talk(s) big s***“, he says in this clip below.
The veteran talks about how Kobe was a master at talking trash
We’ve all seen the clips, we’ve all heard the stories, and Kobe was an absolute master at talking trash. Even in a room full of seasoned vets, Bryant would be great at “talking s*** back and forth”, as per Matt Barnes.
He talks about how Bryant had a really cool hidden side to him, a personality that he never revealed to the outside world.
Barnes speaks about why Kobe chose to be reclusive, “Why don’t you show the rest of the world?”, Kobe said, “this? Can’t show these motherf**kers this”. A very Kobe thing, to not let up and never show your emotions.