On the latest episode of Podcast P, Paul George and Matt Barnes reminisced about their time with Kobe Bryant and shared stories about the late Los Angeles Lakers being generous. During the conversation, the Los Angeles Clippers star revealed when he, John Wall, and Demarcus Cousins went to a club for a night out. All three players were on their rookie deals and George, unlike Wall and Cousins, was nervous about spending money as he was unsure if he’d become an NBA star and land a massive contract extension. The story continued,
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“So [John Wall and Demarcus Cousins] are like let’s get an Ace bottle. I’m like alright, I’m not gonna be the one to not do it… Next thing you know, it’s the bottle girls coming out and it’s the jumbo junk, three of them. I’m like, ‘F**k’… I’m nervous as hell as these bottles are coming out. Next thing you know, we’re standing on the sofa and I get a tug from behind and it’s Kob [Kobe Bryant]. ‘Hey, man. Y’all enjoy the night.’ And he walks out… The girl comes like, ‘Yeah. Kob took care of it. He paid for these bottles.'”
George said Bryant’s gesture calmed his nerves and he proceeded to enjoy the night without worrying about the bill, which he estimated was between $30,000-40,000. While Bryant was hyper-competitive on the court and didn’t think twice before going after a young and upcoming star during a game, he always nurtured them off it and tried to guide and help them if he could. It is one of the many things that has only maximized his basketball legacy as time has passed.
Chandler Parsons’ epic night out with Kobe Bryant
During Paul George’s revelation about Kobe Bryant’s footing, John Wall’s, Paul George’s, and Demarcus Cousins’ near $40,000 tab, Matt Barnes recalled a similar story involving a fellow retired NBA player, Chandler Parsons. He said,
“Chandler Parsons told a similar story, where he said they were playing in LA and Kobe starts being cool to him and Chandler thought he was trying to mindf**k him. During the game, he tells him he has him set up at the Supper Club and they’re drinking all night, having a good time and next thing you, the cheque comes out and it’s $30,000. And he almost s**t himself, didn’t know what to do. And the waitress just tells him that Mr. Bryant paid for it.”
Chandler Parsons narrated that night’s story on the All The Smoke podcast and recalled being scared about his father’s reaction to him footing the Rockets team’s nightclub outing bill. He said,
“My dad’s my financial advisor at the time. He would be on my a*s if I value-sized my combo meal at Chic-Fil-A and [the waitress at Supper Club] is bringing me this bill for god knows how much. I open it and it’s $22,000. And at this point, I’m sick. I’m physically like no, no, this card is gonna bounce. I’ll never forget this, this chick looks at me, hands me a pen, and says sign for Mr. Bryant.”
Chandler revealed he recorded himself signing ‘Kobe Bryant’ on the $22,000 tab and added his opinion about the Lakers icon changed completely after that night. It was the perfect microcosm of Bryant’s attitude towards young players that had managed to gain his respect. He may have given Parsons a hard time on the court and helped his own team secure the win, but also ensured that he had a night he’d never forget.
