It’s hard to comprehend sometimes, but many of today’s up-and-coming NBA stars were still in high school—or younger—when Kobe Bryant had his iconic sendoff in 2016. Trey Murphy III, the 24-year-old Pelican, has looked up to the Black Mamba since childhood, but unlike most of Bryant’s fans, Murphy was unable to witness the legend’s 60-point performance.
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Murphy said his mother wouldn’t let him watch Kobe’s last game. The Pelicans forward was just 15 years old at the time and had a strict curfew on weekdays. “My mom made me go to sleep that night ’cause I had school the next day,” he said on the Kevin O’Connor Show.
Murphy is such a big Kobe fan that he has had a photo of Bryant saved as his phone wallpaper since his sophomore year of high school. So the four-year veteran claims to have a bit of PTSD when the subject of Bryant’s sendoff comes up, considering he slept through the whole contest.
“Kobe was my idol… That gave me PTSD cause my mom made me go to sleep that night cause I had school the next day. I was mad about that. I woke up and she said Kobe had 60… My mom made me go to sleep”
— @treymurphy when @amurphy1908 sent him to bed during Kobe’s last game pic.twitter.com/63LJa2lQwo
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) February 18, 2025
Murphy has not only admired Bryant’s mentality, but he’s also incorporated it into his own game as well. Murphy has exploded in his fourth season, taking over as the best and most consistent talent for an injury-riddled and disappointing Pelicans team. Both he and Bryant had their first season of 20-point per game scoring during year four, which could lead to closer comparisons between the two in the future.
Trey Murphy III believes Kobe Bryant is the GOAT
Trey Murphy III confidently believes the late legend is the greatest of all time. In an offseason interview with USA TODAY, the forward revealed that he would take Kobe over the likes of LeBron James and Michael Jordan, saying,
“I respect Michael Jordan and LeBron obviously from what they done. But for me personally, Kobe has always been that guy for me. I remember watching the 2009 Finals, and I was probably five inches away from the TV.”
He was then asked why so many players from his era view Kobe as the greatest ever, despite having to match up with LeBron every season. Murphy III attributed the admiration to his age group’s collective youth.
“A lot of it has to be with when you were born… [watching] Kobe in the early 2000s through the end of his career. He’s been such a killer. He worked really hard, he didn’t cheat the game, and everything he did was just about business and hard work.”
It may be a controversial opinion but there’s no doubt that more than a small percentage of the NBA today believe that Kobe Bryant is indeed the GOAT.
