7x NBA Champion Reveals How Kobe Bryant’s $100 Bet Led to Physical Altercation With 6ft 9″ Teammate

On an episode of “All the Smoke,” 7-time NBA champion Robert Horry talked about Kobe Bryant’s altercation with former LA Lakers’ teammate Samaki Walker, back in 2002. The entire LA Lakers’ squad had been involved in a bet involving half-court shots. Bryant was owed $100 from the entire team, including 6ft 9″ Samaki Walker. However, Horry revealed that Samaki did not pay Bryant as he was new to the team. Two weeks after not being paid, Bryant asked for the money on the team bus.

This time, when Walker refused, Kobe ended up punching him in the face. Bryant had a problematic reputation among his teammates and had multiple issues off the court. His altercation with Samaki Walker further added to this image.

Robert Horry reveals how Kobe Bryant ended up hitting Samaki Walker in the face

Speaking on the “All The Smoke” podcast, Horry revealed that the entire team had already paid Kobe Bryant for the bet. However, as Samaki Walker was still new on the team and didn’t have the money when the bet happened, he never ended up paying.

 

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Bryant was never known for his patience and yet asked for his money for two weeks. Horry claimed that Walker had also lost patience, and gave an impatient response to Kobe asked for the money on the bus. This led to Kobe deciding to punch him:

“Samaki made a bet with Kobe, and all pay up immediately Samaki didn’t pay because he was new to the team. And so Samaki didn’t pay him, and Kobe kept asking. One day, two days, two weeks later, he was like, ‘You don’t give me my money, I’mma smack you upside the head.’ So as 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!”

Shaquille O’Neal wanted Samaki Walker to retaliate after Bryant’s punch

Jeff Pearlman revealed in his book, “Three Ring Circus,” that Shaq encouraged Walker to retaliate after Bryant’s punch. O’Neal and Kobe had a longstanding infamous feud despite the success they had together.

After Walker was punched by Kobe, this feud translated into Shaq encouraging Walker to “f**k him up.” After the initial altercation, Walker had invited Bryant outside the bus to fight him, a jab that Bryant had ignored. Regardless, Pearlman’s book makes it clear whose side Shaq was on:

Walker is screaming at Bryant. “F**k you, bitch!” Bryant is screaming at Walker. “No, f**k you!” O’Neal, whose relationship with the young guard is both well-chronicled and chronically awful, looks Walker in the face. “You’ve gotta f**k him up!” he says in his deep baritone. “F**k. Him. Up.””