“That was Kobe Bryant’s f*** you to Paul Pierce”: Gary Vitti reveals Lakers legend’s thoughts on his rivals’ injury scare in the 2008 NBA Finals

A Lakers lead trainer says that Kobe Bryant was taking a shot at Paul Pierce when he walked off the court after his devastating Achilles injury. 

Kobe Bryant’s career is considered by many to be the very template of what greatness looks like. A young player with big aspirations that works every day, fights criticism ad bets on himself and proves everyone wrong by becoming one of the best to ever do it.

In his time in the NBA, Kobe Bryant won an exceptional five rings with the LA Lakers. And there are several in the NBA community that believe he could have gone on to win another, if not for his Achilles injury.

At this point, everyone knows the story. The player went down massaging his Achilles. A few moments later, after it took all his energy to stand up, he swished two clutch free-throws before walking off the court.

What many may not know is, this gesture was also meant to be a shot at a certain Boston Celtics legend. Let’s get into it.

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Kobe Bryant did not want to go off the court on a wheelchair like Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce will forever be known as one of the best shooters and overall scorers in NBA history. The player won his ring in the 2008 NBA Finals, where he faced off against Kobe Bryant in the finals.

Knowing the Black Mamba, losing the finals to the Celtics alone would have ignited something in him. However, it seems Pierce found yet another way to piss him off, as Lakers lead trainer, Gary Vitti reveals.

“I told the officials what we were going to do… As soon as we fouled, I walked out on the court to get him. And I said, ‘You want a chair?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m walking off.’ And he walked all the way back to the training room on his own power.”

“The guy that always gave me the most problems was Tracy McGrady…He could do everything I could do but he was taller.” – Kobe Bryantpic.twitter.com/T12urxVrCV

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 24, 2021

Vitti continued.

“That was a message to Paul Pierce. Because you remember in the (2008) Finals, Pierce looked like he got shot by a sniper, writhing in pain? They take him off on a chair and he comes back and plays and they beat us? That was Kobe’s f*** you to Paul Pierce.”

Everyone that had watched Kobe Bryant play, knows how petty he could be at times. But intentionally walking off on his own after a debilitating injury, just to go at another player?

You can’t help but chuckle a little.

Also Read: NBA Fans react to EJ subtly roasting the Lakers legend while commenting on Nuggets’ Shaq Harrison

About the author

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta is a Senior Editor at The SportsRush. Coming from an athletically inclined family, he has been surrounded by sports ever since he was 4 years old. But, while initially pouring all his time into Football (soccer), at 14, Tonoy discovered basketball through the countless highlights of Stephen Curry humiliating players from Curry Land. And just like that, a fiery passion for the game was ignited within Tonoy. And soon after, he decided to become a student of journalism, graduating in 2022, and choosing sports as his area of interest. Today, you can find him spending 99% of his time browsing through every type of content on every team in the NBA, before uncorking everything he has found to the world. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, or practically any other sport he has had the opportunity to learn.

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