Kobe Bryant’s competitiveness isn’t a mystery. Neither is his affinity for trash talk. He bantered with Barack Obama, long before Anthony Edwards was even hooping competitively. He would talk with international players in their native tongue only to have his savage words leave a deeper wound. But perhaps the greatest moment of his trash-talking legacy did not even happen on the court or in person. It happened on texts.
Advertisement
Before Kobe Bryant won his fifth championship, he attended Jamie Foxx’s comedy show in LA. Foxx, an avid Dallas Mavericks fan, confessed his fanhood to Kobe.
Bryant wasn’t too impressed by it. Being a Laker, he was used to winning so often, that he couldn’t comprehend why Jamie would support a team that had never won a championship. So, naturally, Kobe bluntly shared his disappointment on Foxx’s face, “I thought you were a winner.”
The two then began smack-talking until Jamie brought up LeBron James and Kobe decided he was done with the actor. He left the building, without watching the show, and went to Staples Center and began practicing.
But this wasn’t the end of their trash-talking spree. It continued on texts. Foxx kept ripping into the Lakers and even called Ron Artest “a headache.” But it got real once he told Kobe the Lakers wouldn’t be able to win a championship.
The Lakers superstar texted Jamie back, “Do you have some water?” Jamie had no clue where he was going and, going by his expression on the podcast, was flabbergasted.
The Hollywood star could do nothing but merely respond with a “huh.” Kobe then dropped one of the coldest lines by any NBA player. He said, “Cause you are gonna choke on my fifth ring.”
What makes this story so epic is not just Kobe’s confidence but how he actually willed it into existence. The Lakers ended up winning their 5th title after beating the Celtics.
Jamie confessed he avoided Kobe Bryant for the next two years in the aftermath of the championship. He knew Kobe would not let him forget any of it easily. It’s even possible Kobe texted him “I told you so” after winning his last ring.
However, Foxx too had his moment when Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks to their first and only title. It’s not clear whether the comedian rubbed it in Kobe’s face, but he was definitely a winner again in the Black Mamba’s eyes.
