Sports

Kobe Bryant Crushed Luke Walton at Practice Once After He Showed Up Smelling Like Alcohol

Luke Walton talks about the time Kobe Bryant destroyed him during a practice after he showed up smelling like alcohol.

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Image via Complex Original
Complex Original

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard a fresh Kobe Bryant story. Most people broke out their best Kobe stories in the days leading up to his retirement. But during a recent appearance on Uninterrupted’s "Open Run" podcast, Lakers coach Luke Walton—who played alongside Kobe from 2003 through 2012—revealed that he had a pretty terrific Kobe story that’s never been told.

According to Walton, he once showed up at a Lakers practice during his rookie season after a long night, and he still smelled like alcohol when he took the floor. We imagine he’s not the first pro athlete to have this happen, but his teammates—and in particular, Kobe—noticed it right away. And rather than cut him some slack, Kobe went into full-on attack mode and told everyone that he was going to light Walton up during the practice. Walton remembers Kobe dropping about 70 points that day, and no one stepped in to help him at all.

Here’s the story:

That sounds like such a Kobe move. You can check out the full "Open Run" podcast with Walton here.

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