Steph Curry Shares Rookie Story of Trash-Talking Kobe Bryant

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry recently told a story from his rookie season about trying to get in Kobe Bryant’s head, and learning very quickly why Bryant was one of the fiercest competitors in NBA history.

“It was a game at home at Oracle, and they were winning, and I think they were up like six or something like that down the stretch, and we were starting to do the foul game,” Curry said, via Complex. “And when he was going to the line, I just walked by and was like, ‘Yo, you nervous?’

“And the look he gave me was one I will just, is burned into my, like, ‘One, he’s a rookie talking to me, but two, am I nervous? What are you talking about?’

“I low-key expected him to do the [Michael] Jordan thing and walk up there and shoot them…eyes closed and then look at me, like, ‘[Dikembe] Mutombo, this is for you.’ I think that’s what Jordan said. But the look he gave me said it all. It was like, ‘Yo, you just got here. Relax.’”

Bryant calmly sank the free throws and went on to help the Lakers secure the win.

That same 2009-10 season, the Lakers captured their second straight championship with Bryant leading the way.

While Curry’s rookie jab didn’t rattle Bryant, it became part of his early NBA education.

Kobe retired in 2016 with five championships, two scoring titles and one MVP award.

Curry, now 37 years old, has four championships, two scoring titles and two MVPs to his name.

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