“Talk to Me Like I’m a Man”: Reliving Tumultuous 4am Nights With Kobe Bryant, 34YO NBA Champ Disrobes Ugly Details of Fierce Rivalry

Kobe Bryant will always be synonymous with the Los Angeles Lakers. Like the franchise, his path grazed the extremes of greatness. For his entire career, he donned the Purple and Gold with pride. Most seasons were spent chasing his obsessive desire to win a championship. But there were dark times, especially the seasons after his horrific ACL injury.

While on the ‘All the Smoke’ podcast, his former teammate, Jeremy Lin dictated how the injuries affected Bryant’s mentality. He even suggested that it might have hampered the franchise. Moreover, the embarrassing season also led to tension between him and the Mamba.

Jeremy Lin and Kobe Bryant shared sleepless nights

Bryant was an intimidating personality as many legends have attested in the past. More than anything, he was demanding. This would often lead to him being shrewd and hard with his teammates. Most would fall to his whims. However, not Jeremy Lin. Fans of the Lakers remember the clip of him waiving off Kobe Bryant to take the last shot. Well, that moment didn’t just fester overnight, It was a result of the months of conflict that the two stars had prior to the moment.

While Linsanity would eventually secure his lone championship ring with the Raptors in 2019, his stint with the Lakers was no sight for sore eyes.

During his only season in Los Angeles, the team had its worst campaign, recording 65 losses. For Lin, these losses gave him sleepless nights. On the other hand, Kobe Bryant never slept.

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The four-time champion had doubts lingering over the remainder of his career. There were questions about his capabilities after a string of serious injuries. This set a 35-year-old Bryant on a path to prove everyone wrong.

The feud between teammates

Both barely got any sleep. This began a text chain between Lin and Bryant. Oftentimes, it would be the two arguing over plays. On one end, Lin felt the Lakers icon ‘shot them out’ of the season. Parallelly, the Mamba was consumed with returning to his peak.

While speaking to Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, the 34-year-old spoke in detail about their beef, and how he stood up for his honor.

“So we’d be texting at like three in the morning, four in the morning like arguing with each other, conflicting with each other.”

However, after the arguments kept escalating, by Lin’s account, he had to put his foot down. Even if it was against the Mamba.

“Look, you’re Kobe. I am coming in trying to learn from you. So I am okay with anything as long as you talk to me like a man. Don’t talk to me like I’m a boy, talk to me like I’m a man, and respect me,” he recalled telling Kobe.

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It actually caught the 2008 MVP by surprise.

He wasn’t accustomed to anyone talking back to him. It might have swayed him into seeing Lin as an equal, or a respectful ally at the least. But it did temporarily damage their relationship. Lin revealed that in the last four months, they had no dialogue whatsoever.

He was fine with the outcome because he stood for what he believed. The next year, what would be Kobe Bryant’s farewell tour, they were able to bury the hatchet and start fresh.