Inside Details of “Isolated” Kobe Bryant’s Spat With Lakers Coach Del Harris During Rookie Season Revealed: “This Guy’s Trying to Hold Me Down, F Him”

Kobe Bryant was an absolutely electrifying individual. Both on and off that court, he had a persona and a presence that was so unique and intimidating. He always had an unwavering belief in himself. Even in his early days, he knew his potential and knew that he was going to make it big.

Kobe made his debut in the NBA for the Lakers on November 3, 1996. Ever since his debut, everyone knew that he was something special. The Lakers were adamant to acquire him. They managed to get the 17-year-old boy who turned into a Lakers legend.

Kobe Bryant was a vital part of the Lakers’ success. Along with Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe was the protagonist for the 5 NBA championships they won together. Shaq and Kobe’s partnership was deadly.

READ MORE: Bryant talks about his struggles with Del Harris.

However, it was not smooth sailing at first. When Kobe joined the Lakers, he had a tense relationship with the coach at the time Del Harris.

Mike Sielski reveals the story behind the spat between Kobe Bryant and Del Harris

Wayne Kimmel, of the SeventySix Capital Sports Leadership Show, interviewed Mike Sielski about his book, and countless stories of Kobe Bryant’s legendary career. Mike Sielski, the author of Kobe Bryant and The Pursuit of Immortality, talked about Bryant’s rookie season in LA. 

Mike revealed that Kobe had a tense relationship with Lakers’ coach at the time Del Harris. The main reason for the differences between an 18-year-old Kobe and his coach was because of the belief in himself and his elite mindset.

Mike said, “It [Kobe’s mindset] leads to, as you mentioned, the tension between him and Del Harris. Because Harris is constantly on him. Stop dribbling so much, stop shooting so much. That crap that you did in high school isn’t going to work in the NBA. And when he says that to Kobe, all Kobe hears and thinks is, this guy is trying to hold me down, you know f him.”

“He doesn’t know who I am as a player. He’s trying to hold me down. He doesn’t want me to be the player I know I can be,” he added.

WATCH THIS STORY: 5 things to learn from the Mamba mentality.

The spat was the aftereffect of the attitude Bryant had about himself and his game. The Mamba mentality was within him since he was a young boy. When Bryant joined the Lakers, they were in a bit of a transition, with many veterans in the squad and a star player coming in the form of the great Shaquille O’Neal.

But Kobe believed that he could be the leader of the team from the first match he played in the NBA.

He aimed for multiple titles with his combination with Shaq ever since their first season together. His utter belief in himself, even at the age of 18, was astonishing. Kobe Bryant will always be a legend and his Mamba mindset is what set him apart from others.