For a young player stepping onto the same hardwood as legends like Kobe Bryant, comes with immense pressure and a great learning opportunity. With the stakes being high, there is also no room for error. And one Lakers rookie’s confrontation with the Black Mamba himself redefined his understanding of being a part of the purple and gold. The lesson, you ask? The 34-year-old detailed on it recently.

Darius Johnson-Odom was the 55th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks but was acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers on the same night. While the rookies try to grapple with the transition to the professional league, they are often in charge of certain tasks. The experienced players give out these tasks to facilitate team chemistry. Sometimes these tasks might have the rookies stay up all night as well.

And in one such instance, the then 23-year-old didn’t just have to wake up quite early in the morning but also had to drop off the bags of the other players’ before catching the team bus. Hence, it was only natural for the youngster to tire himself out and consequently, take a quick nap. Now, we all know what follows next. Yes, he was late in getting to the bus and that didn’t sit well with the Mamba. Johnson-Odom said in an interview with Jefe Island, “I sprint down to the bus, Kobe on the back of the bus like ‘Oh, y’all might as well get rid of him right now.'”

He further added, “He tell me like, he let me know like, you can, you can, you gotta be on time…he called me out but he also did like a one-on-one conservation with me where he is like let me know and I gained respect from that.”

Though Johnson’s stint with Purple and Gold was considerably shorter, he did manage to learn a thing or two like being punctual. He participated in merely four games, averaged 1.5 minutes, and got traded ultimately. While Johnson-Odom’s time as a rookie was marked by the harsh realities of what it takes to survive in such an elite environment of professional basketball, Bryant had an entirely different experience altogether.

Kobe Bryant’s rookie experience

When Kobe Bryant entered the NBA as a fresh-faced 18-year-old, he wasn’t just any rookie—he was immediately identified as the future of the Lakers. Jerry Buss, owner of the Lakers, made a point to safeguard Bryant from the normal rookie hazing practices that veterans put on the newbies. Speaking about being treated like a king, Buss openly warned O’Neal and the other veterans that Bryant was different, saying, “He’s off-limits. You cannot haze him. There’s no rookie hazing him. F*ck off.”

For Bryant, entering the NBA immediately from high school was a tremendous adjustment. To aid this adjustment, Buss made significant efforts to ensure the young star adapted seamlessly to the league. Some would even say that Buss went so far as to grant the young Kobe preferential treatment to avoid imposing any additional strain.

It is not a thing of surprise that the two rookies had contrasting experiences with the same thing but what’s important to note here are the lessons that the rookies are exposed to, which in turn contributes to their learning. How do you think these different methods shaped their careers? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.