When you think of Kobe Bryant, two words come to mind—Mamba Mentality. Kobe was relentless on the court, intimidating his opponents and driving his teammates to chase perfection. But perhaps no one got a closer look at his methods than his own coaches. Ex-Lakers’ Phil Handy, one of the league’s most respected development coaches, learned this the hard way when he coached a prime Bryant. On Paul George’s podcast, Handy shared a story that flipped the traditional coach-player dynamic upside down.

During the podcast, Handy was asked what lessons he learned coaching Kobe. His answer came with an intriguing story. “We were working on some post-ups… he [Kobe] caught the ball one time and he kicked my feet… just imagine you’re on the left block, defenders behind you,” Handy recalled. Then Bryant made his move. “He took his left foot, kicked my foot out of the way, and I lost my balance.” The sneak attack caught Handy completely off guard, and Kobe capitalized.

“As he kicked my foot, he planted, turned, and shot a fadeaway.” Stunned, Handy called him out: “Yo bro, what are you doing?” Kobe, in pure Mamba fashion, shot back with a cold response: “Yeah mofo, you can’t contest.” Handy had no choice but to laugh—and ask Kobe to teach him the move. “That was the first time I thought, ‘this is next level.'”

Well, this isn’t the first time we hear of Kobe’s brilliance overpowering Handy or the coaches.

While his shot-making could have gotten him five rings and 18 All-Star appearances, passing wasn’t exactly the Lakers’ legend’s forte. He averaged just 4.7 assists in his career. But in his mind, being a “shooting guard” was clear-cut.

As Handy previously shared, “Kobe was explaining to somebody about what it means to be a shooting guard… the conversation went a few different ways.” Finally, Kobe dropped his trademark explanation: “I am a shooting guard. I shoot and I guard. There is no passing involved in that.”

Passing would have been an essential skill for any other player. But we know of Kobe’s shooting antics and so did Handy. His brilliance, instead, had the development coach note a few takeaways.

Kobe Bryant’s practice sessions were a masterclass for Handy

On the same podcast, Phil Handy opened up about how Kobe Bryant’s workouts were unlike anything he had ever experienced. “As a coach, you had to be in shape to work out with him,” Handy shared. The Mamba Mentality didn’t just apply to players—Lakers coaches also found themselves caught up in Bryant’s brutal demands. Stories of his legendary 3 a.m. workouts are everywhere, with even Phil Jackson vouching for the intensity.

But for Handy, working directly with Bryant between 2011 and 2013 as a player development coach took things to another level. Their one-on-one sessions left Handy completely exhausted. “Because he would beat you… like, he would beat you up, like it was full on. Like, ‘yeah, no m–o, don’t get tired, don’t get tired now,’” Handy recalled. Kobe treated every practice like a real game, pushing himself and everyone around him.

Bryant demanded NBA-level defense from Handy so he could fine-tune his moves instinctively. The process left Handy in awe. “It was a masterclass for me,” he said, admitting he had never trained that intensely in his playing career. For Kobe, there was no slowing down—and Handy quickly learned he had to match that pace.