Like damn, like, you know, I'm on the court with Kobe like I was just in all I'm not sure if I could even do it.

Any justice.

Really.

It's a guy who would take on my wall when I lived in Spring Hill in Apartment six or to to be able to share the floor with him was was like a You know, for any kid that has aspirations, O.

R.

Has inspiring moments from someone is just like a sense of all I remember most just watching somebody that I literally grew up watching on YouTube.

And I remember just watching him, you know, just like I'm really about to line up against Kobe.

I remember lining up the jump ball against Andrew Bynum.

They're looking over and seeing, you know, Kobe, and it's that's when it was surreal for me.

That's when I realized I was really a part of the NBA.

I think the thing, the thing that stood out, most of me about playing Kobe that first time waas his pregame warmup.

Why is he working out at four o'clock?

And it's the 7 30 game.

By the time I finished watching his workout, I had, like, miss my lift, my treatment time.

You know, I was a young guy.

You get the early slots, and once you miss, it is over.

I had missed everything.

And I think for me personally, that was just a moment like in my life, where I was like, Yo, like I'm sitting here watching Kobe.

Nothing else really mattered to me at that point.

What were you trying to do out on the court that night?

Um, for me not to get, you know, 50 drunk On my rookie year.

We played against them in the playoffs and I was just trying my best.

I was just talking smack.

I was just in his ear.

He wasn't He wasn't fazed by it at the forum my rookie year, we played against them and I got switched on to him in a nice so situation.

I'm scrawny £170 rookie coming in.

And the look he gave me was so damn disrespectful.

It was crazy.

He hissed like a actual snake.

You know, whatever he wanted the ball, he would like.

He would make a hissing sound.

And it through me all the way off.

Like I didn't know that that was the thing.

He was just testing me like he was just testing to see what I was paid off.

He was testing to see what type of mentality I had.

Hey, was just testing me to see you know, who I waas a za person of what I stood for.

I guess I wanted to gain his respect so much at that moment.

And he was just stone face straight killer mode the whole game.

It's down to seven.

Starting the bankers booth for him.

Remember?

We gotta ask kick.

Remember that.

You know, I think I'm a pretty, you know, physical defender and all that stuff.

And I'm young pup e I could tell you he beat the living me without even having the ball.

E always had this story because I gotta switch on Kobe.

Um, he was supposed to be a pie.

Blocked his shot in the ball, bounce the half court.

I went running after for speed.

There was a big moment for me because I could brag to my friends that I blocked Kobe Bryant shot.

Thanks, guys.

A blur.

Kobe deep three Got it.

He got the ball back and shot at three.

He said that play continues, young fella.

He says that John Wall get this one the very first time was actually here in L.

A.

It was my assignment.

The guard Kobe obviously having B Shaw as an assistant and be Shaw's like John Adam, um, egging him on getting them round up talking mess from the bench.

Here I am in the middle while all of this is going on, I was guarding him and he, uh you know, he got his back down his Patton, uh, pump fake, and I went flying for it.

You know, young guy trying to go blocking shot.

I went flying for it, and, uh, he called me in the air.

He ran down, specifically, ran down toe where b.

Shaw waas and yelled at being Shaw.

Check the young feather for feathers.

The first time that I played against him was when I was in Chicago and he was with the Lakers, and I just remember him asking Michael Jordan all these questions on the court the whole time.

But I think what ultimately made him who he was was that that audacity to ask Michael Jordan for pointers in his very first game against him?

Think about most 18 year olds.

They'd be scared to death.

Thio go against Michael, and he was just inquisitive.

It's pretty remarkable he was this our generation's Jordan in terms of like iconic moves Isom stuff, fade aways, game winners tried to emulate how he moved down to what he said to the to you guys media toe, how he worked out before the games.

What he watched, I was really trying to study is much as possible.

I would never told him that, but as a as a younger player, I was really was just copying everything you do.

Um, he's my idol growing up and he was just a blessing to to be on the same court is in and compete.

It was it was it was me and him e nobody on that court mattered.

Nothing else mattered.

Uh, it was everything for me, you know.

It was everything for me.

It was the best moment of my life.