Dwyane Wade Shares Story Of Playing Against Kobe For First Time

Bryant is an iconic legend for the Los Angeles Lakers. He gave the franchise 20 years of his insane work ethic while driving them to five championships along the way. The Lakers retired both numbers he wore during his career, No. 8 and No. 24, and there is no doubt he will be inducted into the Hall-of-Fame.

Wade was drafted into the NBA seven years after Bryant. By this time, Kobe had just finished winning his third consecutive championship. It’s safe to say that Bryant had no worries about some rookie being drafted from Marquette University. Wade shares his story about the first time he played against the Black Mamba.

“My first game vs. Kobe and I wind up getting switched off on him, and when I was guarding him he was just like making all these noises. And I’m like he ain’t worried, he has no concern, nothing.

I’m out there, my mind is racing, my heart is pounding, and he out here like (makes whistling noises) bucket, (makes noises again) bucket. That was one of my first encounters guarding Kobe, and he hit his first shot on me. Came up, pull up three. You just remember all these moments.

“A story I told him, that first game I got a chance to rip him, I stripped him, I went down and scored. We lost by like 30 easy, but that moment for me was huge. I called back all my friends, all my family, I was like yo, I ripped Kobe tonight! Ya’ll see it?

In Kobe world, I don’t think I was a blip on his radar yet.

In my world, that steal was huge.”