For Kobe Bryant, every game — no matter how meaningless it may seem to everyone else — means something. Late in the fourth quarter of a tight All-Star showdown, KB attached himself to LeBron James and delivered two big blocks that helped secure the Western Conference’s victory. Bryant, of course, let James hear all about it. From Lakers Nation: “Needless to say, Kobe was a little more excited about it than LeBron was. ‘Me? Trash talk? Never. I don’t do that. I’m a nice guy. But I didn’t want him to score on me. Damn it. I gave him two free throws down there. It was a great, great post move.’ James, who did manage to get fouled by Bryant and go to the line, seems to be on his way to another MVP award this season. But that just motivated Bryant more. ‘(I love) the challenge. Doing what everyone deems impossible.’ […] When I asked James about the play where Bryant blocked him and what Kobe was saying to him on the court, he wasn’t too revealing. ‘A little bit of everything. We were just talking about the game and the moves we were making out there on the floor. It was all in good spirits.'”
