by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
After Kobe Bryant ripped him to shreds, the media somehow managed to locate Smush Parker for his thoughts on the matter. Parker fired back, and then some.
Smush — who says he’s been playing overseas for the last few years — told plenty of stories about his days as Kobe’s teammate. Let’s just say it wasn’t the greatest experience.
Parker claims that Bryant didn’t allow him to address him off the court, that Bryant wouldn’t build relationships with other Lakers, and that Smush stopped passing his famous teammate the ball at one point.
From Hard 2 Guard Radio (via Larry Brown Sports):
“I’m lost for words. It makes me blush. For my name to still come out of that man’s mouth? It makes me blush,” Parker said. “The two years in LA were a blessing to me,” he said. “People who ask me how it was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. People ask me how it was playing with Kobe Bryant. I said in 2008 that it was an overrated experience.” Though Parker termed playing with Kobe “overrated,” he respects the five-time champion’s game. He just doesn’t like his personality. “You can’t knock the man’s legacy, you can’t knock what he’s done in basketball. His work ethic is tremendous. There’s not an ounce of hate in my blood whatsoever. The guy can play basketball — you’ve seen that throughout his career. What I don’t like about him is the man that he is. His personality. How he treats people. I don’t like that side of Kobe Bryant.”
“I had a workout with the Lakers, beat all the guards out for the starting position, earned a spot on the team. Midway through the first season, I tried to at least have a conversation with Kobe Bryant — he is my teammate, he is a co-worker of mine, I see his face every day I go in to work — and I tried to talk with him about football. He tells me I can’t talk to him. He tells me I need more accolades under my belt before I come talk to him. He was dead serious.” Smush says the talking they did was strictly on the court. “We’re teammates, we talk basketball on the court. [Our talks were] about getting him the ball pretty much.”
This back-and-forth through the press amounts to little more than petty nonsense, and is beneath both guys. But it sure is funny.
Long live the Kobe/Smush beef.
