Kobe Bryant was arguably one of the greatest players, not just in the history of the NBA but in sports history. The former five-time NBA champion spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Lakers. He joined the Lakers just a month after being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996.
Kobe not only garnered numerous awards and recognition but also engaged in one of sports’ greatest rivalries as a Lakers player. Amidst Kobe’s fierce rivalry with Pierce, the Lakers’ former team doctor, Gary Vitti, disclosed Kobe’s loud and clear message to Pierce after a devastating injury occurrence.
Kobe sent “loud and clear” message to Paul Pierce
On 12 April 2013, Kobe Bryant experienced the worst day of his iconic career, with an achilles injury. The Lakers’ former doctor Gary Vitti, who appears on Byron Scottis’ podcast, revealed that Kobe used the injury to send a message to his rival, and the rest of the teams in the league.
Despite the injury, Kobe Bryant was determined to finish the game and asked Vitti what the best course of action would be considering his condition. Vitti advised him to focus on shooting free throws. Kobe managed to make two free throws, tying the game at 109. The Lakers were then inspired to outscore the Warriors 9-7, ultimately clinching the win with a 118-116 scoreline.
Vitti while reflecting on the 2008 NBA finals Celtics’ game, when Pierce had a knee injury, and went to the locker room in a wheelchair, but returned in minutes to inspire his team’s 98-88 win, that Kobe used his Achilles injury incident to send a message to Pierce. Kobe himself admitted to the series being the toughest, which he probably couldn’t get off his mind.
However, Kobe, who walked on his own to the locker room after the game, never publicly talked about the historic incident as a message to Pierce. Pierce was taken in a wheelchair to the locker room after sustaining a knee injury in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals, eventually returning to win the game. If Vitti’s disclosure is to be believed, it adds to Kobe’s unprecedented story.
Pierce reflected on his rivalry with Kobe
Paul Pierce was mostly underestimated but gained deserved recognition after his victory over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers to win the 2008 NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics’ star, who also won the game’s MVP, later reflected on his rivalry with the legend Kobe Bryant.
Paul Pierce, who in the 2008 six-game NBA series, averaged 22 points a game, appeared on “The Jump” show, where he reflected on his fierce rivalry with Kobe. Pierce admitted, “I’m just happy to be a part of it now, you know, growing up and watching Lakers, Celtics, and to be part of it, playing against the Lakers in the finals twice, winning one and losing one. You know that’s all you ever want.”
Paul Pierce who stated how great it was to be a part of the Boston Celtics team that defeated the Lakers, also added how the game’s outcome changed his story, as he was always being underrated and he used the game to make a bold statement. Despite the fierce rivalry between the two iconic stars, they both always had mutual respect.
