"They shook the tree, the Mamba fell out": Allen Iverson recalls bold words Kobe Bryant shared after ripping apart Kenyon Martin
Kobe Bryant made it abundantly clear in his documentary, "Kobe Bryant's Muse" that it was his "Black Mamba" persona that would destroy his opponents on the basketball court.
Proving that to be true was Allen Iverson, who recalled the story of how the Los Angeles Lakers legend tore Kenyon Martin apart when they played the Denver Nuggets.
Speaking to Complex, Iverson rolled back to the clock when he was part of the Nuggets and the time Bryant had unlocked a new level of his prime in his career:
“We were playing them when I was in Denver, and Kenyon started guarding him and [Bryant] wasn’t doing anything.
"They were going back and forth with each other, and Kenyon was like, ‘You put your sneakers like I put on mine, you put on your uniform like I put on mine. I ain’t scared of you. I’d beat your…’ Going crazy with him. And I’m sitting there like, 'Oh my God.' Because [Bryant] has been quiet."
He further added:
"Man, this man started going crazy. I mean, dunks, threes, midrange. I mean killing us. I think he had like 49 or something. Somebody was shooting a free throw and he was like, ‘Chuck, I was chilling. And they shook the tree and the Mamba fell out.’ That was my fondest moment when it came to him.”
Such was the dominance that Bryant asserted in Game 2 against the Nuggets in the first round of the 2008 NBA Finals, that the Lakers would go on to sweep the side that also had Carmelo Anthony in their ranks.
It's worth noting that Iverson's tone resonated with respect for the "Black Mamba". While it's one thing to trash-talk, it's another thing to show up, show out, and later dish it back out to the opponents.
Michael Jordan was known for this characteristic, and with Kobe Bryant pretty much idolizing him in every way, this move doesn't come as a surprise.
Pure dominance from Kobe Bryant came out after Kenyon Martin's jabs
In what was a display of ruthlessness and class, Kobe Bryant made it a one-man show with 49 points on 18-27 field goals including five 3-pointers, four rebounds, and 10 assists. Over the next four games, he averaged a healthy 33.0 points, five boards, and six assists.
As for Martin who took shots at the Lakers legend, he finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds, and one assist. Iverson had 31 points and 6 assists. In the end, it was a comprehensive 122-107 win for LA who eventually went on to close out the series 4-0.