“Sick as hell”: Joakim Noah reveals Kobe Bryant’s complete snub to LeBron James’ fastbreak dunk
Kobe Bryant's uber-competitive instincts kicked in even during a fun contest when some of the best NBA stars in the league were invited to the White House to play basketball with Barrack Obama during his time as President of the United States of America. Noticing how Bryant switched to his "Black Mamba" mode on this occasion was former Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah.
Noah, a journeyman in the league, was one of the stars present at the White House, and as the President indulged in some pick-up, a moment in the game saw LeBron James gather the ball on a fastbreak. While all eyes were on the star to see what he would do, Bryant just wasn't ready to look at LeBron James' spectacular dunk.
Noaah recalled:
“So I'm sitting next to Kobe… LeBron gets a steal. He's on the break. So obviously, when LeBron catches the ball on the break, it's a sight to see. Everybody's watching like, ‘What is he gonna do?' And I just remember, Kobe turned around and started talking to me about something completely — he didn't even want to acknowledge the dunk. I was like, ‘Okay, I know I'm sick, but this guy is sick as hell, too. This guy won't even acknowledge.' That said a lot to me. … He didn't want the visual of him watching LeBron dunk. He didn't want that picture of him looking.”
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There's no doubt that Kobe Bryant was a fierce competitor, and so much for that competitive spirit, even in a fun game.
As for Noah, the former Chicago Bulls star makes for a great storyteller, and one can only imagine the priceless look on Bryant's face when he decided not to look at James' dunk.
Matt Barnes echoed Joakim Noah's "sick" comment about Kobe Bryant
Former Los Angeles Lakers star Matt Barnes had his skirmishes with Kobe Bryant before suiting up alongside him. One of the most iconic moments in NBA history was when the former, who was inbounding the ball, decided to fake the "Black Mamba" out by pretending to hurl the ball at his face.
As for Bryant, the five-time champion looked absolutely unfazed and didn't even blink. During a recent podcast appearance alongside DJ Vlad, Barnes revealed how the Lakers legend was a "sicko" when it came to winning:
"His work ethic and his goal to be the greatest ever was- I never got the chance to play MJ so to me Kobe was him, but to get a chance to know him and play against him and work out with him and see the time and effort and preparation he puts into it it's just like, damn I don't got that kind of dedication but you're a bad m*****f***er bro."
And that set Bryant apart from the rest of the players in the league. His immense dedication and relentless work ethic made him one of the greatest players in the league. So if being a bit sick was part of that personality, Kobe Bryant wouldn't be too bothered about it.