Kobe Bryant always knew how to get in his opponent’s head. Bring up trash talk in the NBA; chances are, you start thinking about Bryant. His “Mamba Mentality” made great players nervous, left veterans rattled, and rookies questioning if they even belonged. That mental edge was sharp enough to change the feel of any game, and if you were a young gun trying to test him, good luck sticking the landing.
What Did Stephen Curry Learn From His Rookie Encounter With Kobe Bryant?
Everyone has a story about Bryant’s mind games, but Stephen Curry’s rookie lesson is the moment all NBA fans can picture. Curry, now the face of the Golden State Warriors, recently showed what made Bryant’s trash talk so legendary. On Complex’s “360 With Speedy” podcast, Curry shared a memory from his first year in the league, going up against the Los Angeles Lakers icon.
Curry told the story of when he decided to try out some trash talk. Big mistake.
“It was a game at home, at Oracle, and they were up by six or something like that down the stretch, and we started to do the foul game,” Curry said during the podcast. “When he was going to the line, I just walked by him like, ‘Yo, you nervous?’ The look he gave me was one I have burned into my brain.”
Trying to outsmart Bryant in his rookie year, Curry quickly realized he was out of his depth.
“Like, for one, I’m a rookie talking to him. But two, like am I nervous? What are you talking about?” Curry added. “I lowkey expected him to do the Jordan thing and walk up there and shoot it blindfolded or close his eyes and then look at me. Like ‘Mutombo, this is for you.’ I think that’s what Jordan said. The look he gave me said it all. You just got here, relax.”
For context, the game Curry referenced happened on March 15, 2010: the Lakers vs. the Warriors. Curry was in his first season, having just been brought into the league as the seventh pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He scored 29 points that night, but Bryant finished with the same and walked away with the win, 124-121. Reflecting on the finish, Curry explained he remembered Bryant clinching the game with free throws in the final seconds.
“If he had missed, I would have been running home telling that story,” said Curry.
Looking back at ESPN’s game log from that night, Bryant missed one of his last two free throws. It is a small slip, and after 15 years, who can blame Curry for remembering it just a little differently?
How Did That 2010 Clash Define Bryant’s Legacy Against Curry?
At that point, Bryant was still at his peak, averaging 27.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and five assists. That 2009-10 Lakers team finished with a 57-25 record and went on to clinch an NBA championship after knocking off the Boston Celtics in a seven-game Finals classic.
“I just got one more than Shaq.”
10 years ago today, the Lakers won an epic Game 7 battle against the Celtics.
Kobe’s fifth title pic.twitter.com/IoiG1fjlNi
— ESPN (@espn) June 17, 2020
The rivalry between Curry and Bryant spanned 15 head-to-head games. According to StatMuse, Bryant got the better end, winning nine times to Curry’s six.
Curry’s most recent season saw him average 24.5 points, six assists, and 4.4 rebounds. He helped the Warriors reach the playoffs after winning a play-in game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Still, the journey ended in the second round, with a tough loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Curry’s early run-in with Bryant was just one of many tests he would face, but moments like that helped shape his mentality for the battles ahead. Even as the Warriors and Curry keep writing new chapters, stories of the “Black Mamba” and his lasting influence live on every time a star tries to find their edge on the court.
