Lakers Champion Reveals Untold Kobe Bryant Story

Kobe Bryant is often known as the most fearless player in NBA history. Time after time, stories come out about how he never backed down from a challenge. Now, his former teammate and current Clippers assistant coach Brian Shaw, revealed a Kobe story that most might not know.

On the newest episode of Podcast P, Brian Shaw revealed a story about a high-school Kobe Bryant trying to take on a prime Penny Hardaway while he was in the NBA. It showed just how fearless Bryant truly was.

"At that time, Magic Johnson used to have his Magic's Midsummer Nights—charity game and all of that, all of the parties. Baron and P-Pierce took that over. All the guys and all the big stars would come out and play in that. Penny was playing in it, and Magic put Kobe - Kobe was just getting ready to come into the league, put him on the other team. You know in the All-Star game and a charity game like that, everyone is just having a good time, putting on a show for the fans. Kobe was going at Penny's rack. He took it serious. He was talking crazy."

Penny Hardaway had circled Kobe Bryant on his calendar during the 96-97 season, but the two never got the chance to face off in Kobe's rookie year. Despite that, it's insane to think a teenage Kobe Bryant in high school was willing to go at one of the best players in the world.

"That was Kobe's mentality," Shaw said. "Whether we were playing Jordan or anybody else that was supposed to be that guy. He was going to test you and try to get a piece of you."

They don't really make players today like Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. Players who are willing to go 100% every single night, no matter what the circumstances are. Maybe if more players could find that mentality, then the All-Star game would go back to being a fun product.