Kenny Smith Was Cursed Out By Kobe Bryant For Helping LeBron James Become A Better Post Player: ‘Why Are You Trying To Get Him Better?’

During an interview with Charles Bethea of The New Yorker, TNT’s Kenny Smith revealed that the late great Kobe Bryant cursed him out for helping LeBron James become a better post player. 

“He (James) had his movie come out and they asked me to go to different cities to do a Q. & A,” Smith said. “We were talking in the back at one point, in front of his friends and peers and his agents, and he’s, like, ‘What do you see?’ They hadn’t won a championship yet. And I’m, like, ‘Well, you won the M.V.P. You got a movie made about your life. But I still think you have holes in your game.’

“And he said, ‘What do you mean?’ I’m, like, ‘Well, I don’t know if your post-up is really where it could be.’ He took it well. Then I told Kobe this story when he was on our show, and he’s, like, ‘What the fu*k did you tell him that for? Why are you trying to get him better?’ He wanted to always be on top of the mountain. Some people go to the top so everybody can see them. Some people go to the top so they can see the view. He was a see-the-view guy.”

Bryant and James are two of the greatest players in NBA history. They have combined to win nine championships, six Finals MVPs and five regular season MVPs. 

Bryant, who spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, tragically passed away in 2020 in a helicopter crash. He won five championships, two Finals MVPs, one regular-season MVP and two scoring titles.

A Hall of Famer, Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks with the Lakers. He’s fourth in NBA history in points and sixth in field goals.

Bryant also scored 81 points in a game once. 

James, who has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), Miami Heat and Lakers, is a four-time champion, a four-time Finals MVP and a four-time regular-season MVP. He has career averages of 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks. 

A future Hall of Famer, James is first in NBA history in points, fourth in assists, sixth in steals, fifth in triple-doubles, second in field goals, seventh in 3-pointers, eighth in points per game and third in player efficiency rating.