The Lakers unveiled Kobe Bryant’s statue and in honor of that we’re throwing it back to one of our best episodes ever — with Bean, himself. Kobe looks back on being the first guard to jump to the NBA out of high school, what it was like playing as a teenager in the league, and his first All-Star Game — matching up against MJ. He also discusses why he switched from wearing number 8 to number 24 and what it was like on the Lakers after Shaq left. There was no one like Kobe Bryant, and we will never forget the energy and love he showed us during this episode. We miss you, Bean. RIP.

1. Draft night, Hornets trading him to the Lakers (5:01)
2. Deciding to go straight from high school to the NBA (8:03)
3. Dropping 61 in MSG against the Knicks (33:23)
4. His daughter Gianna’s love for basketball (37:26)

About Our Hosts:

NBA veterans Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles are lifelong friends and bona fide truth-tellers. Listen as they invite special guests, high-profile athletes, musicians and entertainers to get brutally honest about everything from current events to untold stories from the golden era of sports and culture. Named for the on-court celebration they made wildly popular, this unfiltered, hilarious and surprising podcast is like playing NBA 2K with no fouls.

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