Ray Allen Reveals Why he And Kobe Bryant ‘Never’ Trash-Talked Each Other

Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant were rivals on the floor, but their rivalry was special. The Black Mamba earned a lot of haters on the basketball court. Most of these were players who couldn’t get any near him. Kobe was one of the most competitive players in league history. He won five titles with the Los Angeles Lakers. Opposing players had no answer to Kobe’s greatness.

The Lakers legend had a strong rivalry with Allen, but they really respected one another. Kobe and Allen met so many times, and it was really tense. We all know that Kobe liked to throw his opponents out of balance, and trash-talking was one of his skills. Believe it or not, Allen never got a piece of that cake. Their rivalry didn’t cross the red line.

“Honestly, no,” Allen told Macklin Stern of CBS Sports. “Between me and Kobe, there wasn’t any trash-talking. There was mutual respect. The trash-talking just never happened between us.”

Ray Allen respected Kobe Bryant

It was a surprising admission, but it makes perfect sense. Allen and Kobe had countless battles in their long careers. They entered the NBA in the 1996 NBA Draft and had two encounters in the NBA Finals (2008 and 2010).

Kobe died a year ago and NBA legends like to share their greatest stories related to the Black Mamba. Current and former basketball players talked about their experience with Kobe, praising his competitiveness, skills, and impeccable game. He was a dominant player and everyone knows it.

The Lakers legend tried to distance himself from opponents during his playing time, but people liked him. Everyone respected the Black Mamba, including his greatest opponents.

Kobe got into heated battles with Shane Battier, Bruce Bowen, Raja Bell, and many others. Well, it’s basketball, right?

Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to hear more about Kobe’s greatness on and off the court. These stories give us a clearer picture of him and the way he handled things.

NBA players honored Kobe and these tributes won’t stop in the near future. Everyone is trying to pay respect to the great basketball legend.