“I don’t even know what he’s done. Like, I have no idea what you guys are talking about. I’ll take a look at it tonight, though.” That was Kobe Bryant on February 10, 2012, when asked about Jeremy Lin’s sudden rise. But by the end of that night, the Lakers legend knew exactly who Lin was, and so did the rest of the league. It became one of those unforgettable moments for every Kobe fan, a night when “Linsanity” officially announced itself. Years later, former Knicks guard Jeremy Lin reflected on that game, what fueled his rivalry, and the respect for the great Kobe Bryant.
On one electric Friday night, the most unpredictable script in NBA history played out under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Jeremy Lin, a 6-foot-3 Harvard kid nobody saw coming, found himself face-to-face with Kobe Bryant in crunch time. With the ball in his hands and the Garden at a full roar, Lin ruled over the Lakers for 38 points. With dragging the Knicks to a 92-85 win, their fourth straight win in a run that detonated Linsanity. Even now, Lin admits that night’s a permanent fixture in his memory bank, a moment where fairytale and reality collided.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Jeremy Lin looked back on that surreal night and admitted, “I definitely surprised myself”. But truthfully, that performance had been brewing well before tip-off. Lin had already caught wind of Kobe Bryant’s dismissive comments during his taxi ride to the arena. “I knew I was going to be aggressive cuz I heard what he (Kobe Bryant) had said on the taxi ride over to the game, and so I was already like annoyed,” Lin confessed. But the stakes were much deeper than just one game.
As Lin pointed out, “Also, I’m from the Bay so you know there’s a Northern California Southern California rivalry so I already didn’t like the Lakers.” That mix of personal pride, regional beef, and pre-game shade from Lin turned into the perfect storm. And what followed was one of the NBA’s most unforgettable underdog masterpieces. Reflecting on that night, Lin admitted, “I always knew my shot was so inconsistent, but there were just days where it was on. And I always had my driving ability. But when I knew that shot was on that day, I knew it was going to be a long night.”
June 12, 2002; East Rutherford, NJ; The Lakers Kobe Bryant holds up the Championship trophy along with teammate Shaquille O’Neal who holds up his third MVP trophy. Mandatory Credit: Michael J. Terola/Abury Park Press-USA TODAY NETWORK
He added with a grin, “I came out and had a lot of points. I think it was like eight points in the first six minutes or something like that.” It’s worth noting, Lin outscored Kobe Bryant by four points that night, a subtle but satisfying footnote. Because when vengeance gets settled through jumpers and drives, that’s a night to watch on replay.
Ironically, what began as a fierce rivalry didn’t last forever. Just two years later, Lin and Bryant would end up as teammates in Los Angeles. But the Mamba’s legendary trash talk never took a night off, and Lin was never really a fan of it.
Kobe Bryant once fired off ruthless trash talk at Jeremy Lin during a heated Lakers practice session
The year was 2014, and the Lakers were drowning in one of their worst stretches, having dropped 20 straight games. If anyone knew Kobe Bryant well, they knew a losing streak like that wasn’t just disappointing. And sure enough, it exploded during a heated practice session with Jeremy Lin.
A clip from that tense day resurfaced online last year, giving fans a raw, unfiltered look at Bryant’s relentless edge. Frustrated and fired up, Kobe shouted at Lin, “You ain’t got s-– on me.” Moments later, after Lin botched a rushed play, Bryant doubled down, “Talked right into that bull—-.” It was classic Mamba, ruthless, uncompromising, and brutally honest. Yet, as unforgiving as he could be on the floor, Kobe’s influence stretched far beyond trash talk and fourth-quarter daggers.
But it wasn’t always brotherhood between the two. Jeremy Lin once spoke in All the Smoke about the volatile relationship. Lin explained. “I said, ‘Look, you’re Kobe. I’m coming in trying to learn from you. So, I’m okay with anything as long as you talk to me like a man. Don’t talk down to me like I’m a boy; talk to me like a man and respect me.”
After the heated exchange, their relationship soured. Ego or self-respect, they didn’t speak for months. Still, their story didn’t end bitterly. By the following season, the two quietly made amends. Jeremy Lin went on to shine as one of the league’s top sixth men in Charlotte. And somewhere along the way, he and Kobe Bryant started talking again.
The post Kobe Bryant’s Negligence Resurfaces as Ex-Teammate Breaks Silence on What Fueled LA Revenge appeared first on EssentiallySports.
