Kobe Bryant once made Bruce Willis hesitant in front of a crowd of 18,000 people. The Los Angeles Lakers faced the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) on a road game in New Orleans on the 29th of March 2010. Bruce Willis attended the match along with 18,000 Hornets fans.

Bruce got an interview request in the middle of the game. The Die Hard (1988) star talked about his upcoming movie and the wonderful town of New Orleans. Additionally, he praised the enthusiasm and support of the Hornets crowd for their team.

However, Willis refused to predict that the Hornets would beat the Lakers. The interviewer insisted that the crowd of 18,000 might just sway the needle towards the Hornets in what seemed a closely contested encounter. But Willis stayed adamant and denied the interviewer a straight answer.

Kobe Bryant and the 2010 Lakers

The 2010 Los Angeles Lakers led by Kobe Bryant was a force to reckon with. They topped the Western Conference table with a record of 57-25. Therefore, it is not surprising that Bruce Willis would hesitate to pick the 11th-seeded Hornets over the defending champions.

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Besides, another factor was difficult to ignore. The legendary presence of Kobe Bryant. The Mamba could change the course of the game at any given point in the match.

He could single-handedly impact matches, especially against weaker teams. Therefore, it is hardly surprising to see Bruce hesitate to pick the home team, even if they were leading by 6 points in the third quarter with only five minutes to go.

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“I think 18,000 a side helps a great deal. Like Kobe. Like Fisher. We’ll see“, Bruce said before ending the interview. The Hollywood actor was probably secretly rooting for the Los Angeles team. With stars like Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace beside Kobe Bryant, he had every reason to support the Lakers.

The Lakers lose the game

Despite Kobe Bryant’s brilliant 31 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds performance, the Lakers would lose the match to the Hornets by eight points. Gasol’s 26 points wouldn’t be enough to take the defending champions over the hump.

However, the loss wouldn’t prove to be much of a setback for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant would carry the Lakers in a Jordanesque manner to win the 2010 NBA championship. He would also be selected as the MVP of the Finals for the second time in a row.