The Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was one with the hardwood. Almost every NBA fan knows the amount of hard work that Mamba put into his career through his autobiography ‘The Mamba Mentality: How I play.’  Over his 20-season-long career, Bryant faced a lot of hiccups in the form of injuries and criticisms. However, once a criticism from Steven A. Smith triggered a different reaction from Bryant. A.Smith recently revealed the brutal phone conversation he had with the 5x NBA Champion.

Steven A. Smith is one of the most popular NBA analysts in the broadcasting industry. He became the face of the ESPN network in the 2010s. Reportedly, A.Smith’s pay is higher than every NBA head coach except for the San Antonio Spurs head coach, Gregg Popovich. Moreover, the star analyst is also known for his bold take on the game. Additionally, he has attracted a lot of fans with his charismatic personality.

Kobe Bryant thrashes A. Smith on a phone call

During a recent episode of The Howard Stern Show, Steven A. Smith opened up about the calls he received from the NBA players after his criticism on Live TV. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was one of them. The ESPN analyst received a voicemail from the 18x NBA All-Star after he criticized his play on live television. Before quoting the star, A.Smith said, “He scared me, he scared the living sh*t out of me.”

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He quoted Bryant’s voicemail, “You know who this is motherfuc***.. Pick up the fuc**** phone and call.” He further said, “don’t keep me waiting for so long either, your a** better not go on the air and say some other shi* before you talk to me.” However, Smith stood by his criticism even after the call from the legend. Bryant ended the call with a hearty message to the analyst. He said, “I have no idea why I love your a**.. but you’re going on air and say that shi* again I’m calling you to curse.” 

A.Smith earns more than a 5x NBA Champion

The ESPN analyst reportedly earns $12 Million annually whereas the Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr earns $9.5 Million. Notably, the Chicago Bulls legend is the second highest-paid head coach in the league. 

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What do you make of the brutal Kobe Bryant phone call? Let us know in the comments.