The NBA will never forget the impact that basketball star Kobe Bryant had on the sport with his career accomplishments. It is impossible to dispute Bryant’s prowess as an NBA player, what with his five championship rings. His dogged determination and game-winning efforts catapulted him to the pinnacle of his profession.

In addition to his championships, Bryant had an impact outside of basketball as well. His work ethic and commitment made him a legendary figure who motivated many with the Mamba mentality. 

The 6-foot-10 tall Joe Smith’s most recent team was the 2010–11 Los Angeles Lakers, who he left after leading them to 57 victories in the regular season but a crushing conference semifinal loss. Following his trade with the Lakers in December 2010, Smith had a little action for Bryant’s team. In an interview, he revealed one of Bryant’s core game secrets. 

Joe Smith revealed a significant rule never followed by 18-time NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant

Not long ago, in an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, former Lakers teammate Smith recalled a moment with Bryant. Smith claimed that he had a crazy and funny story with Bryant. 

He said “I could tell you a crazy Kobe story. We in we’re in practice and it’s right before the playoffs we’re about to play. The Mavericks and I’m there for maybe a month now. So I’m there for maybe a month now and we’re you know going over defensive schemes.”

He continued, “I said Kobe y’all never had a defensive scheme. He’s like no we just go out there and play. He’s like shoot, I’m the defense. He said I’m I just go out there, Roam. I’m like you like this entire time.” 

Smith was surprised and laughed when he got to know that champ Bryant never followed any defensive rule, which he wanted to learn. 

“But the entire time I’m thinking you know it’s the Lakers they championships they win champs Jackson they won championships. And I’m thinking that you know the defensive scheme is this I got to be you know ready to learn this and learn that and learn this but they were learning it just at the same time I was learning it so um you know that was just something that I found funny at that time we both laughed.”

However, Bryant dispelled any rumors that Smith had heard about Bryant being a problematic teammate by becoming one of the first players to welcome Smith following the trade.

Read More: Double Kobe Bryant Release: Same Day Drop Scheduled for ‘Venice Beach’ and ‘Philly’

Kobe Bryant is driven differently: Joe Smith

Smith had the honor of suiting up with NBA greats like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant throughout his various stays through the league. One question that came up during Smith’s previous interview on VladTV was how the late Bryant was different from his colleagues.

Few players can boast the accomplishment of having played for twelve different teams, but Joe Smith is among them. He stands alone among those seasoned journeymen as the top draft choice. Throughout his seventeen years as an NBA player, he was never a part of a single team for over four years in a row.

Read More: 23 Years Before Kobe Bryant’s Work Ethic Impressed Him, 3x All-Star Shares a Freaky Coincidence With ‘Black Mamba’