Kobe Bryant still resonates in countless stories across the league, even six years after his tragic passing. This time, however, the latest to surface isn’t about the rings or the points, but about something smaller, quieter, and much more revealing, from Cabbie Richards, a famed Canadian broadcaster and a close friend of Bryant.

“The Leafs had played the night before, and there was a snowstorm in Toronto,” Richards said. “So there’s our camera crew and one other camera crew. So there’s no, like, these are the Lakers. Now granted, this is the 05-06 Lakers… So there’s no one there. So, like I just approached him.”

The Lakers were in a stage of transition post trading Shaquille O’Neal to the Miami Heat, and just two weeks before Bryant would drop his career-high 81 points on the Raptors, but tonight, it was a pregame moment with no observers when Richards leaned into his unconventional style, first asking Bryant about bandwagon culture in LA before pushing further.

“I’m like, ‘Can you draw?’” He explained. “I brought a pad and ‘Can you draw the bandwagon for us?’ He’s like, ‘No, man. I suck at drawing.’ I’m like, ‘Are you sure? Just try.’ He goes, ‘No, man. I’m not drawing.'”

Richards was known for an odd style of interviewing, almost “harassing” players he interviewed with questions that would seem out of place, so when he threw in a random request to Bryant asking to stay at his guest house, Bryant simply asked for confirmation before saying:

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“Okay, man. You can stay in my house.”

Things escalated immediately, with Richards, who was now fully committed to his bit, asking for Bryant’s address. Kobe response was filled with dry sarcasm, saying, “You want my address? Okay, it’s 8 Out Of Your Mind Avenue.”

Both were amused, and the moment felt harmless, but behind the scenes, not everyone saw it the same way.

Behind the Scenes Lakers PR Concern and Kobe Bryant’s Trust In Cabbie Richards

Because the exchange took place in front of other reporters, it caused a lot of concern for the Los Angeles Lakers. To the team’s PR, Richards was a random reporter asking Kobe Bryant, one of the biggest basketball stars in the world for his address, phone number, and other personal details. They were immediately ticked off.

“The Lakers PR is like ‘Who is this reporter harassing Kobe?'” Richards explained. “And then [Raptors PR director] Jim LaBumbard was like ‘He’s a local guy. He’s harmless. This is kind of his style. He harasses our players too’… Unbeknownst to me, but I found this out later.”

Richards’ story surfacing now, years after Bryant’s tragic passing reframes the encounter. What may have looked controversial within the organization at the time now almost feels like a snapshot of Bryant’s comfort with those around him, even during one of the most scrutinized stretches of his career.

Not every story about Kobe has to be epic, because sometimes, it’s the laughter and dry humor that tells you just as much as any other facet of his personality would.