One must go the extra mile to get a compliment from NBA great Kobe Bryant. One of the few athletes who were skilled and fortunate enough to be noticed by the legend was a former Boston Celtics player. In an old interview, the Los Angeles Lakers legend praised his rival’s strength. The fortunate athlete shared a snippet from the interview, where the legend named him the best defensive player. 

His former teammate Kevin Garnett also shared the post on his IG to praise him. Who do you think is the player? Let’s find out.

Kevin Garnett agrees with Kobe Bryant’s comment on Tony Allen

It was back in 2008 when Bryant went up against former Celtics player Tony Allen. While Allen won the championship alongside Garnett that year, he won something more important as well. Having rivaled so many players during his entire career, Bryant was confident in his answer when he said it was the Grindmaster who had great defense skills. 

Garnett who was largely responsible for the Celtics’ win also complimented his former teammate’s skills. He reshared the clip on his Instagram story and wrote, “One of the best to do IT.”

In the video, Bryant shared, “The best defensive player I played against is easy. That’s Tony Allen….Most defensive players I face want help all the time. I’ve never heard him ask for help. He likes taking the challenge.”

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The Big Ticket praised the late legend for his honest and sincere compliment for the 6ft 4in player and added, “Word.” After all, these were the words coming from a 9-time all-defensive player. His words described the Grindmaster’s excellence. 

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The 2008 match was quite brutal for both the teams. While Bryant was great at his playoffs averaging over 30ppg. However, he could not win the championship. In several interviews, the legend admitted that the match with the Celtics’ was one of the toughest games of his career. While he put up a great play, the Lakers lost to Celtics by 39 points. 

However, Bryant was able to get his revenge in 2010. He won the championship beating the Celtics with an 89-67 in Game 6. While Bryant might have been able to get his revenge, he always remembered the 2008 finals. What are your thoughts? Tell us in the comments.

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