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“I Will Never Forget”: Former Lakers Player Remembers His Last Conversation With Kobe Bryant

Published 06/24/2020, 5:30 AM EDT

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For Caron Butler, Kobe Bryant seemed to be by far the toughest opponent he had faced. Talking to Bleacher Report, Butler said Bryant could score from almost anywhere and had an answer for everything.

“Hands down Kobe Bryant,” Butler said when asked who was his toughest opponent. “He was just a guy who could operate in a phone booth.” Further, he stated, “He would put you on an island and just get buckets. He could score from anywhere, he could go left, he had counters, he could give it to you all.

“T-Mac (Tracy McGrady) also had an impressive offensive arsenal. No way you can guard him either.”

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Butler remembers speaking to Kobe Bryant just weeks before his death

During his 14-year NBA career, Butler played as Bryant’s teammate for a year. He started his career with Miami Heat in 2002 and moved to Los Angeles Lakers in 2004. He went to the Lakers as a part of the trade deal that brought Shaquille O’Neal to Miami. Butler’s stay in Los Angeles, however, was only to be for one year as they traded him to Washington Wizards in 2005.

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During his interview with Bleacher Report, Butler revealed that he had a conversation with Bryant just weeks before his death. A conversation, Butler said, that he would never forget.

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“I will never forget our last real conversation probably 2 weeks prior to his incident. We talked about our second acts, families. Kobe always challenged me to be the best version of me. I got the news that I wasn’t able to share and he was like ‘now what.’ He was a tremendous asset to my life and kept me thinking about the goal and the mission. I miss him dearly,” he said.

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Butler’s five years at Washington Wizards after his Lakers stint was the longest stretch in a single team over his career. He played for nine different teams in his 14-year career. Moreover, he also has a championship to his name, which came immediately after he ended his stay in Washington.

Butler moved to Dallas Mavericks in 2010 and the team won a title that season with Dirk Nowitzki leading the team. Butler later played for Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks among others, before ending his career in 2016.

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Written by:

Saketh Kandadai

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