The dedication of Kobe Bryant towards the game of basketball was unparalleled. Kobe gave it absolutely everything he had when he walked out on the court. The Los Angeles Lakers legend spent 20 years in the NBA, winning five championships including a historic three-peat. A former teammate of Kobe has recently spoken about how he got introduced to the Mamba Mentality.

Not many people can be like Caron Butler. The 40-year-old truly had a colorful career in terms of the number of teams he has played for. Butler represented nine different teams in his 14-year NBA career. His longest stint came with the Wizards where he played for five years.

However, before moving to Washington, Butler played in purple and gold for the Lakers. He spent one year in Los Angeles before his trade went through. Butler recently opened up about his time with the Lakers and how his friendship with Kobe Bryant took off. 

“I get to Los Angeles and I arrive at the press conference, Butler began. My bog brother there, waiting for me, Kobe Bryant. He signs a huge deal right there for $130 million right in front of us and then also we do our press conference,” he said. 

The entry of Butler into the team came as a result of Shaquille O’Neal being traded out of the Lakers team. Shaq wanted out and he went to Miami. In exchange for him, the Heat traded Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a future first-round pick.

Butler on “Blacking Out” with Kobe Bryant

Butler and Kobe bonded well ever since their first meeting. After the Big Diesel left the team, Kobe knew he had to get stronger and work even harder. Without the presence of a big player like Shaq, a lot of hopes relied on Kobe. And this is what Caron Butler had to say about Kobe’s mentality after O’Neal was traded. 

“What a lot of people always do is they go off on vacation. The fruits of their labor, they enjoy it. Word hard; Sign a contract. Most people quit their job when they hit the lottery. Not Kobe”.

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Furthermore, Butler detailed how he met the force and felt the impact of Kobe’s Mamba Mentality in training.  A few days after Shaq’s trade, Butler could see the fire igniting inside his new teammate. “Kobe was right there and he was like, ‘Hey tomorrow we blacking out’. And I was like ‘What the fu** does that mean? Blackout?  What is that?’ Kobe: ‘We working out. Be here tomorrow.’ I was like, ‘What time?’” 

Kobe instructed him to attend the workout by 7:15-7:30 AM. So he woke up, got his gear, and left for the training facility. Here is the rest of the story in Butler’s words. “And I get there and he’s already there. Got his stuff together. That started my introduction to Kobe sessions. It really introduced me to work ethic and how to be a professional in real-time,” Butler said.   

To conclude, Butler was certainly intrigued by the work ethic of Kobe Bryant when he witnessed it for the first time. However, the pair quickly became close and developed a good friendship. Sadly, Butler only stayed with the Lakers for a year before he was traded to the Wizards.