AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker
Kobe Bryant has always been known as a fierce competitor, but he's taken his trash talking to a whole new level post retirement.
- Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant trash-talked young Dallas Mavericks phenom Luka Doncic in his native Slovenian from courtside at the Staples Center Sunday.
- Last year's NBA rookie of the year took the ball out and turned to identify who was speaking his native tongue.
- When he saw the Black Mamba sitting courtside with his daughter, Gianna, he smiled and shook his hand before passing the ball inbounds.
- After the game, Doncic took photos with the Bryants and told the press that he was "really surprised" by the elder Bryant's use of Slovenian.
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Kobe Bryant has always been known as a fierce competitor, but he's taken his trash-talking to a whole new level post-retirement.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend and his daughter, Gianna, watched his former team take on the Mavericks at the Staples Center Sunday. When Luka Doncic - Dallas' 20-year-old wunderkind - took the ball out near Bryant's seat, the Black Mamba started chirping at the Slovenian star.
And he did it in Doncic's native tongue.
Last season's NBA rookie of the year was so surprised to hear the language of his home country that he turned around. When he saw Bryant, he smiled wide and shook the 18-time NBA All-Star's hand before delivering the inbounds pass for his team.
After the game, Doncic revealed to reporters that Bryant was speaking in Slovenian.
"He was talking Slovenian," Doncic said. "So I was like 'Who is talking my language?' And then I saw Kobe and I was really surprised."
At one point during his 20-year career, Bryant played alongside another Slovenian-born basketball star in Sasha Vujacic. Perhaps the five-time NBA champion picked up some language skills from his former teammate.
The hometown Lakers went on to beat Doncic's Mavericks 108-95 despite the young star's team-high 19-point, four-rebound, and seven-assist performance. And after the game, he took photos and spoke with the Bryants on the court.
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Kobe was heckling Luka so he turned around and dapped him up 😂 pic.twitter.com/TASYCSness
- ESPN (@espn) December 30, 2019.@luka7doncic was shocked to hear @kobebryant speaking Slovenian, and had no choice but to dap the Mamba up 🤝 pic.twitter.com/INeYfW1kAO
- SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 30, 2019Mavericks' Luka Doncic greets Lakers legend Kobe Bryant & his daughter Gigi pic.twitter.com/6A27jYYto8
- Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) December 30, 2019Kobe & Doncic pic.twitter.com/HRkjQTcz8T
- NBA Spain (@NBAspain) December 30, 2019