"He'll tell your a**": Former Lakers champion reveals truth behind Kobe Bryant's unwillingness to pass

One of the most criticized parts of the late Kobe Bryant's game was his passing ability. He was known for making tough shots and not moving the ball enough on offense. However, a former LA Lakers teammate shed some light on Bryant's unwillingness to pass.

On "Podcast P with Paul George," Brian Shaw discussed what it was like to be teammates with the "Black Mamba." Shaw explained that Bryant didn't like to pass the ball to his teammates if they were unsure about making the shot."

"People talk about him shooting the ball, not wanting to pass the ball," Shaw said. "He would pass the ball, but then if you missed a couple shots, when he kicked it out to you, he'll tell your a**.

"'If you don't hit the next one, I ain't passing this sh*t to you no more, and I don't want to hear your mouth about me not passing the ball.' He put that pressure on you and either you know you could take it or you couldn't."

Kobe Bryant and Brian Shaw were teammates from 1999 to 2003. They won three NBA championships together along with Shaquille O'Neal. Shaw was a veteran compared to Bryant at that point, but it was clear that the young scorer would do everything in his power to win.

Even though Bryant was not known for his passing ability, he averaged 4.7 assists per game. He also averaged 4.7 assists in the playoffs, which was not a bad number considering how many thought that he didn't pass the ball enough.

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Lakers unveiled first of three Kobe Bryant statues earlier this month

The LA Lakers will honor Kobe Bryant with three statues.

The LA Lakers unveiled the first of three Kobe Bryant statues on Feb. 8 before their game against the Denver Nuggets. Bryant, who died four years ago, was honored by the franchise for his accomplishments and legendary career.

The first statue depicts the first part of Bryant's career when he wore the No. 8 jersey. It was patterned to how the "Black Mamba" celebrated scoring 81 points on Jan. 22, 2006 against the Toronto Raptors. He pointed to the sky after having the second-greatest scoring game in NBA history.

The second statue will feature Bryant with his daughter Gigi, who also died in the helicopter crash along with him. The third and final one is Bryant wearing his No. 24 jersey, which he donned during the second part of his career.

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