Stephen A. Smith says “Kobe scared the living s**t out of me” after he criticized Kobe Bryant's game 

LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant knew how to instill fear in his opponents. His competitiveness and commitment to the game always gave him the upper hand.

Popular sports analyst Stephen A. Smith recently shared one of his iconic encounters with The Black Mamba after criticizing the superstar.

Stephen A. is well-known for his controversial takes on NBA players and teams. Bryant, who spent his entire career with the Lakers, experienced being watched closely by critics.

During a guest appearance on "The Howard Stern Show," Stephen A. reflected on a moment where he became scared of Bryant.

"Kobe scared the living s**t out of me. 'Cause here's why. Kobe was a savant, you did not know more basketball than Kobe Bryant. So, when Kobe Bryant called you... I can quote him for you right now.

"Voicemail, 'You know who this is motherf**ker. Get your a** up, pick up the f**king phone and call me back. That's bulls**t what you just said. And don't keep me waiting for so long, either. Your a** better not go on air and say some other s**t before you talk to me.' That was Kobe,"

"I would say something along the lines of, 'You know something, I don't like the way he's playing, it's selfish basketball right now. Look at this shot, look at that shot selection, look at this decision. What the hell is he doing? Blah, blah, blah.'

"And so he called me up, and I'll be like this, 'What now man?' And he'll say, 'Look, you say you watching basketball, then motherf**ker, watch the game. You didn't see this person do this? You didn't see him do this? You didn't see this dude miss the back-cut? You didn't see this dude miss this dunk? ...The f**k are you talking about?"

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Kobe Bryant's MVP jersey to be auctioned soon

Los Angeles Lakers v Houston Rockets

The jersey that Kobe Bryant wore when he accepted his only MVP award will be auctioned online next month. According to Sotheby’s, the company that's handling the auction, the jersey could sell for up to $7 million. It could be the Hall of Fame guard's most valuable memoribilia.

Bryant wore the jersey during the first round of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets in April 2008. According to experts, it's the same jersey worn by the Lakers' superstar during this iconic moment.

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