Eventual Laker Unpacks Epic UCLA Workouts With Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson
Longtime defense-first NBA swingman Matt Barnes, who transitioned from loathed Orlando Magic opponent in the NBA Finals to Los Angeles Lakers role player from 2010-12, was already getting extended face time with Lakers legends past and present as an 18-year-old college freshman, by the benefit of being a UCLA Bruin.
As he detailed in a fresh interview with Palmdale native Paul George on George's show "Podcast P With Paul George," Barnes revealed that he saw Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and another NBA Finals foe, LA native Paul Pierce, during legendary offseason runs at UCLA.
"We had the No. 1 recruiting class in back-to-back years, so I came to UCLA and it was just popping," Barnes explained. "Kobe was kind of a loner off to himelf, so he was always on our campus... He kind of [had] just started taking off... Just seeing a young him, at 19 years old was dope, just to kind of see his work ethic."
"Magic was dirty out there," Barnes added. "He would come in with his own players but he would just call bulls--- [on foul calls] the whole time... It's legendary. Paul Pierce got on our podcast one time and told stories about how Magic just totally Magic'd it up."
"We're in there with Kobe and Paul Pierce and Shaq. Those runs from the jump were legendary," Barnes revealed. "To me I credit that with me kind of getting the mentality... to understand what it took to play at that level."
