Jason Kidd Explains The Meaning Behind Michael Jordan Calling Kobe Bryant 'Little Laker Boy'

During the 1998 NBA All-Star game, Michael Jordan, who was competing for his sixth NBA championship, called a 19-year-old Kobe Bryant the "little Laker boy" while talking to his teammates in the Eastern Conference locker room.

Jason Kidd, a current assistant coach for the Lakers, played for the Western Conference All-Star team in 1998 and said there was a reason Jordan used that phrase.

"That was normally MJ's way of not giving you any respect is by not calling you by your name," Kidd told ESPN. "He called him 'Laker boy' until he earned his respect, and I think at the of end of Kobe's career, he was calling him Kobe."

Bryant went on to become a five-time NBA champion over his 20-season career with the Lakers. He was an 18-time All-Star, two-time Finals MVP and one-time regular season MVP in 2008.

Kidd said he was taken aback by Bryant's confidence during the All-Star game in 1998, recalling one play in particular that floored everyone.

Karl Malone, who was the MVP of the league in 1997, asked for a pick-and-roll but Bryant waved him off.

"For you to just have the nerve to wave Karl off, even if he wasn't the MVP, just because of his muscles, you had to be different," Kidd said. "On the bench, we were all in tears and laughing and giving Karl a hard time."

Kidd said everyone was "in awe or shock" of Bryant's iron nerves.

"It just showed Kobe's determination to be the best," Kidd said. "He wanted to be the next Michael Jordan, if not better. He wanted that one-on-one challenge and he didn't feel like he needed Karl's help at the time."

Kidd said that Bryant wanted to make a statement in that game.

"The biggest thing that stood out was Kobe was going to go after Michael," Kidd said. "He wasn't scared."