Lakers: Caron Butler Recalls An Epic Kobe Bryant Moment
It seems like anyone who played in the NBA while Kobe was in the league has a story about the legend. Especially those who played with him, like Caron Butler.
Butler arrived in Los Angeles in the summer of 2004 as part of the trade that sent Shaq to the Miami Heat.
He spent just one season on the Lakers, but it provided some memorable Kobe moments for Butler.
In an appearance on The Long Shot Podcast, Butler retold a story about Kobe setting himself up for a game-winning shot in a game against the then Charlotte Bobcats in March 2005. A key highlight of the story was completely ignoring the play that the Lakers head coach at the time, Rudy Tomjanovich, had drawn up.
"We were in Charlotte, the game was tied. It was only like four seconds, three seconds [left]. Rudy T [Rudy Tomjanovich] is drawing up all type of [expletive]. Kobe says [expletive] that. Just give me the ball right here. He was like, 'Whoever wanna take the ball out will be part of history.'
Kobe got the ball at the top of the arc, dribbled to his right, and put up a signature Kobe fadeaway shot.
"Kobe hit the shot. Blouses. Game."
It was a nice moment in an otherwise underwhelming season for the Lakers. The team won just 34 games and did not qualify for the playoffs.
The salt in the wound that season was the fact that Shaq helped lead the Heat to a championship while Kobe kept grinding away on a lackluster Lakers team.
