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How Jamie Foxx Motivated Kobe Bryant To Win His 5th Championship: “Then I Said, LeBron James… He Got So Pissed.”
With back-and-forth banter, Hollywood celebrity Jamie Foxx unexpectedly managed to push Kobe Bryant to work harder and motivated him to win his fifth championship ring.
Appearing on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, Foxx, who was an acquaintance of the late, great, Kobe Bryant, narrated a story about a conversation that took place before Kobe won his fifth ring, which ultimately made Bryant so pissed that it triggered him to leave his show.
“We were talking about players and he was like ‘oh they can’t handle me, the Celtics couldn’t handle-’. Then I said, LeBron James… He didn’t stay for my show. He got so pissed.” Foxx continued, “He says ‘I ain’t even gonna stay for your show, I’m going to go work out.’ He went across the street. He started working out.”
Foxx’ comments just added fuel to the fire, and their conversation spilled over into their text messages in which Foxx and Bryant continued to go at each other. In the end, Bryant bit back and escalated the conversation quickly with a withering comeback.
“After that, we started texting. So we’re texting and going back and forth. I said you ain’t gonna be ready for the season, what’s up with Ron Arrest all these different things. He texts me back saying ‘do you have some water? You’re going to need it because you’re going to choke on my fifth ring’.”
Eventually, Bryant won his fifth championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010. During their series against the Boston Celtics, Bryant averaged 28.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, to oust the Celtics in 7 games.
It was a sweet revenge for Bryant and the Lakers, who had lost the 2008 Finals against the Celtics in six games. Bryant found help in Pau Gasol who came up big time with 18.6 points and 11.6 rebounds a game. Metta World Peace, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom were among others who also produced to make the Lakers redemption possible.
Bryant was one of the fiercest competitors in NBA history, he was hungry and always goal-oriented. Surely, Bryant wanted to destroy every narrative, defy all odds and prove everyone wrong. Ultimately, ‘The Black Mamba’ did all of that and had one of the most accomplished careers in the NBA, leaving a legacy that only a few can hold a candle to.
