Kobe Bryant will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and a large part of that has to do with his insane competitive streak.
Bryant thrives off of one-upping opponents and proving doubters wrong, that's why the story of former NBA star JR Rider getting decimated by the Black Mamba in practice should come as no surprise. According to Bryant's former Lakers teammate Brian Shaw, it all started one day in practice when Rider approached Kobe, stating "don't get it twisted. I'm a star too, and I used to give you buckets. Never one to pass on the opportunity to showcase his greatness, Bryant challenged Rider to a game of one-on-one, to which his teammate accepted.
The story of Kobe's domination over Rider in practice has been going around for years, but now we finally have video evidence to back it up. Just like Bryant's former teammate Devean George said, the man went "berserk on J.R."
Now keep in mind, Rider was no slouch. Although his career never quite reached the heights that it could have, Rider was a solid scorer during his time in the NBA. But Kobe's a legend, and embarrassing doubtful challengers is exactly what legends do. Being the internet savvy guy that he is, Bryant saw the clip being shared around and decided to comment on it.
H/T: Hoopmixtape
