Scot Pollard and Kobe Bryant participated in many a fierce battle during the time in which Pollard played with the Sacramento Kings back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Therefore it’s not surprising that the former Kings center has little love for Bryant, who is playing in his final season before retiring as one of the NBA’s greatest players of all time.
Speaking with Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney on CBS Sports Radio Tuesday, Pollard offered an interesting cross-section of opinions on the future Hall of Famer but ultimately sees Bryant as a selfish player.
He also admitted he never liked Bryant, which is hardly shocking:
“Personally, I never really liked Kobe,” Pollard said. “I didn’t like the way he carried himself, but I absolutely respect the way he played the game. If I was a GM, I absolutely want him on my team. I got to find the right guys that can play with him… I wouldn’t want to play with him. I think he made the team about him as opposed to making the team about winning.”
Pollard also compared Bryant to Michael Jordan in an unfavorable light:
“I don’t think (Bryant) carries his team like Jordan carried his team and made everybody on his team better,” Pollard said. “Kobe didn’t have that effect on his teammates. Kobe needed Batman to his Superman. He needed another superhero to help him win. That’s the part about him that I don’t respect… I absolutely respect his game. I just didn’t want to be teammates with him.”
It seems like Pollard is conveniently forgetting about a certain small forward by the name of Scottie Pippin (and others), who had as much to do with the championship teams in Chicago as Jordan did.
Despite his declaration of “respect” for Bryant’s game, it’s clear Pollard harbors more disrespect than anything else.
Of course, Pollard is not the first to say Bryant is selfish.
Two years ago when Jeremy Lin played in Los Angeles with the Lakers, the point guard expressed his frustration with Bryant’s penchant for taking an ungodly amount of shots and offered a solution: “Unselfishness is contagious. When everybody’s touching it, feeling it & is moving & everyone’s scoring, that’s contagious.”
Right around the same time, an NBA scout said, “The Lakers play the wrong way. Kobe shoots too much. They are unbearable to watch.”
We also know is that rookie guard D’Angelo Russell called playing with Bryant “hard” during All-Star Weekend. One wonders how many other of Bryant’s teammates and rivals — both former and current — might have similar feelings.