Kobe Bryant remains one of the most intense competitors the NBA has ever produced. The Black Mamba demanded excellence from everyone around him across 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Late in his career, he mentored younger players on teams that rarely contended for titles. Former Lakers guard Nick Young recently opened up about those years during an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast.
Young joined the Lakers in 2013 and stayed through Bryant’s final season in 2016. Their shared time included grueling practices and constant high standards from the veteran leader. Additionally, Young described a side of Bryant that fans had rarely heard about before. The competitive fire still defined him, but he also looked out for teammates in unexpected ways.
Nick Young Shares Details From Early Season Gatherings
Young explained how Bryant arranged special events to bring the roster together each year. The clip shows Young smiling as he recounts the annual tradition that started training camp.
According to Young, Bryant would set up a gathering that included bottles and entertainment for the group.
“People don’t know, at the beginning of the season, Kobe have like a party for the team to get together. Had a stripper party. Yeah, like a little stripper party,” Young said on the podcast.
He added that the events taught him some style along the way.
“But he taught me a little bit of swag ’cause he had had a party, had the bottles and the girls come, and then he’ll leave,” Young continued.
Bryant’s focus on family also shaped his decisions during that stretch, and Vanessa Bryant has continued to honor his memory through public tributes.
Bryant Would Exit Before The Fun Continued
Young described the moment when the main part of the night began.
“You just won’t see Kobe no more. So we eat, and he’s like, ‘Man, I got y’all a little something something.’ We go upstairs. We see the strippers and stuff. And then Kobe was like, ‘Y’all have fun,’ and leave out,” he recalled.
Young appreciated the gesture and thanked his teammate right away.
“I was like, ‘Man, thank you.’ That’s swag though,” Young said.
This approach let teammates relax while Bryant stayed disciplined and focused. Stories from that same era also include other behind-the-scenes moments with the Lakers, such as private gatherings that drew attention years later.
Bryant and Vanessa had reconciled after earlier marital challenges, so he likely wanted to avoid any further complications. His commitment to the game and family still defined the final years of his career.
The revelation adds another layer to how teammates remember the Black Mamba beyond the court. Young’s comments show a player who balanced intensity with looking out for the group in his own way.
