Kobe Bryant and the Boston Celtics were once bitter rivals, meeting for an epic seven-game NBA Finals series in 2010 that gave the Los Angeles Lakers their last championship. Five years later, both teams are near the bottom of the standings, and Bryant says he can't even name five players from Boston's club.
Kobe Bryant can’t name 5 Celtics players
Can you name five players currently on the Celtics roster? Kobe Bryant says he can’t.
Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
With Boston taking on a major rebuilding effort over the past month, dealing away big names like Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green, the current Celtics are a far cry from the days of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and company. The team has turned to a young core and second-year coach Brad Stevens to get back on track, leaving behind memories of those unreal showdowns with Kobe's Lakers.
That led Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald to ask Bryant if he could name even five players still on the Celtics roster after the recent overhaul.
Kobe’s response: “Nope.”
Bryant also said it's been "strange to see" how the Celtics have blown up their roster, and his kids sometimes ask him why prominent former Celtics like Pierce, Garnett and Kendrick Perkins are no longer with the team. It's given him a new perspective, he says, from people who don't play the game.
With that said, Kobe is still focused on winning in Los Angeles, and recently met with Rondo -- now a member of the Mavericks -- in an apparent attempt to recruit him. "No way," Bryant said of his efforts to partner with the former Boston point guard. "I’m not done. I’m not stopping until he signs an extension."
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