Sam Mitchell jokes about Kobe: 'I hate him'
Sam Mitchell and Kobe Bryant have a bit of a history. That history mostly consists of Bryant playing extremely well against teams Mitchell is involved with. Following Tuesday's 119-115 Los Angeles Lakers win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Mitchell put it quite succinctly, albeit tongue in cheek:
Mitchell was the coach of the Toronto Raptors that night 10 years ago when Kobe exploded for 81 points, the second-highest single game output by a player in NBA history. For whatever reason, Mitchell eschewed the idea of a double-team on Bryant that night, and on Tuesday, the 37-year-old scored a season-high 38 points on the Wolves.
"Thank you for the hate," Bryant replied with a laugh after hearing of Mitchell's comments. "Appreciate that."
Related: Garnett offers endorsement of Wolves' coach Sam Mitchell