Feb. 29, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves small forward Michael Beasley (8) and Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) fight for position under the basket in the second half of the game at the Staples Center. Lakers won 104-85. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

K-State Legend Michael Beasley Opens Up With Shocking Kobe Bryant Story

Originally posted on Kansas State Wildcats on SI
By Jayden Armant | Last updated Aug 11, 2025 6:00 PM ET

It seems like nearly everyone in basketball has a personal story involving NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

The latest to share his story was Michael Beasley, who opened up about an interaction he had with Bryant in his early-career Miami Heat days.

"I ain't think he knew me, thought it was just basketball. He just dapped me up and was like, 'I'm pulling for you,' which just surprised me," Beasley said on the Big3 Podcast with Chris Haynes.

Beasley struggled largely with mental health issues, which is why many believe he failed to pan out professionally.

"D-Wade invited me to dinner with him afterwards, but I didn’t go because my anxiety wouldn’t let me," Beasley said. "I was too scared to go. At that point in my career, I was just f****** everything up being me, and I would just rather him think I was too cool to hang with him than sit in his face and say some dumb s***."

Michael Beasley recalls his brief on-court interaction with Kobe Bryant in Miami… and why he skipped dinner with him afterward.

“I just rather he think I was too cool to hang with him than sit in his face and say some dumb .”

( via @thebig3) pic.twitter.com/GBHGIKbZJf
— Heat Diehards (@HeatDiehards) August 9, 2025

Beasley remains one of the biggest "What-ifs" in NBA history. His decorated season at Kansas State catapulted him to the No. 2 pick in 2008. Beasley's natural talent as a player was unfortunately overshadowed by his off-court history and mental wellness struggles.

MAJOR OUTLET GIVES KANSAS STATE HUGE PROPS IN PRESEASON RANKINGS

Kansas State may have just received its biggest acclaim yet.

And that's saying a lot, considering the heaping outside approval the team has received this summer. FOX Sports pinned the Wildcats at No. 19 in its college football rankings among FBS teams.

The article wrote:

"In his first season as a starter, quarterback Avery Johnson set the program record for passing touchdowns (25) while throwing for 2,712 yards, and adding 605 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. He was one of just four Power 4 quarterbacks to pass for 2,700 yards and rush for 600 yards last year. In Year 2, Johnson and running back Dylan Edwards will make up one of the fastest backfields in the sport. Along with Johnson and Edwards, nine starters return from last year’s team, including five on the defense."

Kansas State received the highest placement of any Big 12 team, with its success attributed to its recent track record and development of quarterback Avery Johnson.

"K-State has won nine or more games in each of the past three years," the article wrote. "Chris Klieman has kept expectations high with this year looking like his best chance to earn the Wildcats' first CFP invitation."