DeMar DeRozan Reveals How Kobe Bryant Played 'Mind Games' That Left Him Stumped Many Times

DeMar DeRozan's relationship with Kobe Bryant evolved from idolization to mentorship over time. DeRozan grew up watching Bryant and eventually made him his mentor when DeRozan was drafted to the NBA in 2009. 

In his recent appearance on 7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony, DeRozan revealed his perspective on Kobe Bryant's game and how he left him at a loss for words with a lot of the things he said to him.

“Kobe is the type to say some sh** and you be like, ‘What?’ You remember the Kanye commercial he was in? And he said, ‘What the f**k are you talking about?’ It really be that sh** when you [face him].”

“There have been times I was working out, and I'm like, ‘What the f**k are you—how? what?’ But I just go along with it, but later down the line, something accidental may happen. I'm like, ‘Ah, that's the sh** he was talking about.’ You know what I mean?”

“Like he'll play mind games from that type of standpoint when it comes to a lot of sh**, you know what I mean? That was one thing that was great about him because it showed how cynical he was in his mind.”

“And at the same time, if you could take and kind of a little comprehend where he was coming from with something, it'll be beneficial. You know what I mean? And that was one thing that was, what I say, the most bizarre thing.”

DeRozan goes on to recall an incident between Rudy Gay and Kobe Bryant, where Bryant got hit in the face. When Gay went to ask him if he was okay, Bryant had a baffling response. 

"What? Don't soak me moth**f***er."

These are the type of mind games that Bryant played to in a way psych himself out, like DeRozan said. It was this type of mentality and mind games that made Bryant one of the most unpredictable players to go up against. 

Players who have faced DeRozan have also claimed that the influence of Kobe Bryant's game on his skillset is very visible. But since his retirement, no one in NBA history has been able to replicate the mentality that Kobe Bryant played with, which he arguably learned from Michael Jordan, one of the greatest to ever play the game.