Quinn Cook on KD to Houston, Life After Kobe, and Why the Bubble Championship Still Matters

Quinn Cook’s basketball journey is layered — a national champion at Duke, an NBA champion with both the Warriors and Lakers, and one of the most respected voices among players for his professionalism, leadership, and perspective. But beyond the rings and rosters, Cook has always been someone who values relationships, legacy, and the unspoken moments that define a career.

In this one-on-one conversation, Cook opened up about some of the biggest stories in today’s NBA — starting with Kevin Durant’s blockbuster trade to the Houston Rockets. As someone who knows KD personally and professionally, his insight into what this move means — and what could’ve been if Kyrie Irving hadn’t torn his ACL in Dallas — is both informed and thought-provoking. Cook doesn’t deal in speculation without substance.

Appearing on episode 5 of Scoop B Selects, Quinn Cook dove into hometown pride. Representing the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) is a badge of honor for Quinn, and he didn’t hesitate to give his personal Mount Rushmore of players from the region. One name he highlighted with special respect: Michael Beasley — and the reasons why Beasley is so misunderstood by the broader basketball world.

But no conversation with Quinn Cook is complete without revisiting the 2020 NBA Bubble. From bonding with players outside the Lakers roster to being in the moment when LeBron passed Kobe on the all-time scoring list — and the tragic aftermath that followed — Cook brings emotion and clarity to one of the most unique chapters in league history. He also defends the legitimacy of that championship with conviction.

Whether it’s reflecting on life in L.A., what he’s working on now, or where the game is headed, Quinn Cook is as locked in off the court as he was on it. This is a conversation about legacy, loyalty, and the love of the game. Here’s our full Q&A:

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What was your reaction to Kevin Durant being traded to the Rockets?

Quinn Cook:  I was expecting it. It was either there or San Antonio. I’m surprised that the Rockets kept [Tari] Eason, Reed Shepherd, Cam Whitmore… but, I thought it was a great move by Houston. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: “Does adding Kevin Durant make the Rockets an instant title contender?

Quinn Cook: For sure. 100 percent. Obviously they were number #2 in the West. Took Golden State — which was probably the most experienced team in the playoffs this year to a Game 7 at home and I felt that they were missing that scorer. Jalen Green is an up and coming superstar with his first playoff experience, but they were missing that… that guy who can be like, Okay. Calm down. Gimme the ball… and now they got the best scorer in NBA history so…

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Do you think Kevin Durant would have joined the Mavericks if Kyrie Irving hadn’t torn his ACL?

Quinn Cook:  Oh yeah. 100 percent! I know their relationship, you know? I think Dallas had a very good chance of getting him.

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Who’s on your DMV basketball Mount Rushmore?

Quinn Cook:  I would have to go Kevin Durant. I would have to go with Len Bias; I would have to go with Victor Oladipo, and I would have to go with Mike Beasley. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Why do you think Michael Beasley has been so misunderstood throughout his career?

Quinn Cook:  I think the players and those who know people in media, people in journalism; coaches, people in the front office… they know. Just roll the ball out. It’s Mike! Kevin. It’s just certain guys that wake up and is just better and everybody. And Mike has been better than everybody his entire career but, in life there’s politics and sometimes you have to handle things a certain way; sometimes if you’re 19-years old getting placed in Miami with millions of dollars when you don’t come from anything so how do you do that, you know what I’m sayin’? So Mike is a walking testimony and at his age now to be where he is and to who he is to basketball, I’m just so proud and happy for him. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What was your experience like in the NBA Bubble with the Lakers?

Quinn Cook:  [smiles] It was fun for me. It was like a grown up AAU Tournament/ Camp, you know? Our team stuck with each other, you know? I think that Lakers team was probably the closest team I’ve ever been on. We literally did everything together, literally. We saw certain teams and they’d be in there in two’s, three’s, singles… When you saw the Lakers, you saw nine of us, five of us or ten of us. It was definitely something that I — when we were there, we were counting down the days but we were doing some great stuff and to be a champion out of those circumstances will definitely live forever. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Do you think people will still question the Lakers’ 2020 bubble title years from now, or will it eventually get the respect it deserves?

Quinn Cook:  Well, it’s fresh. People can remember where they were and everything but, I’m a basketball historian and I was 6-years old when that Spurs team beat the Knicks in ‘99 and we never bring up that first Tim Duncan championship, you know? Tim has his championships. David [Robinson], Avery Johnson, Pop…. they beat the Pistons, they beat the Heat; they beat this team but, the Knicks? Hey I’m 32 and I’ve never heard that in my lifetime. So you know what down the line, people will appreciate it. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Was there anyone outside of the Lakers you bonded with during your time in the NBA Bubble?

Quinn Cook:  Wow. For me, Bam Adebayo. I hung out with Bam a lot. I grew up a big BIG fan of Lou Will. So to really… and at that time the Lakers and Clippers we had our little rivalry and when we were around in the city, it was still kind of that rivalry but I got to talk to him every morning, every day and ask him some stuff — and I’m like a fan. So when I see players that I grew up idolizing, I don’t care what team I’m playing with. So, Lou Will is somebody I got close to in the bubble. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Were you around when LeBron spoke with Kobe after breaking his scoring record — and what do you remember from that moment?

Quinn Cook:  Well, he talked to him briefly in the locker room. So, guys could hear him. I don’t know about their conversation after but, it’s something that you’re a fly on the wall and I’ll never forget myself, LeBron, AD and Jared Dudley. Us four, we did everything and LeBron had a bus. So we played that night; we had an early bus obviously flying from Philly to L.A. and me and LeBron were always the first two on the bus — us two and Dudley because AD was always the last one. We always made fun of him. So me and Bron get on the bus early and I don’t know if Bron has ever told this story, but Bron was talking to Kobe that morning. And I heard Kobe’s voice talking and when they were talking the night before, there were cameras around so they couldn’t get as personal as they wanted; people could’ve been live so they were on the phone for maybe 3-4 minutes that morning coming back from Philly. And I heard Kobe’s voice and they were talking and Kobe was just so happy for him and then obviously, we went to the plane; we all passed out on the plane and then you know… we were woken up to the news. So it had to be 4am L.A. time; I don’t know what time the helicopter left, but they talked that morning.  

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Can you take us back to the moment you and the team found out about Kobe and Gigi’s passing?

Quinn Cook:  So me and Dudley sat next to each other on the plane.I was asleep. Dud was asleep and I remember Frank Vogel going around person to person waking them up, “QC, Kobe and Gigi passed in a tragic accident…” and he was going from player to player and I looked at ‘Bron and ‘Bron had his face — because where ‘Bron sat where the table was where we would play cards and eat; he had his hands and he had his face and arms on the table; and I looked at Dwight [Howard] and he was just… ballin’ his eyes out. So obviously, you try to put your Wi-Fi on like, What’s going on and you see the reports but, it was a crazy CRAZY moment. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What was life like for you in Los Angeles after Kobe’s passing? 

Quinn Cook:  It was rough because as for me as a lifelong Kobe fanatic, a lifelong Laker fanatic… at the time it was still the Staples. When I see Staples I see Kobe. When I see certain things around L.A., I see Kobe. There was a picture of David Stern and Kobe — I think it was a billboard and David Stern had passed a little bit before and there was a picture of David Stern and a young Kobe at his Draft. I took a picture of it when I saw it on a random night and it’s just like when you drive around, Kobe was always represented. So, it was tough for me. 

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: “What was life like for you in L.A. after Kobe’s passing, especially as a lifelong fan?”

Quinn Cook:  What I’m working on? Life. I mean, I’m playing overseas now so it’s a definite transition but I’m still playing at a high level. I’m in some more businesses now and I got a restaurant coming out and I have a book coming out, I got another movie coming out so I’m just trying to have my hands in a lot of stuff. 

Talking to Quinn Cook is like listening to a player who never took the moment for granted. Whether he was riding the bench or stepping into a playoff spotlight, he’s always played with heart — and now speaks with the same depth. His take on Kevin Durant’s move to Houston isn’t just analysis — it’s perspective grounded in years of shared history, insight, and mutual respect.

His honesty about Kyrie Irving’s injury and the “what if” of a potential KD-Kyrie reunion in Dallas shows just how small the margins in the NBA really are. Sometimes, the history of a franchise — or an entire season — hinges on a single moment. For Cook, those moments are never just speculation; they’re part of the deeper story he’s lived and witnessed.

His reflections on the Bubble are perhaps the most personal. Whether it’s defending the 2020 Lakers title or talking about the friendships that were born in isolation, Quinn reminds us that the game is about more than rings — it’s about relationships. His recounting of the moment LeBron passed Kobe, and the tragic days that followed, puts into perspective how intertwined triumph and pain can be in this sport.

In a basketball world often obsessed with headlines and hot takes, Quinn Cook brings you the heart. From honoring Michael Beasley’s misunderstood genius to repping the DMV with pride, he moves through the conversation with loyalty, clarity, and purpose. He knows where he’s from, what he stands for, and what’s next — both for himself and the game.

As he continues to evolve into roles beyond just being a player, one thing’s certain: Quinn Cook is a voice worth listening to. His story is far from over, and like the greats he respects — he’s still building his legacy, one moment at a time.