Kobe Bryant’s selfless gift-giving tour is soldiering on.
The soon-to-be-retired Bryant has been doling out goodies all season, whether it’s signed pairs of game-worn signature shoes or other players’ jerseys he’s adorning with his autograph. Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies is the latest beneficiary of Bryant’s end-of-career generosity. Kobe gave him an autographed pair of shoes (h/t ESPN.com) and included a special message:
Salute ? @kobebryant #Respect ? pic.twitter.com/vq60gu8XHb
— Tony Allen (@aa000G9) February 27, 2016
“To Tony,” Kobe wrote, “the best defender I ever faced!”
Somewhere, Raja Bell is punching a wall and considering an impromptu comeback just to prove Kobe wrong.
In all seriousness, though, Kobe has talked about how difficult it is to play against Tony Allen before. And rightly so. He has always been an offensive liability, but the Grizzlies keep him on the floor because of his defensive tenacity.
There have been instances over the years when he, all of 6’4″, is tasked with defending the 6’10”-but-really-closer-to-7’0″ Kevin Durant. That says all you need to know about his ability to work and fight around screens and deny his assignments the ball.
Tony Allen is one of the peskiest perimeter defenders of this generation, and if not for him, Kobe probably would have scored a lot more points over the years.
