Kobe Bryant was already making NBA defenders look foolish with two hands. But during a preseason stretch in 1999, he didn’t need both. That’s according to a now-viral story shared by Tyronn Lue, who told the tale of losing full-court 1-on-1 games to Bryant—while The Black Mamba was still recovering from a broken hand.

The story, shared during Lue’s appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast with Denver Broncos Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe , offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a classic Los Angeles Lakers practice story from the early 2000s. According to Lue, while the team traveled for road games, Bryant remained in L.A. recovering from injury—but still competed with full intensity.

“I could never beat him. I was a great 1-on-1 player. … Two years later, he became Ko

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