Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant: 'I had the most trouble with ... Tony Allen'

Published Dec. 4, 2015 2:35 p.m. ET

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Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is on his farewell tour, which means he's wrapping up a whole bunch of story lines as he readies for retirement.

So, during a sitdown with Turner's Ernie Johnson which aired during TNT's national broadcast of the Heat-Thunder game Thursday evening, Bryant answered who he thought was the best defender he ever played against. Grizzlies fans probably appreciate the answer:

“Well, the player I had the most trouble with, individually, was always Tony Allen. Always.”

Allen has made four All-Defense teams in his career, making it into the first team three times (2012, 2013 and 2015). Bryant didn't just give T.A. dap, though. He also dropped some other names:

“Bruce Bowen was a great defender. Bruce is a great defensive player. Raja Bell was a great defensive player.”

“Ruben Patterson did a great job. But Tony Allen played one-on-one defense. He never funneled me anywhere. His job was to stay in front of me and just hound me the entire game.”

You can watch the full video here:

Who came the closest to being the 'Kobe Stopper'? — Full interview airs tonight on Inside the NBA
Posted by Bleacher Report on Thursday, December 3, 2015

(h/t Lakers Nation)