Russell Westbrook earned Kobe Bryant's respect during UCLA days
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 16, 2026, 1:34 PM
Last updated Aug 16, 2026
Russell Westbrook, a UCLA men's basketball alumnus, recently retired from the NBA after 18 seasons. Darren Collison recalled that Westbrook earned Kobe Bryant's respect while guarding him during pickup games at UCLA. Despite his college status, Westbrook posed a challenge to Bryant during the matches, highlighting his early defensive skills. This incident was noted as a pivotal moment in establishing Westbrook's competitive nature among NBA players visiting UCLA for offseason workouts.
- •Russell Westbrook retired from the NBA on August 16, 2026.
- •Darren Collison shared a story about Westbrook's early competitiveness.
- •Westbrook impressed Kobe Bryant during pickup games at UCLA.
- •Bryant had continuous competitive interactions with college players at UCLA.
- •Westbrook's defensive skills were evident even in college.
- 1:34 PMYahoo Sports — How Russell Westbrook earned Kobe Bryant's respect while at UCLA
""Russ kind of made it a little bit more difficult and Russ was still in college...We know how great of a scorer he was, but he gained Kobe's respect."
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