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Kenny Smith recalls the night Bryant sent 22 angry messages to Barkley: "Just cussing him out"
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- Kenny Smith recalls the night Bryant sent 22 angry messages to Barkley: "Just cussing him out"
Being an analyst in the NBA is often a thankless job. Even though they try their best to be as objective as possible and call things how they see it, there are times when players feel like they are overly criticized and that they have a target on their back. And sometimes, those same players fire back. And one of the most famous rifts on the player-analyst relation was between the late Kobe Bryant and Charles Barkley .
The whole thing was witnessed by another player-turned-analyst, Kenny Smith , who to this day remembers the anger Bryant unleashed on Barkley.
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" Chuck has probably got a couple of more than I have, I've only gotten one," Smith began in an interview on BigBoy TV.
Kobe protested Chuck's criticism
To give a little bit of context, that was the clash from the Los Angeles Lakers playoff game against the Phoenix Suns in 2006. After there were a lot of critics saying that the Purple and Gold superstar was shooting too much, Bryant responded in his signature fashion, by not taking a single shot in the second half. He took two three-pointers early in the third quarters and missed, and that was basically it.
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It was a do-or-die Game 7, in which the visiting Lakers eventually got blown out of the water by the Suns, 121-90. Even though Kobe still finished with 24 points, he made a clear point with his unwillingness to score. And later that night, he unleashed on Chuck.
"Chuck has a story about Kobe, Kobe called him… And I was there that night. Kobe called his phone like 22 or texted him 22 times in a row. It was a game that Kobe played in, and at the time they were saying he was shooting too much in the playoffs…" the retired sharpshooter explained further.
It was classic Kobe, because if he felt misunderstood or slighted in any way, shape or form, he was going to let you know it. And that night, Barkley was on the receiving end.
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"He was just texting Charles, just cussing him out, so Charles tried to call him, but he didn't answer the phone, but he kept texting…" Smith added.
Bryant made Barkley pay, literally...
Kenny was also there to see the aftermath of the whole story. Even though Kobe raised hell on Chuck for criticizing him at the time, when the two eventually met face to face, the Black Mamba did admit that it was foolish of him, and that the Hall of Famer turned analyst was right to point it out.
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Time passed, emotions cooled down, and respect remained. They caught up and, in both of their signature styles, even placed a bet on the following game regarding Kobe's point total, as a way to bury the hatchet. According to Smith, Mamba prevailed.
If you questioned him, he would respond. Sometimes with 40 points. Sometimes with silence. Sometimes with 22 messages in a row. But it was typical of Bryant to try to prove his point in any way necessary. That time, however, it came at a cost, and even he later admitted it.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
