Paul George and Matt Barnes talked about their memories of Kobe Bryant and related tales of the late Los Angeles Lakers’ generosity in the most recent edition of Podcast P. The Los Angeles Clippers player disclosed during the chat what happened the night he, John Wall, and Demarcus Cousins went out to a club.

Kobe Bryant statue unveiled recently
All three players were in their rookie contracts, and unlike Wall and Cousins, George was anxious to spend money because he didn’t know if he would become a big-time player in the NBA and earn a huge contract extension. The narrative went on:

“So [John Wall and Demarcus Cousins] are like let’s get an Ace bottle. I’m like alright, I’m not gonna be the one to not do it… Next thing you know, it’s the bottle girls coming out and it’s the jumbo junk, three of them. I’m like, ‘F**k’… I’m nervous as hell as these bottles are coming out. Next thing you know, we’re standing on the sofa and I get a tug from behind and it’s Kob [Kobe Bryant]. ‘Hey, man. Y’all enjoy the night.’ And he walks out… The girl comes like, ‘Yeah. Kob took care of it. He paid for these bottles.’”

George claimed that Bryant’s gesture eased his anxiety, allowing him to enjoy the evening without concern for the bill, which he estimated to be in the range of $30,000 to $40,000. Even though Bryant was a fierce competitor on the court and wouldn’t hesitate to go after a young player during a game, he also made an effort to mentor and assist them off the court. It’s just one of the numerous things that have grown in importance over time, contributing to his basketball legacy.