Smush Parker Defends Himself Against Kobe Bryant, Says He’s Not the Worst

Yesterday I did some research into Kobe Bryant's comments that his former teammate Smush Parker was actually 'the worst' as Kobe claimed to reporters. You could make the argument that Parker isn't actually the worst, but you could also see where Kobe was coming from. Kobe said he was needling his new teammate Steve Nash about the MVP award Nash won in Phoenix in the 2005-06 season and told him, 'you won the MVP, but I was playing with Smush Parker!'

Kobe also said Parker should have never been in the NBA. Well TMZ tracked Parker down for a reaction and he called Kobe 'a diva' and 'overrated.' That's not even close to the best part. 

Parker said he was told to not even speak to Bryant...by Bryant.

Kobe "told me out of his own mouth that I couldn't talk to him. That my accolades under my belt weren't deserving enough for me to talk to him." He also says Kobe didn't talk to most of his teammates.

Kobe aloof? Why have we not been made aware of this ever before? I kind of feel bad for Smush. Dude is playing China the last couple of years, living his life in near anonymity, then suddenly all this comes out and he has to defend himself from being labeled 'the worst' by one of the best. Gotta be rough.

In a separate interview, Parker talked about Kobe saying that he didn't deserve to be in the NBA.

I had a workout with the Lakers, beat all the guards out for the starting position, earned a spot on the team. Midway through the first season, I tried to at least have a conversation with Kobe Bryant — he is my teammate, he is a co-worker of mine, I see his face every day I go in to work — and I tried to talk with him about football. He tells me I can't talk to him. He tells me I need more accolades under my belt before I come talk to him. He was dead serious.

This is actually pretty funny the more I think about it.