Jeremy Lin Once Texted Kobe Bryant About His Attitude -- And Got Five Months Of Silence

Last Updated:March 05, 2026, 18:05 IST

Lin opened up about a tense episode with Kobe during the 2014-15 season, when he criticized Bryant's leadership style -- an act that apparently lead to five months of silence.

Few athletes in modern sports have a public image arc quite like Kobe Bryant.

Today, the late Los Angeles Lakers legend is remembered as a basketball icon, a mentor and a proud “girl dad" admired by millions. But during his playing days, Bryant’s ultra-intense personality often rubbed teammates the wrong way.

Just ask Jeremy Lin.

Speaking on the Above the Rim podcast hosted by Dwight Howard, Lin recalled a bizarre episode from his lone season with Bryant in 2014-15 — one that ended with five months of complete silence between the two.

The text that started it all

The drama began during a late-game situation. According to Lin, Bryant wanted him to foul an opponent, while head coach Byron Scott was yelling the opposite instruction from the bench.

Caught between two voices, Lin hesitated.

Bryant’s reaction, particularly his body language, didn’t sit well with the point guard.

So Lin did something few teammates ever dared: he texted Kobe about it.

“I texted him like, ‘Hey man, I really don’t appreciate the body language,’" Lin said. Bryant fired back sharply, and Lin responded in kind.

Lin insisted he wasn’t challenging Bryant’s greatness.

“I’m not saying you can’t teach me. You’re obviously a hundred times the player I am," he explained. “I want to learn anything and everything I can from you."

Then came the silence

The exchange initially seemed to end on a positive note. Bryant even sent over some advice.

Then things got weird.

“We didn’t speak for the next five months," Lin revealed.

According to Lin, Bryant later admitted he simply wasn’t used to teammates pushing back.

The tension eventually eased, but it was hardly the Lakers’ biggest problem that season. The team finished 21-61, Bryant tore his rotator cuff midway through the year, and the franchise stumbled into one of its bleakest stretches.

Lin, meanwhile, would later win a title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 — adding another unlikely chapter to the player best remembered for Linsanity.

News sports nba Jeremy Lin Once Texted Kobe Bryant About His Attitude -- And Got Five Months Of Silence

Read More