Kobe Bryant would often recruit teammates who had already proven they wouldn’t back down from him. Memphis Grizzlies legend Tony Allen was one of them. Black Mamba gave him a special token of appreciation during his farewell, but before that made efforts to sign the Grindfather. It did not materialize, as Allen had a peculiar reason.

After losing to the Lakers in the 2010 Finals, Allen was looking for a new team. He felt overshadowed in Boston by teammates Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen. The Grizzlies came calling, and so did the Lakers. Kobe Bryant even sent a personal message to help in recruitment, but it failed.

“So it was more like it was like a phone call, bro. Kobe just texted my phone out of the blue,” said Allen on the “All The Smoke” podcast. “And that s— was only like a two-year deal they was throwing. So I’m like, nah, I’m going lock the years in, get the years of service. But at the time, bro, I was like, that ain’t that ain’t how you come at me, though. And I want to, I want to, I want to really make a name for myself though.

“I want to really show that professional s— that I picked up from Ticket (Kevin Garnett) just preparation and being ready. That Ray Allen s— where I be here 4 hours before the game. I’m here two hours for regular practice. That Paul Pierce confidence. I picked that s— up. I soaked it up like a sponge. And I just felt when I got to the Grizzlies, we had all the ingredients.”

The Grizzlies offered him a three-year $9.45 million guaranteed deal, compared to the Lakers’ two-year deal. Tony Allen did not divulge the contract amount, but the Memphis contract would have made him a 9-year veteran, and reaching 10 years of service unlocks the absolute maximum tier of post-retirement financial and medical benefits offered by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). His second reason for not signing with the Lakers was similar to his leaving the Celtics.

Allen wanted to move away from where the spotlight was shared by others and wanted to create his own path and legacy. With the Memphis Grizzlies in 2010, he became the foundational heartbeat of the iconic “Grit and Grind” era. Kobe Bryant already envisioned that Allen had the tools; that’s why he was ready with the recruitment message. Even though the recruitment failed, the mutual respect between the two players only grew throughout their remaining years in the league.

Kobe Bryant honored Tony Allen after their battles

Allen was one of the few perimeter defenders Kobe Bryant himself singled out as giving him the most trouble, often locking him down with physical, one-on-one pressure during matchups. He even called him the ultimate defender. “He never funneled me anywhere. His job was to stay in front of me and just hound me the entire game.”

Bryant publicly maintained that Allen was the toughest individual defender he ever faced. He respected that Allen never requested double-teams or safety help. During Kobe Bryant’s 2016 retirement tour, he gifted Allen a signed pair of his signature Nike Kobe 11 shoes. He hand-wrote the inscription: “To Tony, the best defender I ever faced!”

Allen was emotional after receiving such a gift from the Black Mamba. “I had to keep my composure… I damn near teared up… It meant everything,” he said. “I would wake up in the morning thinking about guarding Kobe… I dreamed about guarding Kobe… And this was him showing respect. I couldn’t believe it.”

While over the years, Kobe Bryant maintained his tough exterior, he would often praise his opponents time after time. Some of them even became his teammates, like Matt Barnes and Metta World Peace. Tony Allen did not choose that path, and yet left a lasting impression on Mamba and on the fans.