“Kobe was a sicko when it came to winning” – Matt Barnes describes Kobe Bryant's competitive fire to be the greatest ever, says it was ‘ugly’ for his teammates to lose around him

Kobe Bryant was widely known to be one of the fiercest competitors in the history of the NBA. Never one to back down from a challenge, Bryant time and time again proved to opponents that he was a player to be feared on the court. Whether it was trash-talking other players, isolating them for one-on-one scoring opportunities, or playing mind games, opponents knew that Bryant would give them a hard time.

One of the most iconic moments throughout the course of Bryant's career took place when the NBA legend was playing against Matt Barnes. As Kobe Bryant guarded Matt Barnes, who was inbounding the ball, Barnes attempted to fake Bryant out by pretending to throw the ball at his face. Although many would have flinched, Bryant didn't even blink.

Whether they realized it at the time or not, the pair would forever be linked together via the highlight clip. The moment has remained one of the most iconic in the history of the NBA. During a recent podcast appearance alongside DJ Vlad, the NBA veteran recalled how Kobe was a "sicko" when it came to winning. Check out his comments beginning around the 2:45 mark.

"His work ethic and his goal to be the greatest ever was- I never got the chance to play MJ so to me Kobe was him, but to get a chance to know him and play against him and work out with him and see the time and effort and preparation he puts into it it's just like, damn I don't got that kind of dedication but you're a bad m*****f***er bro."

Over the course of his fourteen seasons in the league, Barnes and Bryant matched up several times. Given the competitive nature of the two men, the fact that they became friends after their careers were over is impressive.

Kobe Bryant - The Ultimate Competitor

Olympics Day 4 - Basketball

As Barnes went on to explain, Kobe Bryant's competitive drive was ugly to see firsthand. During his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, stories continued to emerge about Bryant ripping into teammates who didn't take losses seriously enough. Teammates have attested to the fact that Bryant would often be headed to workout while everyone else was returning from a night out.

As someone who truly lived out the 'first man into the gym, last man out of the gym' mantra, it's no surprise that Kobe took few things more seriously than winning. In one famous interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Bryant was shown a clip of Lakers players celebrating the end of an 8-game winning streak. Had he been in the locker room, the team wouldn't have been celebrating the end of a losing streak.

A visibly disgusted Kobe Bryant held back laughter while trying to find words to describe the video. To date, it remains one of the most iconic clips of Bryant, encompassing his mentality as the ultimate competitor.

As an NBA fan, I think I speak for everyone when I say that the more stories emerge about Bryant that continue to keep his legacy alive, the better.