Tony Allen got the ultimate sign of respect from Kobe Bryant in the personalized message the Lakers star wrote on a pair of autographed shoes he gave to the Memphis Grizzlies guard.
In a pair of shoes Kobe signed for Allen Friday with the Lakers taking on the Grizzlies, Kobe called Allen “the best defender I ever faced.”
Salute @kobebryant #Respect pic.twitter.com/vq60gu8XHb
— Tony Allen (@aa000G9) February 27, 2016
If that’s not the ultimate souvenir, I don’t know what is.
Allen has long prided himself on his defense (as this video attests).
The message from Kobe also should not come as a surprise to NBA fans. Back in December, Bryant said in an interview with TNT that Allen was the closest to a Kobe-stopper as there was in the NBA. Kobe is going to be a Hall of Famer and he is regarded as one of the best players ever. If he considers Allen the best defender he ever faced, then that makes Allen one of the best defenders ever. That’s a pretty cool honor to hold.
