Kobe Bryant 's appearance on the All The Smoke podcast in 2020 was one of his last in the media world. During that interview, Kobe got to reconnect with Stephen Jackson , who came from the same class as him.
Bryant and Jackson were also teammates during the 1996 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, which was held at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena on March 31, 1996. During the conversation, Jackson couldn't help but mention the game to the Lakers superstar.
"I shoulda won MVP," Stak told the Black Mamba. "You won the MVP, didn't you?" asked Bryant. "I'm glad you said that Kob…That's all I wanted to hear."
Stak was the co-leading scorer of that game
Jackson starred for Oak Hill Academy, while Bryant was a Lower Merion High phenom. They played together on the East team, along with fellow future NBA players Jermaine O'Neal, Rip Hamilton, and Tim Thomas.
Kobe had a strong showing in the game with 13 points and three assists. But it was Jackson and Winfred Walton from the West team that led the game in scoring with 21 points apiece. However, when it was time to name the star of the stars, the MVP award went to another player.
"So Shaheen Holloway, he had like ten turnovers too, bro. But you know what got him MVP? Remember the bounce pass to Lester Earl. He dunked on Vass. I think that was the big play. But I led the game in scoring actually. I was 8-10 from the field, 3-3 from the three-point line. But our team - Me, you, Rip, Jermaine O'Neal, and Sheen Holloway…Crazy starting five," he said.
Related: Phil Jackson on race differences he saw in players' approach to the game: "White players are more often willing to work collectively"
Mike Bibby raved about the talent on both teams.
But the East team wasn't the only one laden with talent. The West team they played against also had its fair share of future NBA talents. The roster boasted Mike Bibby , Mateen Cleaves, Corey Benjamin, Loren Woods, and Jason Collier, and according to Bibby, both sides were so talented that the teams were unfair .
"They had about ten pros, you know what I mean," said Bibby. "They started Heen Holloway, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal, Tim Thomas, and Steve (Jackson)," added Bibby. "That was their starting five. They tipped it back through their head and threw a lob. Man, This was over with. That's how the game started. They beat us by a good 15."
Ten of the 22 players who played in that game ended up playing in the NBA. Eight of them were first-round picks, including Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal, who went straight to the NBA from high school. Stak was the 42nd player drafted in 1997, and he went on to win a championship in 2003 with the Spurs. Meanwhile, Holloway never made it to the NBA.
Related: Mike Bibby shares a crazy Brad Miller story: "He had two dead ducks nailed to my locker"
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