Kobe chronicles: Tony Allen remembers nightmare rookie game against Bryant

As Kobe Bryant plays out his 20th and final season with the Lakers, The Times has reached out to players, coaches and broadcasters for recollections about his career.

Tony Allen’s performance wasn’t nearly as awful as he remembers, but the veteran forward, now with the Memphis Grizzlies, says it was one he’d rather forget.

It was his rookie season in 2004 and Allen, then with the Boston Celtics, was in Los Angeles to play the Lakers at Staples Center.

“I had to come in the game and stick to Kobe Bryant and I fouled out,” Allen said, shaking his head and smiling. “I had six fouls in six minutes and he had like 45 points.”

It wasn’t that bad. Bryant scored only 21 in a 104-95 victory.

For his part, Allen started and played eight minutes, according to basketball-reference.com, before he fouled out with 2:39 remaining in the game.

“That was a moment I will never forget and ever since then I knew to strap my shoes on every time I faced him and that’s a moment that lives with me to this day,” Allen said. “I wish I could get that moment back.

“I just remember him hitting a three and one jump shot and looking at me like, “Go sit down.’”

Allen faced Bryant recently in a 128-119 Grizzlies victory in Memphis.

Bryant scored 13 points and said after the game that Allen was the best defender ever.

“He was the only one that really took the challenge of playing straight up. He wasn’t looking for help, he wasn’t looking for support,” Bryant said.

Allen said, as teammates yelled “Kobe stopper” in the locker room, that he was initially surprised to hear about Bryant’s comments.

“But once I heard it, I couldn’t do nothing but smile, like I’m doing now,” Allen said.

“He’s going to be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play this game, especially in my eyes and I would say it’s flattering.”

Twitter: @LindseyThiry