Kobe Bryant says he would have ‘smacked’ Rutgers coach Mike Rice

Kobe Bryant did not hesitate when asked how he would have reacted if a coach like Rutgers’ Mike Rice was being abusive and throwing basketballs at him during practice.

“I would have smacked the hell out of him, no question about it,� Bryant said in an interview for Jim Rome on Showtime, which airs Wednesday night at 9 Eastern and Pacific times.

“It probably wouldn’t have been the best way to react to it,� Bryant added, “but that’s probably how I would have reacted.�

Rome mentioned that when the video of Rice pushing and shoving his players surfaced last week, eventually leading to his firing, the All-Star guard tweeted, “That’s not coaching, that’s a power trip.�

Rome reminded Bryant that Rice was berating and intimidating players as young as 18. Would Bryant have “smacked� him when he was 18?

Bryant then reminded Rome that at that age he was in the NBA “going at it with Shaq.�

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