Earlier this morning, ESPN released a memorial video for the two-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s tragic passing. The video features Stephen A. Smith discussing the legacy of Bryant and his iconic work ethic.

In the video, Smith provides a bunch of examples on what Kobe Bryant did NOT do during his time in the NBA in regards to holding out, load management, and of course quitting on your team.

The video then cuts to a photo of Ben Simmons’ jersey hanging in an empty locker. A direct shot at Simmons’ refusal to play for the 76ers this season. ESPN also throws shots at Kawhi Leonard, who is recovering from a torn ACL.

Clip from ESPN’s Kobe Bryant Memorial Video

Look, I get it. Kobe Bryant is an absolute legend and never got involved with the other bullshit that players currently go through in terms of playing or not playing and load management. However, I think that could have been translated in the video without linking Leonard or Ben Simmons.

In fact, I think it’s almost insulting featuring Ben Simmons in ANY type of video about Kobe Bryant. Simmons quitting on his team would be better off clipped into high school sports videos to show kids that if you walk around like a self-entitled asshole who is handed everything they want in life, and is never told “no”, this is the type of person you will become.

The stray bullet was unnecessary, but the point was clear:

Kobe Bryant, much like almost everyone in the NBA, would never do the things that Ben Simmons has done over the past nine months. That’s something we can all agree on.

Mandatory Credit: Getty Images