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Byron Scott paid tribute to Kobe Bryant in a recent episode of “Byron Scott’s Fast Break” podcast. The episode on August 23rd coincided with what would be the late basketball superstar’s 48th birthday. Scott and his panel, which included Trevor Ariza and Danny Green, told little-known stories about Kobe and drew lessons from them.
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Scott, of course, knew the Black Mamba the longest. He served as young Kobe’s veteran mentor in 1996 and coached the Purple and Gold for two seasons, from 2014 to 2016.
B-Scott’s connection with Kobe gave him plenty of stories. He had Bryant’s personal number, so that gave him a unique perspective on the human side of the Los Angeles Lakers legend that most fans never knew.
B-Scott ate at Kobe’s favorite spot in Boston
One of Scott’s anecdotes about Bryant wasn’t limited to the basketball court. It started with having dinner with his friend and business partner, Charlie Norris, who was from Boston. “Lord Byron” knew the ‘Black Mamba’ for years at that point, but the 18-time All-Star still never failed to surprise him.
”Charlie said, ‘I want to take you to this restaurant It’s called Dolce Viste.’ We go to the restaurant, we walk in, and it’s packed,” Scott
“So, they put us in this table in the back. The guys comes up, starts bringing in wine and food, and he says, ‘Do you know this is Kobe Bryant’s favorite restaurant?’… and you’re sitting in the seat that Kobe Bryant sits in when he comes to my restaurant. Had no clue I was.”
Scott then texted Bryant and told him he was at Dolce Viste. Five minutes later, Kobe replied and confirmed that indeed, the ristorante was his favorite Italian spot.
“Kobe says, ‘Tell Franco I said hello and tell him to get you the limoncello when you’re done with dinner,'” Scott continued.
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Byron did as he was told. And to his surprise, the restaurant owner, Francesco “Franco” Graceffa, had more for him than Scott bargained for.
“He said, ‘You know Kobe Bryant?’ Yeah, I know Kobe Bryant… I’m his coach. So he gives me a kiss on both cheeks, pours me some more wine, tells other waiters to come over here with some more food,” Scott added.
According to the “Showtime” Lakers mainstay, the next time he went there with his assistant coaches, Kobe was sitting in the exact same spot where he had been eating before. Bryant came with his entire family, including his little girls.
Kobe was well-loved in Boston
Back in the 2006-07 season, the Mamba even earned MVP chants on Boston’s home floor. Bryant dropped 43 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in a 111-98 win. Kobe was in the middle of a mini scoring streak of at least 30 points in four consecutive games.
The most surprising thing that Byron learned during that time was how Kobe could move around Beantown without the usual superstar circus following him. Despite being the city’s biggest basketball rivals, Kobe had clearly earned the respect of the people there.
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This story was originally published August 26, 2026 at 1:36 PM.