Kobe Bryant and Tony Allen have had some memorable battles on the court over the course of their careers, most notably when Allen and the Boston Celtics faced (and ultimately were defeated by) Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals.
These physical matchups have never bred contempt between the two players, and Bryant has often publicly shown respect for Allen's hard work. "He's fundamentally sound defensively and he plays harder than everybody else defensively," Bryant said to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News earlier this season.