Kobe Bryant is continuing to explain himself after calling out a 7th grade girl on Instagram for missing a youth basketball game for a dance recital ... saying he did the same thing when he was a kid.
... and there's video proof!
Here's a 12-year-old Kobe -- in the green hat -- dancing his face off to "Ice Ice Baby:" Nice moves.
Kobe included the caption, "When I was 12, I skipped basketball for two weeks so I could dance in a school show. I’m all about diversifying while young, then locking in on your passion.