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Clarkson says Kobe told him to stop driving to the basket 'like a light-skinned dude'

Well that's certainly one explanation for dunking on Alex Len.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Clarkson had one of his most well-rounded games of the 2015-16 season in the Los Angeles Lakers' 97-77 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Clarkson scored 12 points on 5-11 shooting, and augmented his scoring with 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in a do-everything performance more reminiscent of his high usage rookie season than the scoring-focused performances he has had this year.

Clarkson's faltering outside shot (he has made just 22.2% of his three-pointers in his last five games after a sweltering start to the season from range) led to him placing an emphasis on getting to the basket against a somewhat disinterested Phoenix defense. The sophomore guard took 8 of his 11 attempts right at the rim, making 5 of them.

Clarkson was asked about his most effective drive of the night, a posterization of Alex Len, and he credited it to Kobe Bryant teasing him for "going to the hole like a light skinned dude," which is vastly more hilarious than if he had just chalked it up to something schematically the Lakers' were doing differently:

Not bad veteran advice from Bryant, who was probably pleased to get some credit for Clarkson dunking so hard on Alex Len that Nick Young required resuscitation on the bench:

Apparently a major key to "the Kobe System" is just remembering to dunk on people really hard. Seems like a solid tenet of any philosophy.

All stats per NBA.com

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