Judge to Kobe: "Go Lakers!"

Kobe Bryant has just been excused from jury duty -- but the way it all went down is priceless.

When the Orange County judge questioned Kobe -- a candidate for jury service on a vandalism case -- TMZ was inside the courtroom and heard the following exchange take place:

Judge: "What do you do for a living?"
Kobe: "I play professional basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers"
Judge: "Go Lakers!"

Yes, that conversation actually happened. But there's more. When the judge asked Kobe why he thought he would be a "good juror," Kobe replied, "I'm a good listener."

Kobe was also asked about his relationship with the cops, to which Bryant replied, "My team of security guards are comprised mostly of police officers."

Though Kobe was among one of the last people to get excused, he was still in good spirits on his way out -- even signing an autograph on a shoe for a fan.