By religiously watching footage of his play. Of course, Kobe had done the same with Jordan and countless other players, especially other superstars. He wanted to be ready long before he faced these players in a real game. In other words, Kobe understood the importance of meticulous preparation. His attention to detail and understanding of the game of basketball became so well-known around the league that ESPN asked him to analyze film and dissect plays for the Detail series.
Kobe admitted many times throughout his career that his idol was Michael Jordan. Everything MJ did, he wanted to do better. Michael Jordan saw Kobe as a little brother and became his mentor even when they were still competing. In time, Kobe became a global role model and inspirational mentor to countless NBA players that came after him. No other player has played longer for one team without interruptions. Why did he stay that long with one team? Because he believed deeply in team loyalty.
Kobe respected his LA fans tremendously and saw the Lakers franchise as his home, one he constantly sought to improve. Only a year earlier, Kevin Garnett had reopened the dormant floodgates. One could make a case for Garnett. His grades had been scrutinized. He was conscious that people would make money off his name had he gone to college, and he already stood damn near 7 feet tall.
He could've gone to the school of his choosing. He didn't make any college visits, even though his father was an assistant coach at La Salle at the time. He just wanted to prove that he could beat everyone's ass on the court, even at a precocious age. I don't think Kobe really listened to the Kevin Garnetts of the world or was necessarily watching stuff like that.
He has such an unwavering confidence that I believe he would've done it regardless of what Garnett did. Teams knew he would be special, even if they couldn't take a chance on waiting for him to be great. Phoenix drafted two slots behind the Hornets that year and landed Steve Nash. You were just going to have to wait for him to grow up. I mean, he just didn't want to stop competing, and in an hour workout, it was something to see.
When he was done, he wanted to keep going. I knew it would take time for Kobe to make a mark. The Lakers already had a capable 2-guard in Eddie Jones. Most of the excitement around the franchise that summer swelled around the Lakers' trade for Shaquille O'Neal from Orlando.
It felt like another era of Lakers dominance was upon us. Kobe didn't want to wait for his time. Still, he worked hard and never doubted. Bryant started earning those minutes as the season progressed. Of course, he was only 18 and On the airplane, he never had any particular fun—no cards, no video games.
He was always looking at basketball things on his computer. In those days, we did not have the DVDs of games to take with us right after the game, no iPads, etc. But he had plenty of DVDs from our earlier games, or of the next team or of Jordan. He was a total student of the game. The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz his rookie season, and with Byron Scott injured, he found himself in a leading role in Game 5.
We watched Kobe fail. He missed a shot that would have won the game near the end of regulation, and the Lakers' season ended in an overtime loss with one Bryant air ball after another. Either way, he will gain from it. He got the ball at the right elbow area and rattled the jumper in and out from 17 feet.
Bryant desperately tried to still claim the game as his own, heaving air ball after air ball. It wasn't the misses that struck those around him, but his unwavering willingness to not be afraid of the moment. Kobe Bryant was not my favorite player. Probably wasn't yours, either. Still, everyone knows he was one of the greatest. Kobe created tremendous amounts of success for his team and also earned numerous personal records and awards.
He built his career on the foundation of perseverance, grit, and skill. Which are all traits entrepreneurs should work to develop. Still, as one of the greatest of all time, the way he approached the game has never been equaled.
Last night, his two jersey numbers, No. Most of the time, an athlete's accomplishments stay on the court. Yet, Kobe's legacy reaches far beyond the hardwood.
Additionally, he stayed a Laker for his entire career. Not many athletes play for only one team, let alone for 20 years. Hopefully, this loud and proud stance men took loving on their daughters will promote a greater sense of gender equality. The situation happened in Colorado, just two years after marrying his wife Vanessa Bryant, when a year-old hotel front desk clerk claimed Kobe raped her on a hotel tour.
The case was eventually dropped when the accuser decided not to testify and the civil lawsuit against him was settled out of the court of law, but the jury is still out in the court of public opinion. Then year-old Kobe, who had a squeaky clean record up to that point, had his reputation and freedom in the balance.
Yet when he was asked by a reporter if he was concerned about his image , he found the courage and tact to remain optimistic.
I just stayed steady, I stayed professional. This case, which impacted Kobe on and off the court , allowed for a certain rebirth. The nickname, inspired by cult classic film Kill Bill , helped Kobe to separate the man from the athlete in order to keep his head in the game on the court. It also helped him block out the internal conflict he was feeling and the nasty things sports fans would chant at him while playing.
Kobe was so focused on being the greatest that he played through several career-threatening injuries like back spasms, a torn ligament in his shooting hand, a torn achilles tendon, and an ankle sprain in the NBA Finals. Another thing that made Kobe so special to so many was how worldly and cultured he was.
He spoke fluent Spanish, Italian and Chinese in addition to English with confidence and finesse.
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