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Kobe Bryant is already considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Even after his retirement, his fan base continues to grow because of the amazing things that he was able to do on the court. However, there are many stories that detail the work ethic and the mentality that he had off the court that prove that there will never be another like Kobe Bryant.
What comes as a shock, even to those who already knew of the motivation that Kobe had, is that he possessed this one-of-a-kind mentality even before he made it to the NBA. As a child, Kobe would display glimpses of the greatness that was to come in his long 20-year career...
1) Starting Young
When Kobe was 12 years old, he took part in a basketball summer camp. Kobe already had basketball in his blood with his father having played in the NBA and also internationally. Despite this, Kobe left the camp feeling dejected because throughout the course of the entire camp, he did not score a single point. Just as kids in the 2000s grew up watching Kobe and learning from him, Kobe grew up watching Michael Jordan.
Many of us know the story of how Michael Jordan was cut from his high school team. This motivated Michael to work harder than everyone else to prove to them that he deserved a spot on the team. As a child, Kobe decided to take on this same work ethic which would soon transform him into a basketball icon. He wanted to prove to everyone around him that he was able to perform at a high level.
2) In High School, Kobe would be at the gym at 5 in the Morning
When Kobe returned from Europe, he studied at Lower Merion High School. While at Lower Merion, Kobe would get to the gym at 5.00 am almost every day to practice and get shots up. He would do this for two hours till 7.00 am after which he would get ready for school.
After team practices, Kobe would pick out players who he thought he could learn something from, and he would challenge them. He would challenge them to one-on-one games till one of them reaches 100 points. At such a young age, Kobe was always looking to use everything as a learning experience so that he could better himself.
3) Injuries Never Stopped Kobe
In his fourth season in the NBA, a young Kobe Bryant was put on the injured list with a broken wrist. Even though he was the youngest player on the Lakers at this time, he was always the first one at the gym. He would show up hours before practice to get shots up and work on his game.
When teammate John Celestand learned that Kobe was out with an injury, he was excited that he would finally be the first one in the gym for practice. But to his surprise, when he got to the gym, he saw none other than Kobe Bryant. Kobe decided that his injury was not going to stop him from getting better. He used this as an opportunity to improve on using his left hand while dribbling and even shooting with his left hand.
4) Kobe Would Practice, Even After Practice
Not only would Kobe be the first person in the gym before practices, but he would always be the last to leave the practice facility. After practices, Kobe would keep count of how many shots he makes, and would not stop until he made 400 shots. Kobe was also known to make teammates stay back late after practices so that he can use them as his personal test subjects for moves that he was trying to perfect, similar to what he did with his teammates in high school.
5) Kobe Outworked even the biggest stars in the league
This is probably the most famous story of Kobe which puts into perspective just how hard he would work. In 2012, Kobe was selected to be a part of the USA basketball team alongside the biggest stars in the league such as Lebron James, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. While at the USA Basketball training camp, Kobe met a trainer who handed over his number to Kobe and told him that he could give him a call whenever he wanted to work on some extra conditioning.
A couple of days went by till Kobe decided to give the trainer a call, at 4.15 am he asked the trainer if he could come to the gym and help him with some conditioning. The trainer agreed and arrived about 20 minutes later, only to find Kobe all alone, covered in sweat. They did some conditioning and weights till 7 am after which the trainer headed back to his room to get some rest.
The trainer was expected to be back at the facility at 11 am for practice, and when he got there he saw the other players getting ready for practice. But when he looked to the right side of the facility, he saw Kobe alone, still shooting. He approached Kobe and asked him when he finished getting his shots up and when he left the gym. He was shocked when Kobe told him that he wanted to make 800 shots before he left, and that he just finished with his 800. Kobe was working out for about 7 hours before the official practice had even begun.
Kobe Bryant was the perfect personification of the saying "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard." The work ethic and mentality which Kobe possessed became known as the "Mamba Mentality", a killer instinct of sorts. It was this mamba mentality that made him one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
