“Basketball’s greatest teammate ever held a soft spot for Kobe Bryant, someone who battled more co-workers over the years than Chevy Chase” - NBA analyst on how Bill Russell grew fond of Kobe Bryant

Former Boston Celtics star Bill Russell always held then LA Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant in high regard. That feeling of admiration and respect turned to fondness when Bryant’s unending drive to get better pushed him to follow Russell’s unique strategy.

Bill Simmons, on his podcast, narrated an interview in 2012 when Bryant reached out to Russell on a specific scouting style. It was a strategy that helped the unflashy Celtics cornerstone 11 NBA championships in 13 years. “KB24” wanted to see how it would work for him.

“To my surprise Russell mentioned a 2012 superstar devouring his book and then stealing that specific concept and then even thanking Russell for his help. Naturally, I expected the player to be LeBron, Nash, Chris Paul, maybe even Kevin Durant. Nope. Kobe Bryant.

“And that’s how I learned that Bill Russell, basketball’s greatest teammate ever, held a soft spot for Kobe Bryant, someone who battled more co-workers over the years than Chevy Chase.”

The book was Bill Russell’s autobiography entitled “Second Wind: The Memoirs of an Opinionated Man.” It covered many aspects, including Russell’s often overlooked zeal to be the best at what he did. Bill Simmons explained the history behind what Russell did:

“Russell actually scouted the Celtics after he joined them in 1956. Russell wanted to play to their strengths and covered their weaknesses so he studied them during shooting drills and scrimmages.

"He built a mental filing cabinet that stored everything they could and couldn't do and they determined how to boost them accordingly. It was his job to make them better, that’s what he believed.”

Kobe Bryant was a student of the game. He looked for every edge and every advantage, however small it would be to put him over the top. There were countless hours in the gym doing repetitive drills until everything became muscle memory.

It wasn’t a surprise that Bill Russell’s method of making himself and his teammates better eventually paid off for Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers.

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Kobe Bryant led the LA Lakers to two NBA titles, post Shaquille O’Neal, with Bill Russell’s insight

Kobe Bryant won two more championships with help from Bill Russell's insights. [Photo: The SportsRush]

Kobe Bryant was already a three-time champion when Shaquille O’Neal was traded by the LA Lakers to the Miami Heat in 2004. Shaq had already proven his worth, displaying one of the most dominating performances in the team’s grand slam.

Without Shaq, the Lakers faltered and there was intense pressure on Bryant to deliver and prove he could win one as the franchise player.

Here’s what “The Black Mamba” gleaned from Bill Russell that helped him add two more titles to his resume after Shaq moved to Miami:

"Tactically speaking, cause I always geek out about the game. He said, ‘When I played, I could score the ball, I could handle the ball, I could pass the ball but it was really important in order for us to win, I had to look at my teammates and say’ ‘There’s other players here that do that better. Therefore, I must allow them to do that.’

"'What I do best is defend and rebound, so I’m gonna completely focus on that. Let Cousy handle the ball, let Sam [Jones] be the shooter, Havlicek be the shooter.’ And I thought that was a very, very insightful thing that I used in how I was able to win those two championships post-Shaq."

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