Kobe Bryant took practice very seriously. As a matter of fact, the Los Angeles Lakers icon treated everything basketball-related with a certain sense of solemnity. Former teammate Luke Walton had to learn this the hard way, and it was a lesson that the Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach will never forget.
Back in 2016, Walton went on the Open Run podcast to share an unforgettable Kobe Bryant story from practice. Apparently, The Black Mamba wasn't very happy about the fact that Walton, who was a rookie at that time, had partaken in way too many drinks the night before. Walton admitted that he wreaked from alcohol when he came to practice the following morning, and Bryant just knew he had to teach his young teammate a lesson (via Alex Sumsky of Basketball Forever):
“I remember one time my rookie year, I came in a little, uh, him [Kobe] and Shaq like to do this as, I think it was just rookies, but any young guy, I probably had too much to drink the night before, so I came in, I was a rookie, I felt good, and they could smell some alcohol on me,” Walton said. “And Kobe informed the rest of the team that no one was allowed to help me on defense, and that I had to guard him the entire practice.”
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2IGnBKIS4qqxcc2NApVLgG?si=003a67f829a744ea
At first, Walton thought it was nothing more than a practical joke that was going to end as soon as he accepted his wrongdoing. Boy, was he wrong:
“I was laughing at first like, ‘Oh, this is funny,’ but in Kobe’s mind, in his eyes, it was like, ‘No, I see and smell weakness, I’m going to destroy you today.’ He taught me that lesson,” Walton continued. “He probably scored 70-something in practice that day, and I was begging for help, none of the teammates would help. But yeah, his killer instinct and his work ethic, they’ll stick with me forever.”
Walton probably never came to practice smelling like alcohol ever again. It was never fun taking on the full wrath of Kobe Bryant, but even more so while nursing a hangover. Luke Walton just had to learn that lesson the hard way.
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