Phil Jackson, the legendary head coach who guided the Los Angeles Lakers to multiple championships in the 2000s, initially thought that Kobe Bryant treated the game of basketball with disrespect.
As reported by Kit Rachlis of The California Sunday Magazine, Jackson shared his observation on Bryant's first All-Star game. At first, Jackson saw that Bryant was haughty and had a seemingly rude attitude towards the game. But later on, he discovered that Bryant was simply trying to be the best player on the court.
“I had a player that’s like that in Kobe Bryant. He was a guy who was competitive, a shark who was seeking blood in the water. His arrogance coming into the game was almost rude. I remember watching him in his first All-Star Game, and I thought he was disrespectful in how he approached the game. But he was always challenging, always trying to go after the biggest fish in the water.”
As he got to know Bryant better, Jackson saw his immense drive towards perfection. He cited a certain playoff series with the Portland Trail Blazers, where Bryant decided to take his game to the next level. He shared a little anecdote on how Bryant got to the gym first, even before the coaching staff:
“I often went to work at 8:30, and if we had a late night, that’s pretty early. I’d pull into my parking spot, and Kobe’d be there taking a nap in his car. He’d been there since 6:30 working out. He had a remarkable drive towards getting better. I’ve never seen another player attack his personal habits the way he did.”
Now, Bryant's tenacity is of legendary status.
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