Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is not only one of the most skilled players to ever pick up a basketball. Another aspect that made him so special was his elite mental approach to the game.
This is exactly why it's hilarious to hear old stories about a young Kobe Bryant being messed with by his former Lakers teammates. Robert Horry and Byron Scott recently did just that as they relayed how they played savage mind games on Kobe during his early years in the NBA (h/t ClutchPoints on Twitter):
“We knew how driven Kobe was,” Horry told Scott. “You remember the string game we used to play, right? Kobe couldn't shoot 3's back then, so he would always get beat. We'd get to practice, he down there shooting 3's. ‘You guys can we play?' And we'd be like, ‘Nah, we ain't playing today.' And he would get mad because he wanted revenge, right? And then we'd wait like two or three days. ‘OK, we'll play today.' Then he gets beat again, and he go right back to the lab trying to get better.”
I can imagine how Kobe must have been fuming every time he got beat by his veteran teammates. In the end, however, this unparalleled drive and determination were what allowed Kobe to be the best version of himself.
“We used to mess with him so much about things he could not do,” Horry continued. “And that dude would be in the gym next morning, 5 AM, 6 AM, trying to prove us wrong. … That's what made him great, man.”
For his part, Byron Scott also talked up how special Kobe was as a player. It wasn't all about what he did on the court. What was more important was the work that he put in behind the scenes. In fact, Scott shared that not even all-time Lakers greats such as Magic Johnson and James Worthy held a candle to Kobe's work ethic:
“I tell people when you talk about KB, the work ethic is unmatched,” Scott declared. “Magic (Johnson) worked his ass off. James (Worthy) worked his ass off. But this dude, he took it to a whole different level.”
Byron Scott and Robert Horry talk about Kobe's work ethic and competitive nature.
(via @official_bscott)pic.twitter.com/6QBeVQBIGm
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) August 20, 2022
It's always wonderful to hear these types of stories about the late, great Kobe Bryant. No matter how funny they start off, though, they always seem to end up proving just how special this man truly was.
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