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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reacts after scoring in Game 2 of the western conference finals. (Photo by Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reacts after scoring in Game 2 of the western conference finals. (Photo by Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The late great Kobe Bryant was an athlete’s athlete. He was so driven and focused on his love for basketball that it inspired his peers to step up their game. We have heard several versions of such stories by many athletes who had the opportunity to play with or against Kobe.
Recently, NBA veteran Gilbert Arenas unveiled one such Kobe story. Arenas also talked about how seeing Kobe practice made him rethink his workout routine.
Gilbert Arenas was blown away by Kobe Bryant’s dedication
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Kobe embodied greatness, and his passion and dedication to his craft inspired so many people across the globe. Arenas is also among those people who felt the need for a change after watching the late Mamba do his thing. During his recent appearance on the Podcast P with Paul George, Arenas talked about the late legend’s motivation and drive. He said, “We think how to work out until we see some motherf***er working out. We got out little mojo what makes us good, and then you see somebody who is on the whole other level.”
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA JANUARY 29, 2013-Lakers Kobe Bryant bites his jersey while Pau Gasol shoots a free throw at the Staples Center Tuesday. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The NBA veteran was blown away by what was on display from Kobe. He said, “Five hundred. Same spot. Same movement. Hard as f**k.” Arenas also said that there was a time when Kobe was considering firing his trainer because he was not helping the Mambe prepare at the highest level. Arenas said, “There was one time when he tried to fire his trainer because the trainer wasn’t fouling him as hard as Raja Bell would.”
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The NBA veteran said that for Kobe, it didn’t matter who he was facing next in the league. For him, it was always about putting in the work for his hardest competitor and preparing himself to face the best player every single day. It didn’t matter to him if the next challenge was up against a team or a defender who wasn’t considered among the best in the league.
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Arenas said that initially, he didn’t understand what Kobe was trying to do. However, soon he was able to see why the repetition of movements and doing the same move countless times was so important for the 5x NBA champion. He was making the motions into reflexes. That is what made Kobe great and as we were fortunate enough to witness, he was the absolute best version of a basketball player every time he took center stage.
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