“We’re Only 18 Years Old”: Kobe Bryant’s Cross-Town Rival Reveals Favorite Mamba Memory

Most NBA stars have their favorite Kobe Bryant story. The late legend was an embodiment of hard work, passion, and perseverance. So most of these players also took inspiration from what the 5x NBA champion was able to accomplish on the hardwood. 2x All-Star Baron Davis, who played for the Los Angeles Clippers for 3 years during Kobe’s heyday in the City of Angels, revealed his favorite Mamba story.

During a recent interview with Benzinga, Davis recalled going to Kobe’s house before his rookie year. Although they were both very young at the time, Davis was blown away by the dedication that Kobe had at that time. The 44-year-old said, “We went into his room and he had all these films.” Confused by the sheer volume of films in Kobe’s house, Davis asked him what all this was for.

Kobe told him, “It’s all I do. I sit and I watch films.” The Black Mamba was preparing himself for greatness even before people knew who he was. Now Davis’ life didn’t revolve around basketball at that time. So he couldn’t understand why a teenager was doing all that. He said, “I was like, you’re insane bro. We’re only 18 years old.”

Davis said that Kobe had “all kinds of tapes” in his house. When the 2x All-Star invited Kobe to hang out, he refused and said that he would stay back and watch some more tapes.

The two were city rivals when Kobe was arguably the best player in the league. Davis represented the Los Angeles Clippers from 2008 to 2011, while the Mamba remained with the Los Angeles Lakers for the entirety of his career. B-Diddy was also asked about the things that he learned from Kobe.

Kobe Bryant had an unmatched work ethic which fascinated his peers

He said when you go against someone as driven and skilled as Kobe, you have to approach your game like “Superman”. While there are countless things to learn from the late legend, what stuck with Davis the most was the tenacity in Kobe and his zeal to constantly push the limits for himself.

Read More: 23 Years Before Kobe Bryant’s Work Ethic Impressed Him, 3x All-Star Shares a Freaky Coincidence With ‘Black Mamba’

As for the tapes, Kobe always said that watching tapes gives you a perspective like nothing else. The Mamba believed that when an athlete sits back to watch how the game unfolded, they’re able to pick out the areas where they weren’t 100% and that creates an opportunity to grow their game. After all, this is how he perfected his game and executed it at the highest level for 20 years.

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