Alongside 5x NBA Champion Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez Revealed What “Scared” Him Most Before Making it Big in MLB

Becoming The Alex Rodriguez is not easy, not even for Alex himself. The lesser known fact is that he grew into the man he is grappling with fears of his own. The 6 foot 3, former Yankee had to prove that he could play shortstop despite being a notch bigger than ideal for the position.

While he knew what he wanted, A-Rod took it upon himself to leave no stone unturned to master his game. Rodriguez turned to the players he admired, who was the closest to his (then) current situation. That mentor – mentee relationship bloomed A-Rod’s career and made him big in MLB.

Alex Rodriguez Opened Up About His Fears and Triumphs in the Presence of a Seasoned Baseball Veteran

In 2019, while conversing with Big Cat and Kobe Bryant, the ex-shortstop recalled one of his biggest fears. Considering his build, Alex was terrified that he would be moved to 3rd base or outfield. “I was scared as f**k that they were gonna move me and I’m like to third base or see the outfield, I’m like no I can play shortstop”, said Alex.

Despite this being a possibility he was confident and a part of it came from the revered Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr., whom Alex started studying. Alex noticed that Cal’s enormity did not affect his performance as a shortstop. On the contrary, he quite aced what he did.

This was not only the source of Alex Rodriguez’s inspiration but also a solution to overcome his fear of being moved. Commencing the process of self improvement, A-Rod watched tapes of Cal and observed how he moved his body and played. This was a process driven by dedication and intensity that led to Rodriguez resembling “The Iron Man”. That was exactly the honor Alex was looking for.

This marked the end of Alex Rodriguez’s fear and the beginning of a beautiful mentor – mentee relationship. Idolizing Cal, Alex made sure to spend as much time as he could with his mentor to learn and share his insights. In talks with Kobe, he recalls one such incident that touches base on how significant mentorship has not only been a part of his career but also Kobe Bryant’s.

Kobe Bryant And His Role Model

Alex Rodriguez reflects back at a time when Cal and him were on a 10-hour flight to Japan and he got the opportunity to talk to his mentor at length. Enamored by him, Alex asked Kobe whom he considered his mentor.

Growing up, Kobe considered Magic Johnson his favorite player. The ex-shooting guard had been in awe of Magic’s foot work and fundamentals in addition to his spacing, pacing and angles. The ex-LA Lakers star attributed a huge part of his learning journey to observing Magic play.

Read More : “Favorite City…”: Despite Minnesota NBA Allegiance, Alex Rodriguez Fondly Praises Yankees’ Home as Top Destination

Isn’t it quite a bliss to understand the process and progress players have irrespective of which league they play?

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