Kobe Bryant sparked the fire in Kyrie Irving. Uncle Drew is one such player who has an immense and maddening love for basketball. Hooping was all he thought about. And when one is so immersed in the game, sometimes it’s possible not to realize the equal need for workouts to excel in the sport. Irving had something of a similar issue. The one who finally helped him see the importance of that and helped him turn into the phenomenon he is now—was the late legend Bryant.

Coach Phil Handy, who recently made an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George, shared the issue Kyrie had. Handy mentioned hiw Irving had the talent and he had even convinced the Mavericks star to put in efforts in the gym. But perhaps Irving need an inspiration and mentor like Kobe was to him. The former Cavaliers’ coach revealed that it was he who approached Kobe to persuade Irving so he could level his game up.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend, already impressed with the former Cleveland Cavaliers star, spoke to him. “I was like, ‘Well Kobe, can I connect you guys? Can he call?’ He was like, “Man, give him my number. Tell him to call me anytime.’ And so, I passed it on to Kyrie, said, ‘Kyrie, I need you to reach out to Kobe. He wants to connect with you and build a relationship.’ And Kobe was just instrumental and just telling him like, ‘Young fella, here’s what you have to do. You got to work on your game, you got to pick your spots,'” the coach shared.

Handy recalled how this was an important part of Irving’s career and helped him change as a player. “And that’s really when he started that rapport with Kobe, the floodgates just opened up. His mind changed, his approach changed and Kobe just really took him in right. They had created a great relationship, and I was forever grateful that Kobe was willing to take him under his wing,” Handy recalled.

And Kobe was part of it. He became the mentor as well as the precious friend that Irving needed in his career. Ahead of the Finals against the Boston Celtics this year, Irving recalled that his lessons from Kobe helped him lead the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals. He further emotionally detailed how he misses the Lakers legend every day.

And not just in the game, Irving has often mentioned how Kobe taught him about supporting women’s empowerment and selflessly helping people. Kobe was also the one who lit a fire in Irving’s heart that ultimately saw the Cleveland Cavaliers win the championship in 2016.

Kobe Bryant’s used reverse psychology on Kyrie Irving

Bryant’s lessons were not always the ones found in rule books. He had his own way of inspiring people around him, like using reverse psychology on Irving. Rather than urging the former star, Bryant praised the opponents, the Warriors, ahead of the 2016 championship. Odd, right? It was painful for Irving to watch how his idol praised his opponents, and he promised that it would be the Cavaliers who winning the title. 

“He was like, man I think Golden State is definitely going to win the championship this year. Can you imagine Kobe saying that? He was my hero,” Kyrie once recalled. Uncle Drew kept his promise. Playing against the Warriors and Curry, Irving helped the Cleveland Cavaliers end their championship drought. Just a few days ago, Irving shared another piece of advice that Kobe gave him during his appearance in the Kai Cenat’s Thanksgiving livestream.

He recounted how Bryant had methods different from others and once suggested solitude to learn more about himself and grow. “He told me to really start isolating myself a little bit more to get a greater sense of who I am and how you have to approach every day,” Irving can be seen sharing the advise. Kobe’s odd techniques worked just as he had wanted. The bond these two shared was incredible and wholesome and it was all thanks to Coach Handy.