Kobe Bryant: 'The Only Time I Took a Game Off is When I Couldn’t Walk' (2024)
Kobe Bryant never would have agreed to rest for so-called “load management.”
The Black Mamba played 20 seasons of Hall of Fame basketball in the NBA, and says he only took time off when he was unable to walk.
Load management? Kobe's not a fan.
"The only time I took a game off is when I couldn’t walk."@thefrankisola hosted a Q&A panel with Kobe Bryant where he talked about the Lakers, Zion, Giannis, a Finals match-up and more.https://t.co/GhhwTlZA75
What is your opinion on superstar players taking rest games during the season and if you would ever do that yourself?
KB: “No, the only time I took a game off is when I couldn’t walk. The thing about taking games off is your games, your seasons in your career go by really, really, quickly. So, you want to make sure you don’t miss any of those moments. The other part about that is there are kids in the crowd and families in the crowd…. this will be the only time they get a chance to see you. They save up their hard-earned money to watch you perform. So, if you can walk and perform get there and perform.”
What separated you from other NBA players?
KB: “The curiosity. Curiosity. Most players that play the game will just play it. Certain things will happen, some may be good, some may be bad. I don’t know. That wasn’t good enough for me. I want to know why. When I watch Tiny (Archibald) play, when I watch (Michael Jordan) play, when I watch Magic (Johnson) or Hakeem (Olajuwon) it wasn’t good enough just to watch them make a move. I wanted to slow it down, rewind it, (and) figure out why it worked. What was the timing? What was the angle? What could the defender have done better to stop that move? It was a constant search to try to figure out how to get better. Losing to the Celtics in ’08 wasn’t good enough to say, ‘They were a better team, we lost.’ No. Why did we lose? What could I have done better? I think it’s that constant curiosity that will separate you, I think.”
The Black Mamba played 20 seasons of Hall of Fame basketball in the NBA, and says he only took time off when he was unable to walk. Load management? Kobe's not a fan. Bryant is happily retired, and adds that “curiosity” is what separated him from his peers.
Yes, you heard that right. Lebron sleeps 12 hours a night and Kobe sleeps (or at least slept) 4 hours a night. This is only being mentioned here because it is interesting that these two players who are often compared and measured against each other by fans both have extreme sleep patterns but in opposite ways.
He had a personal trainer who developed this routine for him to build up his strength, speed, and agility. In the off-season, his routine was to train six hours a day, six days a week for six months out of the year to maximize his strength and endurance.
As the NBA icon said best: "Hard work outweighs talent — every time." Gianna and Kobe Bryant. "You don't want to jump into something if you're not passionate about it." "Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged.
but does anyone know why exactly it's banned? in 2012, Kobe Bryant wore a black mask due to a nasal fracture. he tried out the clear ones. but didn't like it since it would get too foggy for him. it became an iconic look.
He was coming back from a broken hand injury. and I guess his hand wasn't totally healed yet, so the team doctor wanted him to. to wear this glove with padding on it. I think he only wore it for about 10 games, but he still had a bunch of highlights in it. And this was the season.
The all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons. His 18 All-Star designations are the third most all time, and he has the second most consecutive appearances as a starter.
The day before Kobe Bryant tragically died at age 41, the NBA legend honored LeBron James in what would be his final social media post. Bryant, 41, was the third-leading scorer in NBA history with 33,643 points — but that all changed during James' game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
Kobe Bryant is the definition of deliberate practice, 400 shots a day. Pivots, jabs, footwork — it requires focused attention with the specific goal of improving performance.
His basketball skills and SAT score of 1080 would have ensured admission to any college he chose, but he did not officially visit any campuses. In 2012, Bryant was honored as one of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans for his high school play as well as his later accomplishments.
Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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