Kobe Bryant had to learn the ropes on the job – fair to say he’d done a decent job!
Advertisement
When Kobe Bryant entered the league, he had three people to look up to. Joe Bryant, his father; Michael Jordan, his idol; and Magic Johnson, his predecessor. Kobe took all of these people’s teachings and personalities and rolled them into one. By doing so, he learned about basketball and how that translated to life.
In an interview he gave right around the early 2000s, Kobe spoke about how basketball and life were related. The ups and downs, the camaraderie, and the need to stay together, all worked in tandem. He only ever heard Magic and Michael say these things to him, but after a couple of years of experience, he could see it first hand.
Everybody learns how their job works – Basketball players are no exception
One might wonder what is so great about a basketball player learning how their job works. People have to undergo on-the-job training in every other profession; what’s so special here? Well, the fact of the matter is, you have to learn it for yourself; nobody is there to hold your hand. There is no dedicated trainer, and no training wheels are given to you.
If you fail, only you fail. There is no manager to cut you slack, no parents to ice your bruised knee. One major blunder and you’re out of a job and will most likely never get back on your horse. Oh, and did you forget all of this is thrown at you while you are not even 20?
Sports as a career seems lucrative. Why not, because all you have to do is put a leather ball into a basket, or bunt it across the field. All for millions of dollars. But fans do not see the amount of effort, sacrifice, and sheer determination each of these players had to get to that spot. Can you live without as much as a cone of ice cream on a hot summer day?
These guys have to, for nearly three decades.
Also Read: Kobe Bryant’s Team Beat Their Competitors by a Whallop, Showing Off Just How Much They Had Improved
Kobe Bryant learned and then disbursed his knowledge to the younger generation – he was not Scrooge McDuck with his experiences
Not many players are ready to share their knowledge with the younger generation—they are often scared that the student might become the master. Kobe was not afraid; in fact, he wanted as many students as possible to improve the game. He may have been selfish about winning, but not at the cost of the other players.
He thrived on adversity and would often be disengaged if he did not have a worthy opponent. You’re so bored in life that you create your opposition! Today, the school of Mamba boasts the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, and Kyrie Irving. These are just a few of the people who took the teachings seriously and strive to carry them out every day.
Kobe may hate what Kyrie as a person has become—woke, pretentious, and prissy. But as a player, he cannot find fault with him because when he does play, nobody embodies the Black Mamba as he does.
