The late great Kobe ‘Bean’ Bryant, AKA the Black Mamba, was also known as a notorious gym rat. Part of Bryant’s greatness can be attributed to the over 10,000 hours of work [Note: We all know Kobe put in more than 10,000 hours] he put in training in the gym when no one was watching.
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He was hungry for success, and he was desperate not only to outdo his idol Michael Jordan, but also to be considered one of, if not the greatest, of all time.
Two weeks ago, on an episode of the Milwaukee Bucks podcast, Hear District, hosted by Bucks legend Marques Johnson and his son Kris, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, popular today for his outlandish, loud, and sometimes offensive comments, discussed Kobe’s work ethic and his practice intensity.
The episode pulled back the curtain on just how far Bryant was willing to go during his workouts. Arenas did not hold back while explaining the Mamba’s maniacal devotion to training.
Kobe would wake up well before 3 a.m. to hit the gym, something which shocked Arenas. “I heard Kobe was at the gym at 3:00. What I seen changed my whole career,” Arenas said.
That line, straight from Agent Zero, sums up that very life-altering moment.
During the interview, Arenas shared a story about former teammate Luke Walton and their pregame routine before facing the Lakers. Arenas, curious about Kobe’s arrival time, asked Walton which team bus Bryant took to the arena. Walton didn’t hesitate. “Kobe is at the gym at 3 o’clock,” he reiterated.
That intel floored Arenas, who had always idolized Kobe as the blueprint for greatness. “If Kobe’s at the gym at 3 o’clock, and that is my favorite player and that’s one of the best players in the league, then he must be on to something.“
Then came the funniest and most eye-opening story of the episode. Arenas recalled watching one of Bryant’s infamous workouts. “I [have] seen [Kobe] going through a workout like he was fighting for his life. The intensity of [it] was unreal. On the pump fake, he’s getting mad at a trainer because the trainer ain’t jumping, and when the trainer jumps, he’s not falling on him.”
For him, every rep mimicked game-time pressure. Every move mattered. There was no room for half-effort, even in scripted drills.
The legendary trainer Tim Grover, who trained both Jordan and Bryant, once described what separated them in chilling detail. “One of the biggest differences between the two is Michael always knew when it was enough. And he would listen to you. If you said, ‘That’s it,‘ then that’s it. With Kobe, to him, ‘That’s it‘ means that’s it for that moment, but three hours later, I can start back up again.”
Grover’s insight echoed Arenas’ awe and confirmed what everyone around Kobe already knew. His sessions were not just workouts; they were reenactments of the game, at least in Kobe’s mind.
