Kobe Bryant is a prodigious talent and his accolades are directly accredited to his upbringing, with Joe Bryant, his dad, an integral figure!
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Kobe Bryant was a prominent personality early on in his NBA career. The former NBA ‘MVP’ was talked about quite a bit during his formative years.
In an interview with Magic Johnson dating back to 1998, the ‘Black Mamba’ provided his perspective of his initial years growing up and playing against his dad, and the help he received.
Bryant highlighted-
“He did, he did. But he was just there as a father figure. He definitely did that(help Bryant with his basketball skills). Now when I got to about 13 or 14 years old, that’s when he started beating me up. Started throwing those elbows, and I stopped winning. Then I got to about 16 years old and finally beat him.”
Magic Johnson mentioned that he had played against Kobe Bryant’s dad, Joe Bryant. Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant was a member of the NBA from 1975 until 1983, playing against Magic Johnson. That would have made for an intriguing matchup.
Kobe Bryant and his early inception in the NBA!
The making of an NBA player is tedious, needless to say. The hurdles that these athletes go through in order to get an NBA contract are nothing short of laborious and arduous.
Kobe Bryant had a similar scenario, growing up. The five-time NBA champion has gone into detail about how his father Joe Bryant was a pivotal figure in developing his mettle and toughening him up for when he graced the NBA.
The Mamba was acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996, as a 17-year-old. His early years in the league gave spectators a glimpse of the potential Bryant possessed. Little did they know, the phenom he would turn out to become.
Kobe Bryant’s career orbit and impact!
The career progression of Bryant has been phenomenal to watch. Coming in as a young man, looking to engrave his name into the league’s history, with nothing to back his claims, to clawing his way through to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
In addition, Bryant paved the way for numerous stars who have graced an NBA floor, in the past, present and future. A constant influence.
There have been numerous NBA stars who have come in and blown away their franchise, with the confidence in which they perform. All of these stars dawn the ‘Mamba Mentality’ each and every time they compete!
