Miami Heat icon Dwyane Wade speaks on his hilarious experience with LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant
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After Kobe Bryant died, the world changed in many ways. The epidemic and the rise of civil rights rallies have directly impacted politics, daily life, and even sports.
Despite this, Kobe’s passing is still felt. He’s frequently mentioned, often by athletes and media figures who are still reeling from his tragic demise.
Bryant’s legacy appeared to be nearly complete when he retired. It was who he became in his last years in the league and in the years thereafter that elevated him to something else.
He inspired his teammates and opponents just by being himself. Early in his career, he was sometimes dismissed as a single-minded, icy Michael Jordan clone. But Kobe matured into his own type of player and personality.
NBA players, coaches, and Hall of Famers all have fond memories of Kobe and have powerful anecdotes to tell about the former Lakers legend.
Dwyane Wade recalls the exact moment he realized how insane Kobe Bryant was
Former Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade recently shared an intriguing story about the late Kobe Bryant’s tremendous work ethic and how it inspired Wade to improve his own game.
Wade recently spoke with NBA veteran J.J. Redick about Bryant’s almost insatiable drive to polish his game at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Wade had been in the NBA for five seasons at the time and was playing in his second Olympics. Bryant had already won three NBA championships at the time. After that Kobe went on to win his final two championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Wade, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant were all members of the USA squad in the 2008 Summer Olympics. The NBA stars arrived at a gym and everyone got into doing their workouts.
“At the time, I was thinking, ‘Wait a minute, hold on.'” We just worked out around three hours ago, and you just did another session and ready to start another?’ That’s when I knew, ‘Okay, I gotta get my s— together, because this man right here is on a whole different level than even I am, and I’m supposed to be amazing, right?’ So that was the type of person he was, and that is how he drove me. You know what I’m saying? Little things like that made me go back and say, ‘OK, that means I have to work harder and do more.'”
Wade and James would team up in 2010 and led the Heat to four straight finals appearances, as well as league titles in 2012 and 2013.
All three players are already regarded NBA icons, and Bryant’s untimely death in January made his legacy much more tragic. Wade’s statements show that he still holds Bryant and his memory in high regard.
