“Jodie Meeks, I was watching you the whole time!”: When Kobe Bryant paid respect to one of his teammates by scaring the living daylights out of him

Nithin Joseph | 15/05/2022
"Jodie Meeks, I was watching you the whole time!": When Kobe Bryant paid respect to one of his teammates by scaring the living daylights out of him

Kobe Bryant was well-known for being intensely hard on his teammates. Yet, sometimes this ‘scary’ intensity was seen as a sign of respect!

The Black Mamba is one of the most memorable athletes in sports history. This is primarily down to his legendary status as a basketballer, but also due to his amazing mentality.

Kobe valued hard work and some would say he was the living embodiment of it. It was this hard work that propelled him to become a five-time NBA Champion and a Hall of Famer.

Anyone can tell you just how driven he was to succeed in the game and it was this mentality that inspired a whole generation of young ballers!

Also Read: “Dwight Howard, you’re soft like a TEDDY BEAR!”: When Kobe Bryant dissed his former teammate by calling him soft following an in-game altercation

However, the “Mamba Mentality” didn’t just belong to Kobe. It sometimes extended to his teammates, shocking them and at times even inspiring them.

Kobe Bryant paid respect to Jodie Meeks by indirectly scaring the hell out of him

In the early 2000s, the LA Lakers were one of the toughest teams to be on. Primarily because players would have to be around Kobe Bryant. The first person to enter the gym and the last to leave.

Sometimes there were players who stepped up to the challenge, and one late night, during the off-season, that player was Jodie Meeks.

The former NBA guard came into workout late one night and checked to see if no one was around. When he was done two hours later, he was surprised to see Kobe walk in on him, giving him a scare!

Turns out the Laker legend was there the entire time. He would go on to praise Meeks, telling him how much he respected him and his dedication to the craft.

Also Read: “He had a Tai Chi master come to practice once”: Kobe Bryant reveals the weirdest thing Phil Jackson made him do during practice

This just goes to show, if you wanted to impress Kobe, all you had to do was show your dedication to the sport through hard work, both on and off the court.

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
Kobe Bryant LA Lakers

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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