A recently resurfaced clip of Kobe Bryant reflected on his competitive mindset as an athlete. Amidst the ruthless nature of the words, Kevin Garnett echoed the sentiment of the Black Mamba. He openly aligned himself with the belief of ‘killing’ anyone who wasn’t as greedy as them catching the attention of the NBA community.
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The situation sparked from an Instagram post by Recorded which captured glimpses of an old interview of Bryant. On that occasion, the late 5x champion expressed his apathy toward sharing the dressing room with unambitious teammates. Furthermore, he shed light on the consequences those players had to face for lacking motivation to become champions.
“I’d kill them. I’d bury them. It is not tolerated…Through this drill, I’m going to beat you. I’m going to let you know I beat you. I’m going to want you to reconsider your professional life choice. People will say, ‘Okay, that doesn’t make a great teammate’. Well, I’m not here to be a great teammate. I’m here to help you win championships,” the 2008 MVP declared.
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The hype surrounding the clip caught the attention of KG as he admitted to the necessity of tunnel vision. Upon sharing the post from his Instagram story, he wrote, “MINDSET…It’s all on how you think…Having a killa mentality is everything when going for something”.
KG on IG regarding Kobe’s mentality pic.twitter.com/jUk24TvVeU
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) March 17, 2024
The similarity in their approaches puts into focus the source of their on-court intensity. Both were known for being tyrants on the floor and often even toward their teammates. It further fueled their drive for success while helping them reach milestones in the process. Hence, their actions remained justified to them as they solidified their legacy as NBA Hall of Famers.
Kevin Garnett’s admiration for Kobe Bryant
In November last year, Garnett expressed his gratitude toward Bryant during his appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show. The 47-year-old admitted to missing the Los Angeles Lakers icon since his passing while shedding light on his greatness. Interestingly, he even made a bold claim on the show to remain linked with the late great forever.
“When he hit that floor, he knew what it was and I loved him for it. I miss Kobe every day, man. I look up and we celebrate him like he’s still alive, and I love that…If I have a son someday, I don’t know when and where, but I’mma dedicate a son to Kobe, man,” he mentioned.
Kevin Garnett told me he wants to dedicate a son to Kobe Bryant one day ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WIRHvkFAZO
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) November 28, 2023
Hence, the respect for Bryant remains intact in the eyes of Garnett to this day. Instances such as this re-establish the status of the Lakers legend as one of the best competitors of all time. As a result, his statements carry immense volume while providing secret formulas for success.