Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest competitors in NBA history, and his drive to succeed once drove him to a crazy diet plan.
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Kobe’s legacy was built up by everything he achieved in his career, his five rings, Finals MVPs, scoring titles, and more, but a major part of his also the fact that he spent his entire career with the Lakers.
In an era defined by player autonomy and the right to take your brand anywhere, Kobe chose to stay put. He stayed put even when the Lakers were rebuilding and had no superstars to surround him with when he easily could have been playing along a superstar or two had he wanted.
He made the Lakers must see TV even when they weren’t. 20 seasons. That’s how long Kobe was a Laker. Countless memories were made. Everything from pure elation to absolute heartbreak included. That’s who Kobe was for LA.
Kobe Bryant lost a massive 16 pounds in offseason due to a crazy diet
An athlete has several things to take care of when they play a sport. Not only do they have to keep their body in shape by practicing and exercising, they need to remain fit in other ways too,
That includes sticking to a consistent diet plan. In the 2012-2013 season, Kobe did just that to have one of his finest seasons ever at 34 years old. He was third in scoring that year, averaging 27.3 points per game.
That offseason, Kobe committed to keeping himself healthy, even if it meant cutting out a lot of food he would have gladly liked to eat.
“Diet is always the hardest thing,” Bryant explained. “We’re accustomed to eating what we want to eat whenever we want to eat it. You become comfortable with that. A change in that is a change in your lifestyle. That’s been the most difficult.”
The switch from sweet foods to lean meats helped the Lakers legend lose 16 pounds in a single offseason. “After so many years, it becomes easy to lose focus,” Bryant added. “Some guys lose focus from game to game. I take it as a challenge to try to be challenged for many, many years.”
