Kobe Bryant is as big an inspiration to the world as big a basketball player he was when he graced the hardwood for 20 good years. The late legendary 6ft 6’ guard who played for the Los Angeles Lakers all his career, is loved and respected by his former teammates and opponents alike.
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Even the Boston Celtics players openly show their admiration for the Black Mamba since he retired from the game back in 2016.
And one of their bigger names at the time in Boston basketball, Isaiah Thomas, still never forgets to remind the world what Kobe meant to him.
Isaiah Thomas credits Kobe Bryant for his preparation for the game of basketball
The Celtics-Boston rivalry was already dying by 2015 because neither team was a contender anymore. But they weren’t friends either. And when the C’s were again gaining significance led by their 5ft 9’ point guard – Isaiah Thomas.
In an appearance on a podcast recently the 2017 All-NBA guard revealed how Kobe taught and prepared him for big moments in which most of the players in the NBA generally underperform.
The man was talking about the Playoffs when other players find it difficult to reflect on their regular season performances. Isaiah made life tough for LeBron James and Co. with not so good Celtics squad and just half his hips.
2017 – A heart-breaking year for Isaiah Thomas and the basketball community
While the 2x All-Star was still making his name in the league, the 2017 Playoffs brought two major incidents along to his life. His younger sister passed away in an accident and then he aggravated an injury on his hip and played through it until his team got knocked out by the defending NBA Champs, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
A year later he was struggling to get teams to give him a veteran-minimum contract after having an MVP-caliber season averaging close to 29 points and 6 assists per game just a season prior.
That was the last full season he played in the NBA. If Karma does exist it failed Thomas.
