Kobe Bryant eventually had Tim Grover waking up at odd hours in the night to help him train and prepare for the NBA season.
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“When we were in the club, that motherf**ker was in the gym,” said Allen Iverson. The motherf**ker that AI was referring to in that quote was none other than Kobe Bryant. The ‘Black Mamba’ spawned numerous stories about his own work ethic and the results showed on the court for the 5x NBA champion.
Kobe Bryant idolized Michael Jordan growing up and it was soon evident that he was cut from the same cloth as the Chicago Bulls legend. The two 6’6 guards grew a brother-like bond with one another and MJ started to advice Bean on how to make it as a superstar in the league.
One of the most courteous things MJ did for the Lower Merion alum was to get him in touch with Tim Grover, the man who trained MJ during his 6-title run in Chi-Town. Jordan was always hesitant to let others train under the guidance of Grover but made the exception for Kobe.
Tim Grover would have the unique experience of training not one but two of the greatest shooting guards in the history of the NBA.
Kobe Bryant had Tim Grover waking up at 3am.
Kobe Bryant did everything from learn ballet to forcefully ride a bike through blistering heat all in the name of getting better at his craft.
Tim Grover once said that the difference between MJ and KB was the former’s ability to know when enough is enough. Bryant did not possess this. Given just much he was obsessed with perfection, Kobe focused on his mistakes, like Michael did, much more than he did on his successes.
When talking to Forbes about training Kobe, he revealed that Bryant would have him waking up at 3am, asking him what he was doing. Of course, Grover responded with, “Sleeping.” Soon enough, he would get a hang of what days Bryant wanted to take to the gym at odd hours of the night.
So, the next time the Lakers legend wanted another unorthodox 3m workout, Tim was already at the gym, waiting for him.
