Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest of all time. One of the primary reasons he was able to achieve this greatness was thanks to his hard work ethic. The Black Mamba was obsessed with being the best and as such constantly worked on his game. Jerry West witnessed this firsthand during Kobe’s workout with the Lakers before being drafted. And, as he described it on Podcast P with Paul George, he was starstruck.
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In 1996, the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Kobe after he was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick. It was a trade orchestrated by the then-general manager Jerry West. It saw the Lakers send Vlade Divac to Charlotte in return for Bryant’s services, securing the future of LA, and creating a lasting bond between West and Kobe.
Jerry West was greatly impressed with Kobe Bryant after watching the Laker legend’s workout
Former Laker GM and legend Jerry West recently appeared on Paul George’s podcast, where he discussed a variety of topics. One of those topics was Kobe Bryant.
West was responsible for bringing Kobe to LA back in 1996. However, there were many doubts surrounding the then-high schooler, leading to him falling to the 13th overall pick. But, all it took was one workout for Jerry to be convinced of the Black Mamba’s greatness.
As he described to PG13, Kobe was unbelievably skilled on both ends of the court. And, watching him workout left West thinking he had just watched a man take on a bunch of kindergartners.
“To watch him workout, it was like ridiculous okay! I mean it was like a man playing against kindergarten people. That’s how advanced he was. He was versatile, but he was a ferocious defender. That’s all he did, he wanted to compete. He was unbelievably skilled. His work ethic…second to none. He wasn’t afraid of anything, and it was genuine!”
It certainly says a lot about Kobe Bryant. In addition to being a brilliant player, it was his insane work ethic that made him a legend. Whether it was cycling in the blistering heat, or waking up at 4 AM to get an early morning workout. There was nothing Kobe wouldn’t do to become the best. A true great through and through.
Jerry West had to check himself into a hospital after struggling to acquire both Shaq and Kobe in 1996
The 1996 off-season was a huge deal for the LA Lakers. Why? Well because it was this season that they acquired the services of both Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. As history shows, they were successful in their attempts to land both, but by the end of it all, people within the Lakers organization were exhausted.
Jerry West, who was integral in getting both men to join the Lakers admitted that he had to check himself into a hospital because of how tired he was by the end of it all.
Looking back, he probably doesn’t regret his decision. After all, the Lakers would go on to win three Championships with Shaq and Kobe working together. And a further two more following Shaq’s departure, with Kobe at the helm. All in all, West will be feeling proud of himself for pulling off two iconic off-season maneuvers.
