Kobe Bryant’s attitude to win 2 stuffed $6 Blue Elephants gave early glimpses of his Mamba Mentality

A story about Kobe Bryant and a blue elephant exemplifies his competitive nature, propelling him to the success in the NBA.

Kobe Bryant set his sights on Michael Jordan and vowed to join “His Airness” among basketball’s legends.

The late, great Kobe Bryant was easily one of the most competitive players the NBA has ever seen throughout his 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. And, like his idol and mentor, Michael Jordan, that competitiveness permeated everything he did in life, beginning long before he donned the purple and gold.

Bryant’s incredible 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers ended in 2016. Still, his more than 33,000 points, 18 All-Star appearances, and five NBA titles would not have been possible without his time at Lower Merion High School in suburban Philadelphia.

Bryant rose from science and English classes to become an iconic sports superstar.

“We are a relatively small school,” said Gregg Downer, Bryant’s high school coach. “Suburban schools would be considered soft.” Inner-city schools would be described as gritty and tough. Kobe laid the groundwork and demonstrated how to do it.”

Bryant’s basketball skills improved as his high school career progressed, thanks to a combination of talent and an insatiable work ethic that would become legendary.

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Kobe Bryant’s competitive nature was highlighted in a childhood story about a blue elephant

There’s no denying that when Kobe Bryant joined the Lakers in 1996, he was already a talented basketball player. He was an All-American at Lower Merion High School. Kobe became the sixth player in NBA history to go straight from high school to the league.

Author Jeff Pearlman recounted an incredible story in his recently released book, “Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty.” The story was about a teenage Kobe Bryant helping a classmate. Kobe helped his friend win a stuffed blue elephant by knocking down free throws during a class trip.

Lynne Freedland, a Lower Merion teacher, often recalls that time with her daughter Susan, Bryant’s high school friend. Susan recruited Bryant to win a giant stuffed toy at a free throw shooting stall during a school outing. $3 was the entry fee, and one needed to knock down three FTs in a row to win.

“There was this huge blue elephant with lime green tusks or something,” Freedland explained. “It was much larger than she was.”

Bryant had won the prize after three shots.

He then proceeded to pay another $3 and win another blue elephant. According to Freedland, the stall attendant told him to get lost after winning another toy for Susan.

Kobe Bryant certainly over-achieved for someone who associated himself so completely with basketball success and the fervent pursuit of it, and he left a legacy to be remembered.

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