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“Kobe, Tim Grover is the biggest a**hole you’ll ever meet”: When Bulls legend Michael Jordan introduced his personal trainer to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant

Advait Jajodia
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"Kobe, Tim Grover is the biggest a**hole you'll ever meet": When Bulls legend Michael Jordan introduced his personal trainer to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant

When introducing his personal trainer to Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan stated how Tim Grover was the biggest a**hole he would ever meet.

Back in 1989, Michael Jordan decided to hire the CEO of Attack Athletics, Tim Grover as his personal trainer. Tim even helped Michael gain a bunch of muscles so that MJ could endure all the hits he got from the “Bad Boy” Pistons.

Tim was so beneficial for the Bulls legend that Mike went on to play in all the 82 games for six seasons since beginning his training with Grover.

During the mid-2000s Kobe Bryant was struggling with some knee problems.  Jordan thought it would be helpful for the Mamba to work with his former trainer, Tim. In an interview with GQ, Tim Grover revealed how Mike introduced Kobe to Tim in a rather unpleasant manner. Tim revealed:

“Michael said, ‘Kobe, I’m not using my guy anymore. Why don’t you give him a call?’ Kobe says, ‘Well, tell me about Grover.’ He (Jordan) goes, ‘Man, Grover really, really knows his stuff.'”

“But he goes, ‘But he’s the biggest a–hole you will ever meet.’“One of the nicest things Michael’s ever said to me. Because he didn’t call me ‘a’ ahole, he called me ‘the’ ahole. If you’re gonna strive for something, never strive to be ‘a.’ ‘A’ is a part of a group. ‘The,’ you stand out.”

Also Read: “You never know what can happen”: Stephen Curry sets trade rumor mill running by hinting he could leave Golden State Warriors

Michael, Kobe, and even Dwyane Wade had successful careers thanks to their trainer Tim Grover

Tim Grover went on to work with the Black Mamba from 2007 to 2012. With Grover as his trainer, Bryant managed to win two championships, two Finals MVP and one MVP, in that span. Tim revealed how he used to focus on rebuilding Kobe’s foundation to help him get his knees stronger.

After his success with both Mike and Kobe, Dwyane Wade also used Tim’s services for some time. As of today, Grover has a huge role in three of the biggest shooting guards’ success.

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Also Read: “I was skipping meals, I was devastated”: Kobe Bryant was distraught when Magic Johnson had to retire from the Lakers with HIV in 1991

All these players had incredibly long and successful careers. Tim had the front row seats to see how the GOATs used to prepare their body for a season or before and after each game. Thanks to him we got to see the legends of the game, play at their healthiest and best level of basketball night in and night out.

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, a seasoned NBA journalist, has had a passion for the game for over a decade. His journey from admiring Kobe Bryant's precision to being in awe of Stephen Curry's long-range mastery instilled a profound understanding of basketball. With a background as a two-time National-level player, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 21-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 3,350+ articles.

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