Peyton Watson caught the eye with his exploits in Denver Nugget’s recent home win against the Detroit Pistons. Following the game-defining display, the sophomore shed light on his intense training regimen crediting Kobe Bryant for it. In the post-match conference, the 21-year-old candidly discussed the role of Mamba Mentality in fueling his actions.
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“There’s definitely people that I admire their work ethic. Kobe being number one on that,” he publicly revealed. Following that, he mentioned the impact of the former Los Angeles Lakers star’s methods, stating,
“I had to find something that worked for me and if that’s getting up earlier or being there two three hours before practice to get my shots up in a quiet gym then that’s what I’m gonna do”.
Following this, the Nuggets youngster shed light on his admiration for the 5x champion. As any other kid growing up in LA, who follows basketball, Peyton also holds the same passion as Kobe. The shooting guard also drew parallels between him and the Lakers legend, mentioning,
“That’s one thing that I have always been as well. Super competitive, have that mentality to go out and kill. When you are on that court, no friends, no funny business. Business-like mentality so, I have always looked up to Kobe in that aspect”.
Interestingly, his endeavours have been paying dividends as the California-born has already featured in more matches than last season. Alongside that, his points, rebounds, and assists per game have seen a significant increase this campaign. Averaging 7.1-2.7-1 till now, Watson is registering a field goal percentage of 50.5 in the 2023/24 season.
Thus, his efforts in training have paid off as it propelled him into a trusted rotation player for his side. The last game was one such example as he came off the bench to register 15-6-1 in 23 minutes while shooting 50% from the deep. This further displayed the improvement of his overall gameplay as the Nuggets extended their run to 26-12.
Peyton Watson is the only Denver Nuggets star influenced by Kobe Bryant
Half a decade back Jamal Murray mentioned how Kobe’s mentality had impacted his journey. He shed light on how the 2008 MVP’s work ethic earned the respect of Murray’s father, Roger over time. Thereafter it changed the trajectory of the Nuggets star’s journey as he started to follow the Lakers legend due to his father’s influence.
“It’s the mentality. My dad looked up to [Michael Jordan] first. And then Kobe came, then Kobe became my dad’s favorite player, and I started watching him,” he once revealed upon reflecting on the inspiration. He further added, “Everything that goes into a championship type of guy and team, that’s the way he acts“.
Thus, the illustrious journey of the 18x All-Star left its mark on the next generation as the rising star continues to cite him as their role model. Even years after his passing, his methods thus remain relevant because of their applicability to the modern game. This just adds an extra layer to the greatness of the Philadephia-born, Kobe Bean Bryant.
