Kobe Bryant set the gold standard for work ethic in the NBA, and many players have aspired to match the Black Mamba’s relentless intensity. Some have even gone to great lengths to have a shot at training alongside him. Paul George, however, declined an opportunity to train with Kobe, a regret that he has been carrying since then.
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Hearing intimidating tales from other players about Kobe‘s training intensity, PG had become nervous and turned the offer down.
“I had an opportunity to work out with Kobe. Man, I dropped the ball. Just because, I ain’t gonna lie, I was nervous hearing the stories, hearing how he operates. I didn’t take up the offer. But after losing him, I was like ‘that’s probably one of my biggest regrets’,” the Philadelphia 76ers player said on Podcast P.
Many players who trained with Bryant gained immensely from the experience. From Giannis Antetokounmpo to Kyrie Irving, and Devin Booker, they honed their footwork and developed a relentless mindset through their frequent workouts with the Lakers legend.
Given the success these players have since achieved, there is no doubt that PG missed a great opportunity to elevate himself.
Bryant helped PG during the 2019 playoffs
George’s decision to decline the offer to train with Kobe didn’t lead to any hard feelings between the two. In fact, Kobe often supported the 6’8″ forward.
One notable instance occurred during the 2019 playoffs when George, with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the time, was returning from a two-week absence due to a shoulder injury. Kobe sent PG a detailed message, explaining what he needed to focus on to help his team become successful during the postseason.
“I ain’t played ball in two weeks leading up to this, so I just sent Kobe a text. What did Bryant do? He hit me back ultimately the next morning, a whole paragraph of breakdown like when, you know, this player do this, do that, when the help come look for this, like it was just in-depth like detailed out,” George said.
Though Oklahoma City were eliminated in the first round, George’s performance was outstanding in that series. He elevated his game, averaging 28.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, surpassing his regular-season numbers.
This beautiful mentor-mentee bond he shared with Kobe inspired George to represent jersey #8 when he joined the 76ers this year. It was his way of paying tribute to Bryant.
