They say practice makes perfect, and there were few tougher workouts than the UCLA runs. Held in the Bruins’ gym, these scrimmages were anything but casual. Players of all backgrounds used them to stay sharp, test new moves, and measure themselves against real competition. They were stepping into one of basketball’s most intense off-season proving grounds, so when Kobe Bryant showed up, it was like tossing a lit match into a room full of gasoline.
Advertisement
The gym was already packed with pros, college stars, and overseas talent, but the Mamba treated every possession as if it were Game 7 of the Finals. It is another chapter in the growing legend of Kobe’s competitive edge always being his driving force.
Retired NBA star Ricky Davis added a few pages to this Bryant book during his recent appearance on the Out The Mud podcast. The former journeyman, who played for the Heat, Cavs, Hornets, Clippers, Timberwolves, Hornets, and Celtics, recalled how every meeting at the UCLA run was nuts, but they got even crazier when the Lakers icon walked into the gym.
“That was a battle. You know them UCLA runs. That was it, man. They still going too these days. But going at Kobe every summer, that was it. When he came into that gym, you had to be ready. I was going at the gyms every summer,” Davis began.
The crazy part was that, as much trouble as Bryant gave them, it showed Davis that he could hang in the NBA.
“Whoever came in there, I was on them, so to see Kobe come in there and go at him, it was where I realized, ‘Damn, I’m pretty damn good. I’m going at this guy, and he’s one of the best to ever do it. Giving him trouble. Not stopping him. But just giving him trouble and making him guard. It was a battle, man. That was them days,” added Davis.
It’s very on brand for Kobe to be pushing players to reach their best. Obviously, Ricky managed to have himself a pretty nice NBA career. Not just anyone came to make it in the league. It takes a level of skill and confidence that cannot be taught, it has to be earned.
Baron Davis’ UCLA run-in with Bryant
Another NBA legend who knew all about the UCLA runs was Baron Davis. The two-time All-Star had his own Kobe story from the famous Bruins gym. The Mamba had shown up after his infamous crashout, when he shot several airballs against the Utah Jazz. Baron remembered that Kobe came in that day completely locked in and hungry for redemption.
“Kobe was different, bro… He came up to UCLA one time… after the airball [game]… And you know, Kobe, he had to be in the lab after that. So he came up to UCLA [where] we had Toby Bailey, we had J. R. [Henderson], Jelani [McCoy], you know, all the dudes.”
“And I don’t know what was wrong with Kobe that day, but he was mad at somebody… Bro, he was tearing everybody up in the gym,” Davis once stated.
All these stories point to the same truth. The UCLA runs were more than just summer workouts. They were a proving ground where legends sharpened their edge and hungry hoopers learned exactly where they stood. Kobe did not just show up to compete. He showed up to elevate the entire gym, pushing everyone around him to tap into something deeper.
Whether it was Ricky Davis realizing he belonged or Baron Davis witnessing Kobe’s fury after those infamous airballs, the message was always the same. If you walked into that gym and saw the Mamba lacing up, you were not just playing pickup. You were stepping into a fire that could either burn you or forge you.
