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“These dudes really don’t work that hard!”: Kobe Bryant talked about how his childhood shaped his outlook on the NBA and the Lakers

Jeet Pukhrambam
Published

"I knew this was it": When Kobe Bryant spoke on why he chose to make his heartbreaking decision to retire from the Lakers and the NBA

Kobe Bryant and his work ethic is something that every single NBA player today tries to embody. Hard work is earned not given.

Those that have been fortunate to see Kobe Bryant play would argue that he is amongst the greatest players to ever touch the rock. There aren’t many like him Michael Jordan is the only one like him.

However, unlike the Bulls legend, Kobe was not phenomenally gifted. While he did possess talent, it was what he did behind the scenes that shaped him.

A lot of folklore around Kobe is based on what he did off-court. Bryant had an affinity for working hard, a virtue instilled in him from his early days.

He has talked about his work ethic in numerous interviews. As a child, Kobe was part of a competitive household and he always shone brightly in tough environments.

Also read: “Getting to see Kobe Bryant’s numbers, inspire me!”: Kent Bazemore reveals his reason for staying with LeBron James and the Lakers despite an abysmal season

The moment Kobe Bryant realized these dudes don’t work that hard!

As someone who was raised in a competitive household, Bryant was predisposed to a strong work ethic. In an interview clip, he talks about how his family was competitive.

The cutthroat nature of the competition amongst his family members helped him get to the NBA. When he entered the NBA, he figured out something crazy.

He discovered that his drive was far greater than that of his peers. This knowledge is what led him to work harder and dominate in one of the toughest eras of basketball.

Also read: “F*** that, Shaquille O’Neal, get it off the rebound if I miss bro”: When a rookie Kobe Bryant completely ignored the star Lakers’ center to avoid Hack-a-Shaq

About the author

Jeet Pukhrambam

Jeet Pukhrambam

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Jeet Pukhrambam is The SportsRush's Lead Editor for Basketball. After freelancing for five years as an independent writer, Jeet created thousands of blog posts and articles. He now covers intriguing news reports and throwback stories on all things NBA. His interest in NBA started with the ascendancy of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2016-17 season. Since then, Jeet has managed to coalesce his knowledge of the game and his writing to create pieces that are reflective of the current state of the league. Now, he ensures that The SportsRush produces the highest quality of writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, cooking, traveling, and dancing to techno. Jeet takes pride in his critical thinking, music playlists, and his love for spaghetti.

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