Former Los Angeles Laker Sasha Vujacic recently opened up about watching Kobe Bryant’s greatness firsthand. He talked about how Kobe used to beat him to practice early in the morning, his work ethic, and his obsession with being the greatest to ever play the game. Additionally, some may not know that Kobe was quite fond of Vujacic as a teammate. He even once treated him like family.
Advertisement
Vujacic wasn’t the best NBA player of all time. He had a serviceable 10-year career, playing in 581 games and averaging 5 points per game. Especially early on in his career, minutes were tough to come by for the Slovenian. That’s why he had to get to the gym extra early in order to prove his work ethic to the team. Vujacic would arrive at the Lakers’ facilities as early as 5 AM for practice.
There was only one issue. Vujacic was always beaten by one of his teammates.
“[Kobe] probably got up at like 4 o’clock because he was in the gym at 5,” Vujacic said. “I got to the gym at 5 o’clock, and I’m like, ‘Kobe?’ Like, I’m the rookie. I’ve got to prove myself… But then, when you see Kobe, you’re like, wow. He’s a franchise player. He already won, and he wants to keep going. With Kobe, it was that obsession of being the greatest.”
Vujacic went on to say that Kobe always went the extra mile to find ways to improve, which is the embodiment of the “Mamba Mentality”. He says that everybody can find this mentality within themselves; it’s just a matter of whether one is willing to find it or not.
This goes to show how truly great Kobe was, not just on the court but off it as well. He had the same drive as other greats have had in the past and present. Players like LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and especially Michael Jordan. Kobe practically admitted to modelling his entire game after MJ.
Furthermore, Kobe also had a great impression of Vujacic. After all, the two were teammates for seven seasons.
Kobe Bryant and Sasha Vujacic had a great relationship
Kobe once revealed when talking about the 2010 finals that he viewed Vujacic as his little brother. Many forget that Sasha hit the free throws that put the 2010 series on ice against the Boston Celtics.
“I’m very proud of him. He’s like a little brother to me because I tease him quite a bit,” Kobe said. “One thing about Sasha is that he doesn’t lack confidence. He’s not afraid of pressure situations at all. If there is a guy on the floor that I’m gonna pass the ball to to hit a game-winning shot, after Derek, it’s Sasha. He just absolutely has no fear, whatsoever.”
Vujacic was a sneaky, good player for the old Lakers teams. He even averaged as much as 8.8 points per game while shooting 43% from three-point range in 2007-08. Additionally, as Kobe pointed out, he was quite the clutch player.
Vujacic was eventually traded to the Nets in 2011, where he enjoyed the best basketball of his career for half of a season. He then went back overseas to play before returning and playing for the Clippers and Knicks. Shortly after, he retired.
But surely, playing alongside one of the greatest to ever play the game and witnessing Kobe’s work ethic must have been invigorating to begin his career. And it’s awesome that he still looks up to his former teammate today.
