You Did Not Need To Be Shaquille O’Neal Or Magic Johnson To Earn Kobe Bryant’s Respect, Claims Former Teammate

Kobe Bryant was an appreciator of a great work ethic. Former Lakers teammate Jim Jackson revealed that one didn’t have to be an All-Star to earn the respect of the Black Mamba. Jackson joined ‘The Mark Jackson Show’ and discussed his tenure with the Lakers. During the conversation, he shared the recipe for earning Kobe’s respect.

“I didn’t have anywhere near the career that he would establish or a lot of other players. But I did think he respected me because we always competed when we were on the court… You didn’t have to be a Larry, Bird, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal for him to respect you,” Jackson said.

Although never an All-Star in his career, during his prime, Jackson was an amazing player. In his third season, he averaged 25.7 points along with 5.1 rebounds a game. However, by the time he got to the Lakers, he was on the last legs of his career. He was 35 years old and had only played 13 games.

Despite not being the player he once was, Jackson shared that he was able to earn the respect of Kobe by being a fierce competitor. It was clear that Kobe demanded the best out of his teammates. In the ladder years of his career, The Black Mamba didn’t hold back from critiquing his young teammates due to their tendency to play based on their talent and not their skill.

That was the same mentality he had during the early 2000s, which caused the drift between him and Shaq. Kobe felt that Shaq wasn’t working hard enough, evidently resulting in the team not being as dominant as they could’ve been.

The Lakers legend had an obsession with hard work and anyone willing to put the hours in instantly earned Kobe’s respect.

Kobe’s obsession with hard work

Bryant was the definition of a lab rat. Although he was gifted athletically and able to play above the rim. He never limited himself to relying on those tools. In the 1999-2000 season, Kobe suffered a broken wrist. Typically players would take time to rest, especially considering the injury was on his shooting hand.

Former teammate, John Celestand, was excited to finally beat Bryant at being the first one to the the gym. Instead, he was met with a surprise.

“Kobe was already in a full sweat with a cast on his right arm and dribbling and shooting with his left,” Celestand said.

Bryant wasn’t just limited to basketball. The NBA legend claimed to have learned to play Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ on piano by ear.

There may never be an NBA player dedicated to their craft in the manner that Bryant was.