Kobe Bryant was one of the most driven athletes the NBA has ever seen. Playing for 20 years in the league, Kobe was always looking to find success on the court. And by the time he retired from the game, he just shifted his drive and focus to other avenues such as his production company. Bryant was driven beyond measure and always wanted to be the best at everything he did.
That ambition brought him great success in the NBA, as a five-time NBA Champion, two Finals MVP, a regular-season MVP, and several All-Star nominations. Bryant would never take a day off, never cheat the game, or give any less than a 100% on the court or practice. And even when he wasn’t playing the game, he was laying the foundation for his life after basketball.
Former NBA All-Star and teammate of Kobe Bryant D’Angelo Russell spoke recently with Jake Fischer for his new book. Russell shared his experience of playing Kobe Bryant in the Lakers. D’Lo’s first season in the NBA was Kobe’s last. Even though the two only played together for a year, Russell learned a lot from Kobe. D’Lo shared a story about Kobe when they were in Houston the night before a game.
Most of the other players were out in the town. Russell was with Kobe’s security crew when he saw Bryant return to the hotel. He had just been to a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook. He compared his night to that of the younger players. Kobe explained to Russell that he needs to plan for his post-basketball future while he is still playing, and begin working toward it.
“Guys go out and party in every city. I’m meeting with the CEO of Apple. Think about what you want to do when you’re done playing and work on it now, so when the basketball’s done for you, you’ve already built a brand.”
For Russell, he has carried this and several lessons learned from his time with Kobe to this day. He initially couldn’t understand where Kobe was coming from, but as he has gained some experience in the NBA, he has been able to understand these lessons better.
