Over 20 years in the NBA, Kobe Bryant put together one of the greatest careers the basketball world has ever seen. From the beginning, his talent was evident and even during his lowest moments on the court nobody could deny his game. But for most athletes and other competitors, it wasn’t just Kobe’s talent that set him apart. Famously, it was his work ethic and relentless mentality that made Kobe so widely respected and revered.
In a recent episode of ‘All the Smoke’ podcast, former NBA big man Stephen Jackson looked back on Kobe’s career and what cemented him as a true icon of the sport.
“He had a hit list of all top players in our class. He was focused on being better and destroying them when he see them… as a teenager. I don’t know no other teenager that was playing basketball during our era that was thinking like that. We all were having fun, we wanted the new shoes. He was thinking about being the greatest basketball player of All-Time as a teenager. He was just different and his will to win and his will to be great, you can’t teach that and I don’t think you’ll ever see it again.”
Tyrese asks Stak and Matt what Kobe was really like. ♾️
Watch the latest episode of #AllTheSmoke with @tyrese on the @shobasketball YouTube. pic.twitter.com/wQKzjo7dIb
— All the Smoke (@allthesmokeprod) June 23, 2023
Bryant’s will to win was truly unprecedented. In a league with so many great and hard-working players, Kobe somehow never let himself get outworked, and that drive spread through the entire Lakers locker room.
Nowadays, Kobe is widely recognized for his amazing killer mentality, which helped make him a 5x champion and 18x All-Star. But his exact place in the GOAT debate remains a highly debated subject today…
Is Kobe Bryant In the GOAT Conversation?
When you compare the accolades, Kobe falls short in some areas compared to LeBron, who recently became the NBA’s All-Time leading scorer, but he transcended the sport in many ways and became the face of the league itself after winning his first titles with Shaq.
“When it comes to drive and determination after MJ, who was it? But no one likes to say it for some reason. Kobe taught people how to work hard,” said Patrick Beverley on Bryant as the GOAT. “He gave you the blueprint of what you should do to be a successful basketball player. People tend to forget about it.”
Kobe’s relentless hunger to win was one of his best qualities as a player. He would often will his team to victories by himself and maintained a work ethic that demanded the best from all of his teammates.
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