Kobe Bryant is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to play in the NBA, and as illustrious as his career may seem, the late Los Angeles Lakers legend did have off days on the floor. But what set him apart from the rest was his ability to find a way to shrug off the slump.
Per Mike Procopio from Rogue Bogues, “Kobe always told me ‘There’s going to be games, there are playoff games, there’s games during the regular season I stunk. If I’m not making my shots, I’m going to the f***ing free throw line.”
“I’m putting my head down and forcing them to foul me, because I need to get to the line, I need to get myself revved up. I can’t live by the three-point line every night, I can’t live by tough shots every night, and I’ve done that early in my career, but later in my career, what I learned is I gotta get to the free throw line.'”
One of the better lessons the modern-day NBA players could learn from Kobe was how he managed to find ways to impact the game. While every one of them goes through the odd dry spell, the Black Mamba was undeterred in figuring out how to chip in, even if it means hitting free throws to get going.
Kobe Bryant Did Not Want To Miss An NBA Game No Matter The Cost
Such was his dedication that Kobe didn’t want to miss a single game — even if it meant braving an injury.
In a 2003 interview with ESPN, Kobe gave an amazing response on not missing games despite getting injured.
“I probably won’t play tomorrow night or until I’m ready,” Kobe spoke about missing the 2003-04 NBA season opener. “But I don’t need Shaq’s advice on how to play hurt. I’ve played with IVs before, during, and after games. I’ve played with a broken hand, a sprained ankle, a torn shoulder, a fractured tooth, a severed lip, and a knee the size of a softball. I don’t miss 15 games because of a toe injury that everybody knows wasn’t that serious in the first place.”
The five-time champion’s mentality is insane at best, but it’s what made him tick and saw him make the pantheon of the greats. So it’s not really surprising to see him figure out ways to break his slump. Just Kobe things, we suppose.
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