Kobe Bryant was known for being a very nice person but also one of the fiercest competitors in NBA history and that wasn’t exclusive for rival players; he could also go after teammates for not showing enough passion or not putting in the necessary effort to reach success.
There are plenty of stories about Kobe going off on teammates but the Los Angeles Lakers also talked about himself a couple of times, revealing how he dealt with lazy teammates. Kobe made it clear that he went harder on them than against rivals, making things worse for those who dared to give the minimum effort.
“My response might sound a little tough but I just kill them, I bury them. It’s tolerance for that and the kind of culture that the Laker organization stood for when in championships, is not tolerated,” Kobe said in an interview (24:27 mark).
“You’re going to show up to play. You’re going to allow the gags with the scrimmage through this drill. I’m going to beat you, I’m going to let you know I beat you, and I’m going to make you consider your professional life choice. I’m not here to be a great teammate, I’m here to help you win championships.”
This man didn’t win five NBA championships being nice. He always pushed people around him to be better and that’s why he was so successful in the NBA and outside of the league, too. Some can say that was too harsh but just like it happened with Michael Jordan, it helped Kobe win, and nowadays, not a single player has something bad to say about the Black Mamba.
