Kobe Bryant On How He Would Recruit Players: “You Want First Place, Come Play With Me, You Want Second Place, Go Somewhere Else”

The 'Black Mamba's mindset was all about winning and being the best there ever was.

3 Min Read

Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Kobe Bryant’s pitch to play in his team is simple, straightforward, and downright motivating.

The ‘Black Mamba’s mindset was all about winning and being the best there ever was. The whatever-it-takes attitude saw him end his career with five NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, and four All-Star MVPs.

In his interview with Patrick-Bet David, Bryant was asked about his pitch to get a player to play for his team, and his response was electric:

“You Want First Place, Come Play With Me, You Want Second Place, Go Somewhere Else.”

Such was his commitment to winning that the late legend said he never really cared about being MVP. It was always about winning another title, and that meant playing with teammates who were willing to put in every ounce of effort to win a ring.


Kevin Garnett Reveals He Wanted to Play Alongside Kobe Bryant

‘The Big Ticket’ wanted to play with Kobe Bryant, but the wish never materialized. The all-time legend who played a massive role in the Boston Celtics’ 2008 Championship run revealed how he missed the chance to play alongside the guard.

In an interview with GQ’s Michael Pina, Garnett spoke about having some reservations about playing for Boston. He also added how he wanted to have a conversation with Bryant about playing for LA.

“‘YO, MAN, YOU WAS TRYING TO GET IN CONTACT WITH ME?’ ‘Man, get the fuck outta here.’ ‘NAH, NAH, I’M SERIOUS, MAN. I GOT THIS SHIT LATE, MAN. DAMN MAN.’ ‘It’s all good.’ ‘NAH, IT AIN’T GOOD, YOU IN THAT WRONG COLOR, MAN. WHAT THE FUCK, MAN. HOW YOU GONNA GO TO BOSTON OF ALL PLACES.’ ‘Man, nah, you gotta chill.’”

“It was all good. I always loved playing against [Kobe]. But yeah, it probably would have been a different level playing with him.”

In the aftermath of his becoming a Celtic, Garnett outlined Bryant’s reaction to the whole thing.

Imagine Garnett and Bryant in purple and gold, and that would have perhaps made the Lakers bonafide champions for a long time. Safe to say, his pitch would most definitely have worked on Garnett.

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Aaron Abhishek is an NBA columnist for Fadeaway World. He graduated from St. Joseph's College with a Bachelor's in Visual Communication and a Master's in journalism.His passion for the sport began when he saw Michael Jordan take his final shot in the NBA, and he considers himself fortunate to have been a part of the Kobe Bryant era. Now he writes basketball news and analysis while waiting for the Los Angeles Lakers to win their 18th title.When not watching and writing basketball, you can find Aaron suited to play cricket, putting in some hard yards at the gym, trying a new coffee, and supporting Arsenal. Expertise: NBAFavorite Team: Los Angeles LakersPrevious Work: MEAWW, Blue Man Hoop, Sportskeeda
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