- Kobe Bryant kept his thoughts on load management simple and blunt
- The Black Mamba placed the responsibility on the player
- Kobe played through injuries and setbacks on numerous occasions
Kobe Bryant was known for his grit and his readiness to play every single game, so much that even a torn Achilles couldn’t stop him from making his free throws before exiting the game.
Sharing his take on load management in one of his interviews, the Black Mamba made an honest assessment.
“It’s your job to be in shape, it’s your job to be ready to perform every night. We had a game against Toronto, where my back was spasming. The perception would’ve been Kobe is ducking Vince Carter. I was like – excuse me? I don’t think so”
[Starts 6:35 onwards]
There is no doubt that Kobe had a rather different take on the whole topic that has been present in recent times. With most big stars not playing the entirety of a season for different reasons, load management has been one of the terms floating around.
Perhaps, Kobe’s words come as an inspiration to the players who are expected to play an entire season, with injuries being the possible exception.
Kobe Bryant Never Wanted To Miss A Game
The Black Mamba spent 20 years of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA Championships with the franchise. But the biggest fact Kobe has always been appreciated and respected by fans is his toughness and willingness to play through injuries.
In a 2003 interview with ESPN, he gave an amazing quote on not missing games despite getting injured and asking to rest.
“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.”
Call him insane, but it was what set him a class apart from the rest of the league.
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