Kobe Bryant was always trying to inspire people both on and off the court, and there was no better example to do so than himself. Kobe would put his body through some intense workouts and routines to get better and show people why hard work always pays off.
The Black Mamba was one of the fiercest competitors in NBA history, constantly working on his game, trying to be the best player he could season after season. Even during the summer, Kobe was relentless, trying to find new ways to improve his game and beat his rivals.
He also used these moments to inspire those who looked up to him, including his own teammates. During the summer of 2012, Kobe was with Team USA, ready to represent the country again and defend the gold medal they won in 2008 with the Redeem Team. Kobe wanted to set the tone and found a big way to do it.
Kobe Bryant Used To Take 40-Mile Bike Rides In The Desert To Send A Message To 2012 Team USA
An old story from Ramona Shelburne revealed how badly Kobe wanted to inspire his team but also get ready to face a new NBA season. During that summer, Blake Griffin heard some stories about Kobe going for 40 miles on his bike through the desert, and he was just in awe of that. The then Los Angeles Clippers star couldn’t hide his surprise to Shelburne, who would reveal it was all true.
Blake Griffin needs to know if the story is true. Ever since he first heard it last July, he’s been obsessed with it.
“The first night we all got into Las Vegas last summer for the USA Basketball camp, I heard Kobe [Bryant] went on some 40-mile bike ride at night through the desert,” Griffin says. “Forty miles? At night?
“You think it’s true?”
Before I can answer, Griffin continues:
“When I found out about that bike ride, I was so tempted to ask him if I could go next time.”
The ESPN reporter shed light on this story, recalling how Kobe and his trainer Tim Grover came up with a big plan to add bike rides to Bryant’s workout routine.
The story Griffin heard turns out to be true. And it goes something like this: Bryant told his longtime trainer, Tim Grover, that he wanted to add in bike training to his summer conditioning. Grover researched a trail in Las Vegas, rented three bikes — one for Bryant, one for himself and one for Bryant’s security guard — and on the night before the first day of practice, they each put on headlamps and headed out to the trail and rode.
“We finished up around 2 a.m.” Grover said. “And we were back in the gym working out by 7:30 in the morning.”
Among all Kobe’s huge stories, this has to be one of the wildest. Bryant was never afraid to challenge himself and take his body to new levels, trying to become the best player on the court. His work ethic was so off-the-charts that not even his peers could believe it. That’s how special Kobe Bryant was, and he surely inspired a lot of people during that Olympic run.
Team USA dominated in London, beating Spain in the gold-medal game, confirming that they were untouchable in international basketball.
