Kobe Bryant is usually considered to be one of the toughest players that ever played in the NBA. Be it physically or mentally, the Mamba never wanted to give up and always had a desire to play.
Throughout his career, Kobe got injured several times, but more often than not, he bounced back from them and continued playing. But in 2013, the Mamba suffered an injury that changed the way he played in the final few seasons of his NBA career.
Yes, we are talking about when Kobe tore his Achilles tendon in a game against the Golden State Warriors. That season Kobe did everything in his power to help the Lakers qualify for the playoffs, and he succeeded in doing so but was ruled out for the season in the process of doing so.
Tearing the Achilles tendon is considered to be one of the worst injuries that can happen to a basketball player. The injury was so lethal that even the Mamba couldn’t hold his tears after suffering it.
Pau Gasol Shares The Story Of The First Time He Ever Saw Kobe Bryant Cry
Every player in the NBA needs a secondary star to succeed in the NBA. Pau Gasol was that person for Kobe Bryant during the Lakers’ championship runs in 2009 and 2010. Pau always praised Kobe’s mamba mentality and was a fan of it. But in the latest episode of the ongoing Lakers docuseries, Gasol revealed that Kobe cried after the 2013 Achilles injury.
Pau Gasol on @kobebryant torn Achilles:
“When Kobe torn his Achilles It’s the first time that saw him cry it was hard,” Says @paugasol.
Vanessa Bryant: “I remember walking into the locker room w Natalia & Gianna & broke down as soon as I hugged him.”#LakeShow #LakersDoc pic.twitter.com/KjR5PyJH6g
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) October 3, 2022
“When Kobe tore his Achilles, I was heartbroken. It was the first time that I saw him cry. It was hard.”
Vanessa Bryant added, “I remember walking in the locker room with Natalia and Gianna and he just broke down as soon as I hugged him.
Following the injury, Kobe’s career as a star in the league was essentially over. He had to change the way he played from that point, and it was simply not enough to carry the Lakers to the playoffs in the star-studded Western Conference. Moreover, he was also getting older and finally bid farewell to the game which he loved the most in 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruYx3gevWoE
