Every NBA star has that one lasting image of him, and one of them that’ll forever be etched in fans’ memories is Kobe Bryant chewing on his jersey while minding his business on the court.
The late Los Angeles Lakers star had his reason for it. And as gross as it seems, his rationale makes perfect sense. For one, it was a trick; two, his dad taught him that sucking on his sweat would prevent his mouth from drying.
Speaking to T.J. Simers and the L.A. Times, the Black Mamba made the interesting reveal. “It’s disgusting,” he said. “But my father taught me when your mouth gets dry, just suck the sweat out of your own jersey,” he says. “There’s no bravado to any of it; it’s just a disgusting little trick.”
Well then, that’s Bryant to the world. Maybe he forgot that there was water and Gatorade that was available but trust the man to do the most unconventional things.
Pau Gasol Pays The Ultimate Tribute To Kobe Bryant
His quirky mannerisms aside, Kobe Bryant was a taskmaster during practice but was also one of the more respected members in the Lakers locker room. One man who had massive respect and admiration was his teammate Pau Gasol.
Gasol holds the late guard in high regard to date. Recently, the Spaniard credited Bryant for the former’s success on the hardwood. He was present as one of the coaches in the Jordan Rising Stars championship during the All-Star weekend, and he spoke fondly of the Lakers legend. Per ClutchPoints:
“Every step of the way, he’s on my mind, he’s in my heart along with Gigi. And he’s going to be there forever. I grew as a player, I played at a high-level thanks to him, in great part.”
Gasol couldn’t have been more right. Bryant was the key reason behind the Lakers winning consecutive NBA championships in 2009 and 2010.
There’s never a doubt that Bryant was one of the greatest Lakers stars of all time, winning everything with the franchise. As for bizarre trademarks, like Michael Jordan’s tongue wag or Stephen Curry fiddling with his mouthguard, the Mamba had his habit, and it’s one of the most memorable things that fans will remember in the years to come.
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