The answer is simple. He had character. Early on, he seemed quiet to himself in the public eye. With that silence, came hours of hard work at the gym. He kept working on his shooting. He kept working on his defense. He took minimal risks. Eventually, he took charges well. He became a 3-point threat. He became valuable as a player. When he earned Kobe Bryant’s respect, he became valuable to the team, and the franchise.
The hard work paid off. It wasn’t just success for him as a player. It was success for the team.