22. Kobe’s off-season workouts vs. MJ’s off-season gambling
Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Western Conference guard Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers holds a rubber ball during practice for the 2013 NBA all star game at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Bryant has gained the reputation, especially late in his career, as a near-psycho in the gym while working out or during practices. His explosion during practice this season has been well-documented, but it shows the level of intensity Bryant practices with and what he demands of his teammates. Jordan had the same demands of his teammates, but he wasn’t as dedicated to his craft as Bryant was.
Seemingly whenever Bryant isn’t playing a game, he’s practicing and trying to become better. The stories of his insane work ethic are endless. You can find a long list of them here, but I’ll share with you my favorite one. To set the scene: this is from the the 2008 Olympics, as told by one of the trainers with the men’s basketball team. After calling up said trainer for a workout at 4:30 IN THE MORNING, Bryant completed a 45-minute workout before the two parted ways and the trainer crashed back in his hotel room.
"I was expected to be at the floor again at about 11 AM. I woke up feeling sleepy, drowsy, and almost pretty much every side effect of sleep deprivation. Thanks, Kobe. I had a bagel and headed to the practice facility. This next part I remember very vividly. All the Team USA players were there, feeling good for the first scrimmage. LeBron was talking to Carmelo if I remember correctly and Coach Krzyzewski was trying to explain something to Kevin Durant. On the right side of the practice facility was Kobe by himself shooting jumpers. And this is how our next conversation went — I went over to him, patted him on the back and said, “Good work this morning.” “Huh?” “Like, the conditioning. Good work.” “Oh. Yeah, thanks Rob. I really appreciate it.” “So when did you finish?” “Finish what?” “Getting your shots up. What time did you leave the facility?” “Oh just now. I wanted 800 makes so yeah, just now.” My jaw dropped. Mother of holy God."
Jordan’s Olympic trips were filled with golfing and gambling, as per the documentary on the Dream Team from a few years ago. His off-seasons were much of the same. I’ll take insane dedication to your craft over hundreds of thousands of dollars of gambling debt.
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