While he is no longer with us, the legacy and impact of Los Angeles Lakers’ icon Kobe Bryant continues to be alive and well. Amid his team’s magical postseason run, Phoenix Suns’ floor general Chris Paul recently paid his respects to Bryant, who clearly had a major impact on Paul.
Although Paul is getting no younger, age has proved to be nothing but a number for the seasoned veteran throughout the postseason. Paul has truly been a man on a mission this year and is just two wins away from capturing his first championship ring.
As a result, CP3 deserves plenty of admiration for the position he has put the Suns and himself in. However, the 11-time All-Star did not hesitate to dish out credit elsewhere, which is not at all surprising given his selfless demeanor.
As was previously echoed, Paul recently extended gratitude to Kobe, a player that he had quite a few battles with during his storied career.
Following Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Paul was asked how he has been able to stay in shape up to this juncture and he was sure to note Kobe Bryant in his response. Corey Hansford of Lakers Nation transcribed Paul’s thoughts on Bryant (originally via R.P. Salao of ClutchPoints).
"“I know the work that I put it, day in and day out. I don’t think about being 36 when I step out on the court. It’s a lot of commitment, a lot of days to make sure you get your body ready for the game. But when you’re competitive, it’s nothing.“Kobe said it some years ago, ‘you just got to fall in love with it’, the repetition of it,” Paul said of what he learned from the Lakers legend. “Some people might be like, ‘oh it’s like Groundhog Day’ but not me. Not me. Because I love to play, and I wanna play at a high level.”"
Without a doubt, Kobe Bryant’s work ethic and dedication to his craft were out of this world. Albeit it may have seemed ludicrous to most folks, Bryant found solace in “the repetition” Paul mentioned. It is what made the former Lakers’ shooting guard an all-time great.
Similarly, anyone that knows Chris Paul recognizes that he carries the type of disposition Kobe did. Paul is a rare breed in this day and age, and akin to Kobe, he hates to lose. The word hate does not even begin to describe it.
Unfortunately for Paul, he has faced various setbacks in the past that have prevented him from making it to the promised land. As a matter of fact, the 36-year-old has dealt with his fair share of issues during the span of the 2021 playoffs alone.
For instance, the 6-foot-0 point guard suffered a shoulder injury in round one against the Lakers.
Kobe Bryant helped Chris Paul overcome his injury against the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to Hansford (originally via Salao), Paul listened to some words of advice from Kobe in the earlier stages of the playoffs. Once more, Kobe’s mental fabric was able to inspire CP3 and helped him muscle his way through the pain.
"“I listened to it before the game and hearing Kobe just talking about the work ethic that you put in and stuff like that, and in the thing, Kobe says like, ‘Injuries, sometimes you just can’t control them.’ So, that was all that was going through my mind after the play I got hit. Once I got here to the back and they checked me out and knew if there was any way I could play, I was going to.”"
Certainly, the five-time champion was renowned for his uncanny ability to play through injuries. One could argue that there was no one like him in this regard. Consequently, it is sensible that the Suns’ leader relied on Bryant to provide an extra dose of perseverance.
All things considered, Paul has been marvelous during the Suns’ Finals run and even fought his way through a positive covid test to get to this point. In spite of the obstacles, though, he has used them as fuel to push himself forward and keep his eyes on the prize.
Speaking of which, Paul and his squad are just two wins away from earning the franchise’s first-ever NBA title. It is safe to assume he will do everything in his power to ensure the job gets finished.
If the Suns can indeed do so, one can imagine that Kobe Bryant will once again be given a shout-out for his tremendous influence. Until then, however, the job remains unfinished and a guy like Kobe was never satisfied until things were tidied up. That in itself should be enough motivation to keep Paul’s foot planted on the gas pedal.