It’s been four years since Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and eight others were tragically killed in a helicopter accident, but he still remains an influential figure in the basketball world.
Bryant inspired countless people around the globe with his work ethic and dedicated to the game of basketball, but he also applied his killer instinct off the court. The Lakers legend dove head first into his media ventures and wound up becoming the first athlete to win an Oscar.
Recently, L.A. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue described what it meant for him to play alongside Bryant and how that impacted his career. With the anniversary of his death coming up, head coach Darvin Ham opened up about his experience working with Bryant and what he took away from him.
“Coming into the league around the same time and playing against him, coaching him, really knowing him from a competitive standpoint,” Ham said. “Just his passion to conquer whatever he involved himself in. He wanted to conquer it. His documentaries, his books, basketball, all of that. The plan he was about to unveil for women’s basketball, all of that. Anything he wanted to get involved in, he wanted to be the best at.
“And he was gonna do each and everything possible in terms of gathering resources and information so that he was coming into a situation where whether he had common knowledge on it or not, he was prepared. That’s why he was who he was, God rest his soul and his spirit. We still feel his presence in a lot of different areas, not just in basketball but in life. He made a huge impact and what I take away from that is just that his work ethic was nonstop in terms of him trying to be the best at whatever he touched. And the way he diversified himself, to be able to win an Oscar is crazy. But that’s Kobe. Crazy, undeniable, extreme greatness.”
Ham got his start as an NBA assistant coach with the Lakers and spent time with Bryant working on individual drills and skill work.
Ham, like so many others, was inspired by Bryant’s willingness to put in the work and that’s a mindset that he can carry for the rest of his life.
Joel Embiid shouts out Kobe Bryant after 70-point performance
Joel Embiid is well on his way to another MVP award and he made another statement after scoring a career-high 70 points. After his performance, Embiid shouted out Bryant and paid his respects.
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